LOS ANGELES — The Lakers were reminded this week that the COVID-19 pandemic was not going away any time soon. Three of their players and an assistant coach were unavailable for Wednesday’s game in Dallas because of the NBA’s COVID-19 health protocols as cases spiked and several NBA teams were affected. 

Emerging from it all, however, was a feel-good story that involved an undrafted player who grew up a Kobe Bryant fan in faraway Arkansas.

Austin Reaves drilled a 3-pointer with one second left in overtime to propel the Lakers to a 107-104 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Score one for the underdog, the one who was ignored in the NBA draft last July, and score one for the Lakers who needed a victory to avoid another backward step in a season already filled with too many. 

Reaves drained his 3-pointer from the right side after Russell Westbrook set him up by driving the lane and drawing in the defense.

Reaves was then mobbed by his teammates.

“It was big-time shot,” Lakers forward Anthony Davis said. “It’s a testament to all the hard work he’s put in. He’s a sponge. He soaks up all the information we give him. He wants to learn, he wants to get better. He’s not afraid of the moment and it shows right there.” 

Reaves finished with 15 points off the bench, making 5 of 6 from 3-point range on a night the Lakers went without Talen Horton-Tucker, Dwight Howard and Malik Monk because of the NBA’s COVID-19 rules.

Two Lakers assistant coaches also missed the game — Phil Handy because of coronavirus protocols and David Fizdale because of personal reasons unrelated to COVID-19, Lakers Coach Frank Vogel said. Lakers play-by-play announcer Bill Macdonald also missed the game because of the league’s COVID-19 guidelines.

Despite it all, the Lakers (16-13) emerged with a third consecutive victory. They can thank Reaves, who attended Wichita State for two years and transferred to Oklahoma for his final two years of college.

He wasn’t one of the 60 players selected in the draft a few months ago but joined the Lakers’ summer-league team and eventually signed a non-guaranteed contract with them for the regular season. It is safe to say the team will guarantee it before the Jan. 10 deadline.

“It’s basically been the story of my life. I’ve always been underrated,” Reaves said. “At the end of the day, you’ve got to produce on the basketball court ... for teammates to have trust in me to take that shot, is very, very special.”

It was an unexpected end to a game in unsettling times across the league.

The Chicago Bulls were the worst hit team and postponed two games this week after 10 players tested positive for COVID-19. Big-name NBA players currently sidelined include Brooklyn’s James Harden, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, Chicago’s Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan and Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball.

The Lakers were not the only short-handed team in Dallas. The Mavericks played without All-Star guard Luka Doncic, who sat out because a sore left ankle.

His backup, Jalen Brunson, filled in admirably with 25 points and nine assists but it wasn’t enough for Dallas (14-14).

The Lakers needed a big-play just to get to overtime. 

LeBron James missed a long 3-point attempt in the final seconds of regulation but Wayne Ellington ended up with the ball after a brief tussle for the rebound among other players. He calmly nailed a 3-pointer from the corner with 1.8 seconds left to tie the score at 93-93.

The game went to overtime when Trey Burke’s 3-point shot bounced off the rim.

James had 24 points and Westbrook just missed a triple-double, finishing with 23 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.

The Lakers have road games Friday in Minnesota and perhaps Sunday in Chicago if enough players have recovered for the Bulls to field a team.

After that, the Lakers return home for tough games against Phoenix and Brooklyn, not to mention a potential trap game in between the games against San Antonio.