The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a 134-110 defeat to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday. This loss marked a challenging return for LeBron James and his son Bronny, as the Cavaliers improved to 5-0.
Following the game, Lakers head coach JJ Redick analyzed the performance of the team. He stated, “They’re a really good basketball team. They spread you out and they have guys with some pop with Garland and Mitchell.”
Redick acknowledged the Cavaliers’ offensive prowess, specifically mentioning players like Caris LeVert and Ty Jerome. He said, “It was good to see him healthy. I think we just kind of got punched in the mouth a little bit.”
He emphasized the importance of minimizing mistakes against strong opponents. “When you’re playing good teams, you can’t afford a lot of mistakes. We made a lot of mistakes. Simple stuff sometimes, low man rotations, not executing our switches early,” Redick explained.
The head coach pointed out that the Cavaliers forced the Lakers into these errors. “They did a lot of things that forced us into those mistakes, but you play a good basketball team, you can’t make that many mistakes,” he said.
Cleveland jumped to a quick lead, which the Lakers struggled to overcome. “We got down early and we just couldn’t recover. And frankly, you get down early and you are at a deficit,” Redick noted.
He added that the Cavaliers enjoyed a significant advantage in scoring opportunities, stating, “With turnovers they had 17 more scoring opportunities, they generated 13 more threes, they beat us +33 in the three-point battle.”
Redick further lamented the Lakers’ performance on the boards. “We had our lowest crash rate of the season; we had our highest limbo rate of the season. It’s not a winnable game if you do those things, turn the ball over 20-plus times. Not going to win those games. It’s just math,” he concluded.
Evan Mobley led the Cavaliers with 25 points, while Donovan Mitchell added 24 points. Jarrett Allen contributed 20 points and 17 rebounds, showcasing the Cavaliers’ depth and skill.
The Lakers, now holding a record of 3-2, faced challenges early in the game. They struggled with turnovers and defensive lapses, allowing Cleveland to build a 19-point lead after the first quarter.
The Cavaliers established their dominance with four quick three-pointers, including consecutive shots from Mitchell. The Lakers had difficulty adjusting to Cleveland’s fast-paced offense under new head coach Kenny Atkinson.
In a memorable moment, Bronny James scored his first NBA points with a 14-foot jumper late in the fourth quarter, exciting the home crowd. His achievement added to the atmosphere of the night, as the Cavaliers celebrated their best start since the 2016-17 season.
Although LeBron led the Lakers with 26 points and Anthony Davis contributed 22 points and 13 rebounds, the team could not keep pace with Cleveland. The bench offered some relief, with rookie Dalton Knecht leading reserves with 18 points.
