Pelicans Rookie Antonio Reeves Explodes For 34 Points On His Birthday

Antonio Reeves made the most of his 24th birthday with a break-out performance.

Nov 20, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; New Orleans Pelicans guard Antonio Reeves (12) drives to the basket against Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) during the second half at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

Among the many rookies who have recently broken out as featured players in their respective squads, Antonio Reeves has been flying under the radar. His New Orleans Pelicans have been battling a large number of injuries to key players to start the season, including Zion Williamson, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, Dejounte Murray, and CJ McCollum.

As a result, New Orleans has been forced to rely on their depth to compete in a strong Western Conference. On Wednesday, with the squad’s top seven rotation players all sidelined, Reeves got called off the bench in the first quarter by Coach Willie Green. On his 24th birthday, Reeves now had a big opportunity to make an impact against the 15-1 Cleveland Cavaliers.

While he hadn’t earned any non-garbage time prior, the 47th overall pick made waves as a college basketball star, averaging over 20 points per game with near-45% shooting from beyond the arc at Kentucky last season. However, he slipped all the way to the end of the second round, in large part due to his standing as one of the draft class’ oldest prospects. 

In his opportunity against Cleveland, though, Reeves showcased every bit of the scoring skill that propelled him to All-SEC status a year ago. He exploded for an impressive 34 points, including 10-for-13 shooting from two-point range and 4-for-12 shooting from three. The 6-foot-5 guard showcased his entire package in this outburst, including versatile shot-making, speedy drives, and his soft floater touch. It wasn’t enough to get the Pelicans the win, but he did manage to shrug off the Cavaliers’ top-ranked defense on many occasions.

Reeves will have to perform with consistency to hold down a rotation spot as New Orleans’ starters return, but he’s already shown his upside as a future contributor and potential draft steal.

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