The Los Angeles Lakers are back to their winning ways after they survived another game without superstars Luka Doncic and LeBron James. On Wednesday, the Lakers held on amid a spirited rally by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the fourth quarter to come away with a 116-115 victory at Target Center in Minnesota.
With the Lakers missing Doncic and James due to injuries, Austin Reaves stepped up anew and delivered another memorable performance for the Lakers, capped by his game-winning bucket at the buzzer. Reaves led LA’s charge with 28 points to go with a career-high 16 assists.
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But while Reaves drew most of the attention, Jake LaRavia also deserves much credit for the Lakers’ win.
Now in his fourth season in the league, LaRavia finished the contest with 27 points on an incredibly efficient 10-for-11 shooting from the field. He hit five of his six attempts from behind the arc and added eight rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block in 37 minutes. LaRavia did most of his damage in the third quarter, where he dropped 17 of his total output — and 35 of the Lakers’ points in the period.
Los Angeles Lakers forward Jake LaRavia (12) dribbles towards the basket as Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels (3).
By the time the third quarter was over, many were left wondering just who exactly it was that the Timberwolves couldn’t stop.
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One fan shouted in the middle of the fourth quarter, “Who is number 12?” as caught by the broadcast’s feed.
Injured Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards heard it and later responded: “That’s what I’m saying. I don’t know.”
LaRavia would later react to that exchange.
“Cap,” LaRavia captioned his Instagram post showing Edwards’ interaction with the fan, while adding a couple of laughing emojis.
In a way, it was a revenge game for LaRavia against the team that welcomed him in the pros. The former Wake Forest Demon Deacons star was taken in the first round of the 2022 NBA draft by the Timberwolves before getting traded to the Memphis Grizzlies.
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In July, LaRavia joined the Lakers on a two-year contract worth $12 million.
Related: NBA World Reacts to Austin Reaves’ Game-Winner for Lakers
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Oct 30, 2025, where it first appeared in the NBA section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.