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Austin Reaves discussed his and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's skills in drawing fouls as the Lakers prepare to face the Thunder. The matchup is significant as both players are known for their ability to get to the free-throw line.

Austin Reaves gets honest about his and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's ability to draw fouls originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Los Angeles Lakers had a superb first-round series as they beat the Houston Rockets in six games. For the last two games, Austin Reaves has been active, and he has been a welcome addition to the Lakers' rotation that desperately needed an offensive boost.
Now, they will be playing against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the defending champions. It will be a challenging matchup for the Lakers, especially since they have to defend against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Since this is a matchup between Reaves and SGA, many NBA fans are alluding to their affinity for drawing fouls.
Throughout NBA history, there have been many dominant offensive players. Despite what their numbers and reputation suggest, many of them dominated with the free-throw line in mind. Names like and Michael Jordan had solid parts of their game thriving from the free-throw line.
Austin Reaves and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are both recognized for their ability to draw fouls effectively during games, making them key players in their respective teams.
Austin Reaves has provided a much-needed offensive boost for the Lakers, especially during their recent playoff series against the Rockets.
The Lakers will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in the next round of the playoffs, who are the defending champions.
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Unfortunately, that is looked down upon now because some players are skilled enough to draw legitimate fouls. Two of them will be playing in the Lakers vs Thunder series, and those are Reaves and Gilgeous-Alexander.
Drawing fouls and shooting free throws are part of the game. It is a polarizing topic for a lot of people, but for certain players like Reaves and SGA, they know it's part of the game, so they will do their best to take advantage of it because it can lead to getting more wins.
"I know that's a tough topic to talk about because everybody blows it out of proportion. He wants to win and is gonna do whatever it takes to win. If it's shoot 20 free throws, so be it. If I shoot 20 free throws, I'd be happy. I don't think there are any bad intentions with trying to get to the line," Reaves said after a Lakers practice ahead of their series against the Thunder.
Reaves makes a great point there because that is how the game is played. They need to take every advantage they can get because NBA games are won in the margins. If Reaves or SGA's ability to get into the free-throw line can win games, they will keep doing it because the result is all that matters.