Former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins named the Los Angeles Lakers’ X-factor in a potential deep playoff run. The purple and gold escaped Gainbridge Fieldhouse with a 120-119 dramatic win over the Indiana Pacers Wednesday night.
Besides Luka Doncic’s 34 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, Austin Reaves followed with 24 units, four rebounds and five assists. With LeBron James trying to impact the game in different ways, Reaves stepped up and helped the Lakers secure a much-needed win.
During the post-game edition of ESPN’s SportsCenter, Perkins mentioned Reaves as a crucial piece for the Lakers’ success once the postseason starts.
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“Luka did his thing offensively, he put on a clinic, that’s what Luka does,” Perkins said. “Rui Hachimura hit some big threes in the fourth quarter. Austin Reaves was the X-factor [in the win over the Pacers]. It’s the trust that JJ Redick, LeBron James, and Luka Doncic has in him.”
Perkins noted that with James having an off night, he focused on other things and allowed Reaves to take a bigger role on offense. The 2008 NBA champion added that Reaves could make a huge impact come playoff time.
“If the Lakers are going to make a deep run in the postseason, it’s going to be because of games like this behind Austin Reaves.”
“If the Lakers are going to make a deep run in the postseason, it’s going to be because of games like this behind Austin Reaves.” @KendrickPerkins discusses why he thinks Reaves is the x-factor for the Lakers 💪 pic.twitter.com/ggMeLkWTeb
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 27, 2025
The Lakers have a serious chance to compete for the NBA title this year, but the competition will be difficult. The Western Conference has the Oklahoma City Thunder (60-21), Houston Rockets (47-26) and Denver Nuggets (46-28), respectively, ahead of the Lakers. The Memphis Grizzlies (44-28), Los Angeles Clippers (41-31) and Golden State Warriors (41-31) are in the hunt to sneak into the top-four, too.
They secured a valuable win over the Pacers and snapped a three-game losing streak. Now it’s time to build momentum.