Reaves just keeps floating along

Lakers blow a big lead before his soft shot in the lane pulls out 116-115 win

- BRODERICK TURNER

REAVES PUTS UP the game-winner over Dante DiVincenzo. He finished with 28 points and a career-high-tying 16 assists.

(DAVID BERDING Getty Images)

At some point, the Lakers will get stars Luka Doncic and LeBron James back in the fold. But exactly when they will return to play from their injuries is still unknown.

James has been out all season with right sciatica irritation, and Doncic has been out since Sunday with a left finger sprain and a lower left leg contusion.

But in their absence, Austin Reaves has taken up the mantle and has delivered time and time again, his latest masterpiece a game-winning floater in the lane that lifted the Lakers to a 116-115 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves that led to Reaves being mobbed by his teammates Wednesday night at the Target Center.

The Lakers had lost all of their 20-point lead after Julius Randle scored to give the Timberwolves a 115-114 lead with 10.2 seconds left.

But Reaves wouldn't let his teammates down, scoring 28 points and handing out a career-high-tying 16 assists.

Reaves split a double-team by Jayden McDaniels and Rudy Gobert and got into the lane. Donte DiVincenzo had come over to take a charge, but Reaves pulled up and scored just as the buzzer sounded.

He shyly admitted that his responsibility does increase when James and Doncic are not playing.