Austin Reaves went 3-for-16 from the field and coughed up four turnovers Tuesday as the Los Angeles Lakers dropped Game 1 of their playoff series to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
It was the kind of performance that invites a long list of explanations. Reaves offered none.
"I mean, nobody cares about that," he said when asked about his extended injury absence heading into the series. "I got to go out there and play better."
The turnovers compounded the shooting struggles. Reaves finished as the Lakers' leader in giveaways, a role no player wants in a playoff opener. He had been one of Los Angeles's most consistent perimeter threats during the regular season, which made the Game 1 showing a significant factor in the loss.
The Lakers will need Reaves to find his shot quickly. Oklahoma City held home-court advantage going into the series and strengthened it with the win. Game 2 gives Los Angeles a short window to respond before the series potentially shifts in the Thunder's favor.
