Lakers' Austin Reaves Says He Was Hit 3 or 4x in Face by Grizzlies: I'm 'Used to It'

Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves is collecting plenty of keepsakes from the first NBA playoffs run of his career.

Following his team's 111-101 win over the Memphis Grizzlies, Reaves said he absorbed multiple blows to his face during the game:

This has been a running theme throughout the 24-year-old's time on the Lakers.

"He's been hit in the face more than any rookie in the league, I'm sure," then-teammate Rajon Rondo said in October 2021. "We've got to get him a facemask and mouthpiece soon, but like I said, he's just fearless, man. He plays the right way."

In February, Reaves kept playing after getting inadvertently elbowed in the face by the Golden State Warriors' Jonathan Kuminga:

Reaves is showing this postseason he's more than a scrappy energy guy. Through three games against the Grizzlies, he's averaging 16 points on 51.4 percent shooting, including 41.7 percent from beyond the arc.

The 6'5" wing's willingness to put his body on the line is part of his game, though, and it immediately earned the respect of his teammates.

For the sake of preserving his long-term health, Reaves might want to start putting his own safety first a little more.