Austin Reaves enters hallowed Lakers territory with his 45-point barrage against the Pacers

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The first five players to put up at least 45 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in one game for the Los Angeles Lakers were Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

The sixth is Austin Reaves, who hit those exact numbers while leading the short-handed Lakers to a 124-117 victory over surging Indiana on Saturday.

Reaves knows what you're thinking. He feels the same way.

“It looks weird when you see my name up there,” Reaves said with a smile.

It's getting less weird with each achievement by Reaves, who joined the Lakers undrafted out of Oklahoma 3 1/2 years ago. He has grown into a starter and a key contributor for his favorite team ever since he was a rural Arkansas kid who idolized Kobe Bryant and wouldn't let anyone dissuade him from his NBA dream.

When Los Angeles had to play without injured LeBron James and Luka Doncic against Indiana, the fourth-place team in the East, Reaves produced the most prolific game of his career to date. He hit 14 of 26 shots, made four 3-pointers and went 13 of 13 from the free-throw line while usually initiating the offense down the stretch.

Throw in those seven rebounds, seven assists and three steals, and Reaves was able to carry the depleted Lakers past a talented Pacers team. No wonder Reaves heard late “M-V-P!” chants from Lakers fans grateful they got to see something amazing even with James and Doncic in street clothes.

James has a sore left ankle, and Doncic wasn't quite ready for his debut. The Lakers were still in upheaval from losing Anthony Davis, Max Christie, Dalton Knecht and Cam Reddish in two deadline trades — and now they're in even more upheaval after they rescinded their trade of Knecht and Reddish for Charlotte center Mark Williams later Saturday.

What's more, Reaves has a sore left elbow that easily could have kept him out of his historic game. He only decided to play through the pain moments before the pregame cutoff time — and the Lakers were grateful he did.

“I think he’s been as important as any player on our team,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “I felt like he was the best player on the floor tonight, and that says a lot. He showed up in a big-time way.”

Reaves got off to a huge start against Indiana, scoring 11 points in less than six minutes. He finished the first half with 20, and he took charge again in the fourth quarter, starting it off with back-to-back 3-pointers before finishing the final period with 14 points.

It was a remarkable performance by a player who just set his previous career high of 38 against Brooklyn last month — but Reaves is the first to acknowledge his entire NBA career has been one surprise after another. He has filled multiple roles since he unexpectedly played his way into a Lakers roster spot out of training camp in 2021.

“The path that I took is not conventional,” Reaves said. “There’s probably only a handful of people that thought I would be in this position, if any. It wasn’t really the popular thing to do to continue to chase my dream. ... If I can inspire kids that’s in my situation to continue to chase their dreams, whatever it is, just do it.”

He's now much more than a surprise, however: Reaves has averaged at least 28 minutes per game in each of the past three seasons as a frequent starter — including all 44 games this season under Redick.

Reaves is also part of one of the most intriguing teams in Lakers history following their dramatic move to land Doncic, who could be Reaves' backcourt-mate for years to come.

While Doncic is expected to be the next centerpiece of the Lakers, Reaves has become extraordinarily valuable as well — and he's occasionally making history.

“It’s surreal, because I grew up a huge Kobe fan, so I was automatically a Laker fan,” Reaves said. “Just to be able to go out there and put the uniform on and compete, and then to have a couple of those games to where my name is in with those guys, is special. It’s something that I won’t take for granted.”

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Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves, right, celebrates with center Jaxson Hayes after scoring during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves, left, shoots and scores as Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves, left, gestures after hitting a thee-point shot as Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard stands by during the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Lakers' Luka Doncic, left, greets guard Austin Reaves prior to an NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves, right, celebrates with center Jaxson Hayes after scoring during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Indiana Pacers, Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves, left, dunks as Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard watches during the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, Feb. 8, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said Thursday that it has opened a criminal investigation into rape and sexual assault allegations against Motown music luminary Smokey Robinson.

The department said in a statement that its Special Victims Bureau is “actively investigating criminal allegations” against Robinson.

Last week, four former housekeepers of Robinson filed a lawsuit alleging that he repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted them, in some cases for years, while they worked for him.

The suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court seeks at least $50 million in damages over the alleged assaults, which the women say took place between 2007 and 2024.

Robinson's lawyer said there was no merit to the allegations against the 85-year-old musical icon who was among the biggest hitmakers of the 1960s.

The attorney, Christopher Frost, said Tuesday the only reason for the suit is “unadulterated avarice.”

“We feel confident that a determination will be made that Mr. Robinson did nothing wrong, and that this is a desperate attempt to prejudice public opinion and make even more of a media circus than the Plaintiffs were previously able to create,” Frost said.

John Harris and Herbert Hayden, the lawyers for the women, say they are pleased to learn that law enforcement is pursuing the allegations.

“Our clients intend to fully cooperate with LASD’s ongoing investigation in the pursuit of seeking justice for themselves and others that may have been similarly assaulted by him," the lawyers said.

The sheriff's statement said the investigation is in its early stages, and no other details would be provided.

Robinson's attorney said last week that the allegations “defy credulity” and are full of inconsistencies.

The four women, whose names have not been made public, each allege that Smokey Robinson would wait until he was alone with them in his Los Angeles house and then sexually assault and rape them. One woman said she worked for Robinson from 2012 until 2024 and was assaulted at least 20 times. Another said she worked for him from 2014 until 2020 and was assaulted at least 23 times.

Harris called Robinson a “serial and sick rapist” who must be stopped.

When asked at a May 6 news conference whether the women had talked to police, Hayden said no, but felt the allegations merited law enforcement getting involved.

All of the accusers said they eventually quit over the assaults. And all said they feared coming forward over fears of retaliation, public shame and possible effects on their immigration status.

Robinson churned out a host of hits as a central part of the Motown Records machine — both with his group the Miracles and as a solo artist, with songs including “Tears of a Clown” and “The Tracks of My Tears.” He also wrote and co-wrote songs for other Motown artists, including the Temptations' “My Girl.”

He is a member of both the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

FILE - Smokey Robinson attends the screening for "The Apollo" during the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival on April 24, 2019, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP, File)