LOS ANGELES — Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves might’ve been the reason the Los Angeles Lakers won their seventh-straight game by beating the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday night. However, Maxi Kleber was the reason they didn’t lose.
With the Lakers having blown most of their lead during a lifeless third quarter, a bizarre play injected life into a team that was on its way to squandering a massive early advantage once it stepped off the gas.
Dončić scored 34, and Reaves had 33, the two becoming just the fourth set of teammates to score 30-plus in three-straight games.
Kleber scored two points. But after the game, LeBron James made a point to find the veteran reserve and let him know that he saved the day — in the most unconventional way imaginable.
“FYI,” James told Kleber, “you just sparked us.”
The spark? An airballed layup.
Following the 133-121 victory over the Pelicans, a win that gave the Lakers sole possession of second place in the Western Conference, The Athletic conducted a series of interviews about Kleber’s missed shot, the bench’s reaction, the game-saving run that followed and what it all says about the Lakers’ chemistry 19 games into the season.
Told that the play was going to be the subject of a story, Kleber laughed.
“Damn,” he said. “You’d really do that, huh?”
Sure did. Here’s the oral history of maybe the only airball layup that saved the Lakers a game.
Even without James (left foot injury management) and Marcus Smart (back spasms), the Lakers were big favorites Sunday against a three-win Pelicans team that was without most of its best players, including Zion Williamson and Trey Murphy III. With the Lakers hosting 12-9 Phoenix Monday, this was a classic trap game. Fortunately, L.A. has Dončić — the league’s best first-quarter scorer. Thanks to 20 points from Dončić, the Lakers led by as many as 22 in the first and by as many as 26 late in the second before the energy began to shift. The Pelicans trimmed the lead to 20 at the half and quickly cut it to 15 in the third when JJ Redick called a timeout.
Redick: It was hard to figure out what our guys are doing.
Reaves: The only word that came to my mind is, “F—.’” Like, not that it’s worrisome. But it’s just like, “Why don’t we just get this over with. Let’s not f— around and just end this.” And it’s hard, once you don’t have the momentum, to regain it. But that’s what good teams do.
The Pelicans continued to pressure the Lakers, doubling Dončić and cutting into the Lakers’ lead. And with 2:08 left in the third, Yves Missi’s easy dunk got New Orleans within 100-89. The Lakers were stuck in a scoring drought that was about to stretch into its third minute.
Jake LaRavia, Lakers forward: It was one of those games where you have to be locked in the whole time, because that’s a team that can come back. They play hard. And there was a stretch where we’re only up 11, and we just needed the energy to turn.
The Pelicans, knowing the Lakers needed a basket, double-teamed Dončić, starting another disorganized possession in which the Lakers looked timid. But with eight seconds on the shot clock and no player even attempting to pressure the paint, Kleber attacked Saddiq Bey with a left-handed dribble. After he got into the paint, New Orleans’ Trey Alexander reached in and was whistled for the foul.
Soon, everything would be all right.
Kleber: I went to the rim. I got fouled, and I thought I had a layup. But … I guess I misjudged where the basket was.
Redick: We had not scored for three minutes, and there were multiple times where we were playing four-on-three and no one was looking at the basket. So I was happy Maxi drove. But then … that happened.
After the whistle, Kleber had an unguarded and-1 opportunity, but his left-handed finger-roll somehow went in reverse, an airball layup. The bench immediately fell into hysterics.
Gabe Vincent, Lakers guard: We were just caught off guard. … We all thought he was going to dunk it. … Shot a fadeaway layup. Crazy.
Adou Thiero, Lakers forward: We all looked at each other like, “Oh? Did that just happen?”
LaRavia: I was on the court trying not to (laugh), so I could only assume what was going on on the bench.
James hid his face, first under his sweatshirt and then behind his hands. Rui Hachimura covered his face with a white towel. Reaves, Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt tried unsuccessfully to hide their laughter.
James: It was one, hilarious. Two, unbelievable. And three, never seen no s— like that where a guy laid the ball up to the opposite rim, going toward the other rim.
Reaves: (James) couldn’t stop laughing. I tried to get him to shut up.
Redick (on the bench’s reaction): I’m not surprised at all.
Reaves: Honestly, it was like a breath of fresh air, because everyone kinda forgot about what was happening in the game and had a good laugh.
While the bench laughed, Kleber went to the line and made two free throws to give the Lakers their first points in three minutes. Deandre Ayton stood and applauded. The rest of the bench yelled for Kleber. It started an 8-0 run that calmed the game down enough that New Orleans never threatened again, with LaRavia forcing a turnover on the ensuing inbounds.
LaRavia: The ref gave the ball to Alexander, and no one was in front of the half-court line, and it was only Jose (Alvarado). And I was closest to him. So I was like, “I’m just going to make this tough for him.” (The count) was probably already at three seconds, so I knew he was going to rush to throw the ball in, and all I had to do was kinda get a hand on it or show my presence a little bit. And it ended up going off Jose, and we got the ball. It was an energy shift.
Dončić hit a midrange jumper on the next Lakers’ possession, his first made field goal since the first quarter. Then, after a Pelicans’ miss, Dončić hit a 3 and was fouled — triggering a review. During the timeout, Reaves and Vanderbilt wandered underneath the basket.
Reaves: He asked me, “How’d that even happen?” My response was, “I have no idea.” I re-enacted it too; I shot a layup and airballed it. It was pretty impressive. I mean, honestly. Instead of it rolling off his fingers, it just stayed on his fingers, and he flipped it back.
Vanderbilt: Maxi made a great play and ignited the whole team. … He keeps the vibes high. At least he made his free throws. It got us going.
LaRavia: It kinda got us to re-engage. To laugh about it and lock right back in.
Thiero: From my point of view, first year in the league, it’s kinda crazy seeing how fast momentum can change from little things.
Dončić made the free throw for the four-point play, and the Lakers went up 19. The Pelicans never pressured again. By the time the Lakers reached the locker room, the play was in their text chain.
Reaves: It was already in our group message. Bron sent it. With a bunch of laugh faces. (Maxi) walked by and told me two kids, ages 6 to 8, as he was walking off the court, were like “Nice finger roll.”
Redick: I have great empathy for him.
Vincent: I don’t know if you remember, but in ’07, JJ did the same thing. Go look that up. I said it in real time. I said, ‘This is funny, but I think JJ’s done that too.” … I was like, “I’ve seen this before.” I followed up in our group chat with that video to say, “Maxi, you’re not alone in this.”
Redick: My rookie year, I airballed a layup against the Knicks. I remember. … I didn’t get fouled, though. Maxi has an excuse.
The moment illustrates why people inside the Lakers’ locker room are having so much fun together, a chemistry built on smack-talking that ensures egos can be punctured at a moment’s notice.
Reaves: (Kleber is) a big part of that. He’s f—ing awesome. He’s as good of a teammate as you could ask for. On the court. Off the court. Just good dude. Care factor is high. Unselfishness is high. Just cares about the right things.
Vincent: It speaks to our confidence as well. We’re confident in moments like that. We understand teams are going to make runs, and we understand what we’re capable of. And I think we understand how to enjoy the little things. I think the season is so long, you’ve got to enjoy the little things. And it’s great to see us do that and keep our focus and turn that into a run and go on to win a game.
Kleber: It’s very important. It’s a long season. Obviously, this was a funny play. But it could be serious, where we have a bad stretch, or a bad game, and it’s important that we stick together as a team. And that we can laugh about things and just work it out and not take it too hard. Because we know we’re good. And I think it helps to regain focus quickly.
Redick: Maxi can be very self-deprecating. And it’s not lost on me that we made a run and the guys are laughing, and that it was somewhat of a team-building moment — because it happened to him. There’s no embarrassment about it. He’s a grown person. So he can take the joke.
Vincent: It entirely was (an energy-shifting play). For whatever reason, we went on a run. Crazy. Shout out to Maxi. He’s been shifting energy since day one when he’s stepped on the court for us. He’s been a positive shift. And sometimes, that comes in the form of an airball layup.
Kleber: We all had a good laugh. We had a good time with it, and I think this is going to stay (with me) for a couple days.