Lakers News: Austin Reaves Acclimating To Intense Grizzlies Defensive Pressure

Some might even call it dirty Grizzlies defensive pressure.

In his NBA playoff debut, starting Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Austin Reaves continues to adjust to the Memphis Grizzlies' intense pressure defense, which he claims included hitting him in the face three or four times during LA's 111-101 Game 3 victory at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday, per Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. 

Let's just call it what it is: dirty defense. Hits to players' faces and nether regions do not constitute basketball play, they're just dirty cheap shots.

Violence from the opposition aside, Reaves played through it to still chip in 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the floor and 2-of-3 shooting from the free throw line, plus six boards, two dimes, and a steal in 35:25.

“I’m getting used to it,” Reaves acknowledged. “At this point, it’s win regardless of good game, bad game. It doesn’t matter. Go far in the playoffs, you look like a winner. That’s really it. Do what the game provides and really just compete.”

He's been performing well in these playoffs thus far. The 6'5" second-year swingman out of the University of Oklahoma, a restricted free agent in line for a big raise this summer, is logging 16.0 points on .514/.417/.700 shooting splits, 4.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 0.7 steals.

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