"Their whole team talks s**t": Austin Reaves enjoyed Lakers' win over Grizzlies in playoffs, says 'it felt good'

When asked on the "Full Send Podcast" if he ever talks trash, Lakers Guard Austin Reaves revealed the team that talks the most smack.

"No, not really," Reaves said. "Someone has to say something to me first. All of Memphis honestly, their whole team talks s**t."

The Memphis Grizzlies were recognized last season as the team that talked the most during match-ups as part of their identity.

It translated to their first-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2023 postseason. At the time, the Lakers were the seventh seed in the Western Conference while the Grizzlies were the second seed.

For all the trash talk that ensued between the two, the Lakers ended up having the last laugh as they eliminated the Grizzlies in six games.

Austin Reaves against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the 2023 playoffs

Interestingly, it was Reaves's first playoff series in his career, and for the most part, he performed as well as anyone during their postseason debut. In the first-round match-up, he averaged 16.5 points per game (44.7% shooting, including 34.4% from 3-point range), 5.3 rebounds, and 5.0 assists against the Grizzlies.

He had the most impressive stats during Game 1 of the series, wherein the Lakers won with a score of 128-112. For the ball game, the Lakers guard dropped 23 points (61.5% shooting, 60.0% from 3-point range) and 4 assists.

During that game, Reaves was able to showcase his knack for penetrating to the basket and providing an extra option as a ball-handler outside of LeBron James. His shooting was on full display as well from the mid-range to the 3-point line.

Looking back when Austin Reaves talked about his Game 1 performance

After stealing a Game 1 road win on Memphis' home court, Reaves talked about the excellent postseason debut that he had.

"It was really just playing basketball," Reaves said. "Obviously, when you got guys like LeBron and AD, [it] makes life a little easier. But the game's not the same, it's more physical and stuff like that, but little stuff in basketball stays the same regardless [of whether] it's the regular season [or] playoffs. We closed the game great."

After a quality sophomore season in the NBA, Austin Reaves signed a four-year $53.8 million deal with a cap space of $12 million, as per Fan Sided's Jason Reed. With the paycheck secured, Lakers fans can expect an increase in Reaves's production in the coming season.