Christmas in California is not a Hallmark movie. The only magical snowfall in the Bay Area on Wednesday came when white confetti fluttered at the end of a basketball game between the Lakers and the Warriors while a Christmas carol played over the Chase Center speakers.
The fans were mostly unimpressed, Austin Reaves after having ruined the home team’s vacation moments before.
As they walked out, Reaves walked to center court, putting on a headset to analyze what had just happened in a postgame radio interview.
Sitting at the scorers’ tables during the post-bell blizzard, Reaves didn’t miss the moment. He, as he likes to remind people, should not be here right now. He wasn’t good enough to be recruited. His city was too small for him to actually be heavily recruited. And he certainly wasn’t the type of player you’d expect to leave the NBA’s premier game with the ball after hitting the game-winning shot.
That is what “they” have believed. Him? Less surprised.
Still, Reaves’ Christmas performance took even him by surprise. He had recorded his third triple-double by sliding past the Warriors defense to beat Golden State 115-113.
“I’m not really an emotional person,” Reaves said of the moment at the scorer’s table. “…There was a brief second where I thought I might cry. And that doesn’t happen much. But it’s Christmas…”
And for a moment he thought about Arkansas, his friends and family. He thought about Germany, where his older brother, Spencer, is one of the best marksmen in the country. He thought, for a moment, about the great probabilities of that scoring table.
“I know all my people at home are stuck inside and sitting with the family watching the game and that means a lot to me,” Reaves said. “I say it all the time, I don’t necessarily have to be in this position. I got lucky, got my foot in the door and took advantage of an opportunity. And now I’m sitting here… on Christmas with a winning game and a triple-double, and really the win that matters most to me.”
After a six-turnover night in the Lakers’ loss to Detroit on Monday, Reaves bounced back with a strong game even before the final 6.6 seconds. He overcame a difficult shooting start to score 16 of his 26 points in the second half. Less D’Angelo Russellwho did not play due to a sprained thumb, and Anthony DavisHaving barely played due to a sprained ankle, Reaves had to take on more responsibility on both sides of the court. He, like his team, was perfect at the free throw line throughout the game, including the decisive moment.
But because Stephen CurryThe 17-point fourth quarter almost wasn’t good enough.
The Lakers saw their 10-point lead disappear with 3:27 left thanks to a flurry of 3-pointers from Curry, and the Lakers needed one last basket with 6.6 seconds left to leave San Francisco with a victory.
“To begin with,” Reaves said, “the play wasn’t for me.”
The Lakers tried to get the pass into the field. LeBron Jamesbut Draymond Green and Curry followed him.
“I think patience, with 6.6 seconds to catch the ball and let the play develop and get into our space, that was the most important thing.” Lakers coach JJ Redick saying. “It doesn’t go fast and it allows us to give it room to operate.”
Max Christie reached the top of the bracket after an inning. Gabe Vincent dragged Dennis Schroder to the opposite corner. And Rui Hachimura somehow got Jonathan Kuminga to turn his back to the ground while out of bounds at the baseline.
Read more: LeBron James once again defies his age in a thrilling Lakers victory over the Warriors
Reaves caught the pass, squared toward the rim, took a step to his right and flew past Andrew Wiggins. He made the layup before a defender was about to challenge his first game-winning shot of the season.
“It’s always great to have great options on the court at the same time,” James said. “And AR has been in that position before.”
Reaves won a game for the Lakers in his rookie season in Dallas. Since then he has achieved great success. But something about Christmas, something about the moment…
“Five seconds is a long time when it comes to basketball,” he said.
On Christmas against the Warriors, five seconds were enough to create a moment he will never forget.
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This story originally appeared on Los Angeles Times.