On Friday, Austin Reaves scored 44 points to carry the Los Angeles Lakers to victory. He, however, barely made a headline.

The visiting Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors, 123–120, on Rui Hachimura’s buzzer-beating three that capped off a back-and-forth final period. The game also marked the first time since 2007 that LeBron James failed to score at least 10 points in a game, snapping his all-time record streak of 1,297 straight regular-season games in double figures.

Hachimura’s shot and the end of James’ run naturally dominated the postgame conversation, but Reaves’ performance flying under the radar was by no means disrespectful—it could actually be framed as a compliment. Nights like this have become frequent enough for Reaves that they no longer shock anyone and are now closer to the norm.

With Luka Dončić sidelined for personal reasons, Reaves led the way for Los Angeles with 44 points, five 3-pointers, five rebounds, and 10 assists in 40 minutes. He poured in 22 in the third quarter alone—the highest scoring quarter of his career so far.

Now in his fifth season, the undrafted guard has raised his scoring average every year and is taking yet another leap. He is averaging 29.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.8 assists, and 1.2 steals through his first 19 appearances—numbers that are more than worthy of All-NBA consideration that would be drawing even more attention if he were not sharing the floor with two megastars in Dončić and James.

When Dončić does not suit up for the Lakers, Reaves has proven that he can be their focal point. In four games without Dončić this season, he is averaging 41 points, including this 44-point effort and his career-high 51 back in October.

Reaves’ emergence could not have come at a better time for the Lakers. With James deep into the twilight of his career, they badly needed another playmaker to ease Dončić’s load. He is a more-than-capable sidekick—and at just 27 years old, a long-term building block for Los Angeles.

If the reaction to this Toronto game was any indication, the league has come to terms with his rise to stardom. He is on track for his first All-Star nod this February and an All-NBA selection could be on the way too. The Lakers seem to just keep on striking gold these days. If this team can stay healthy, there is no telling how far they can go with Dončić and Reaves leading the charge.