"Want to return the favor" - Austin Reaves makes Lakers' intentions clear against Nikola Jokic and Nuggets 

Austin Reaves and the LA Lakers will play the Denver Nuggets once more on Wednesday in a battle between two of the best Western Conference teams. With the team expected to miss LeBron James next week, Reaves will have a bigger offensive role for the team, alongside Luka Doncic.

On Monday, after their win against the San Antonio Spurs, Reaves made his feelings known about facing the Nuggets in the regular season. While he kept his answers straightforward, Reaves acknowledged the Nuggets’ success against the LA Lakers in the past two playoffs before saying that he wants to avenge those losses.

“Obviously, they’ve kicked our a*s the last couple of postseasons and we want to return the favor, but you want to beat everybody you play,” Reaves said per ESPN's Dave McMenamin.

The guard also denied any mindset shift when facing against the Nuggets, emphasizing that it is business as usual for them on Wednesday.

“I don’t think so,” Reaves said when asked if the game between the Nuggets brings a different feel. “Every game is different, but [we] have the same mentality going in."

The two squads have met three times this season, with the Nuggets winning their first outing on Nov. 23, before losing to the LA Lakers in their Feb. 22 game. Denver again won in their last meeting on March 14.

In their previous game against the Nuggets, Reaves dropped a season-high 37 points, along with eight rebounds and 13 assists, as they played the former champions without Doncic and James. Reaves is averaging 30.7 ppg in his last four games with the Purple and Gold franchise as its leader James is sidelined with a groin injury.

The LA Lakers currently stand in the fourth seed in the West with a 42-25 record, just two wins behind the Nuggets, which boasts a 44-25 record.

Austin Reaves remains optimistic despite roster injuries

Austin Reaves has remained positive despite the numerous injuries hounding the LA Lakers ahead of its playoff push. The Lakers have sustained injuries from Rui Hachimura, LeBron James and Luka Doncic in the past three weeks, making them unavailable for several games at different times.

Despite the injuries, Reaves said the team is ready to fill in the holes left by the injured players.

“We've had many situations where a player deals with some type of injury or a trade or whatever it is, and we've done a really good job of bouncing back,” Reaves said. “And I don't expect anything else. It's a next-man-up mentality. Not one person's gonna do what LeBron does for us.

“But you can do it as a collective. And hopefully, he gets back out on the court soon," he added.

The Lakers have been 5-5 in their last 10 games. A losing streak could push them down the West standings as the likes of the Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies and LA Clippers slowly creep up the winning board.