Overview
- Dončić and Reaves described frequent off-court competitions — golf, foosball, bowling, cards and darts — in new ESPN interviews published before the holiday matchup.
- Dončić said he is “ducking” Reaves at golf, and both joked about a late-night bowling 1-on-1 that each claimed to have won.
- A team source told ESPN that Dončić is increasingly appreciating Reaves’s level of play, quoted as, “He’s realizing, ‘F---, Austin is good!’”
- ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reported their rapport helps create a looser locker room and turns down potential pressure points for the Lakers.
- The Lakers are 19-9 entering Christmas Day against the Rockets, with Dončić averaging 34.1 points and Reaves averaging 27.3 this season.