Austin Reeves fires back as Naz Reid targets him during Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves Game 2

There was a bit too much heat between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 2, as the Lakers looked for revenge after their Game 1 loss. Amid all the action, Timberwolves power forward Naz Reid vented his anger on Lakers’ guard Austin Reeves. However, Reeves didn’t stay quiet—he clapped back immediately. As the video of their heated exchange surfaced online, NBA fans mostly sided with Reeves, criticizing Reid for picking on the shorter guy to let out his frustration.
Austin Reaves fires back at Naz Reid after the latter threatens to slap him
The Los Angeles Lakers bounced back with a 94-85 win in Game 2 after their 117-95 defeat in the series opener. As tensions rose on the court, the 6’9’’ Reid was seen telling the 6’5’’ Reeves, "I'll slap the sht out of you."* The video shows Reeves firing back with, “Shut tf up.”

The internet wasn’t thrilled with how things played out. One NBA fan tweeted, “I’m sorry to say that Reid doesn’t know he’s messing w/ the wrong white boy.” Another added, “When they can't play ball, they gotta resort to want to slap the shit out of you. Loser mentality.” A third chimed in, “Bro picked on the smallest dude on the Lakers lol.” Someone else noted, “Talking crazy on your way to the bench is crazy.” And as one X user put it, “These are the playoffs, nothing's new.”
Reid had a frustrating outing, managing just nine points along with two rebounds, one assist, and three steals—a noticeable dip from his Game 1 performance where he scored 23 points. Meanwhile, Reeves put up 16 points (7-14 FG), five rebounds, and five assists in Game 2, answering Reid’s aggression with solid play on the floor.
Talking to the media, Reeves said the team was confident they’d get the win the moment they stepped onto the court at Crypto.com Arena. “You could tell from the energy in the locker room after the game that nobody was worried about what we have. We just had to go out there and compete every single possession,” he said.
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He added that their strong practice session helped lock in their mindset: “The knowing of what we were going to have to do to come out here and get a win.”
The Lakers will now face the Timberwolves again in Game 3 at Target Center on Saturday.