Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick shared his thoughts following the team’s 113-100 road win against the Sacramento Kings on Thursday night. Redick called the victory one of his favorites of the season, highlighting the Lakers’ grit in overcoming an off offensive night.
“For the group, I really felt like this might be my favorite win we’ve had all season,” Redick said in his postgame press conference. “We weren’t efficient offensively, but we crushed the boards, limited them in transition, and kept them to one shot.”
Redick emphasized the team’s commitment to their game plan, which led to their success despite not having a great shooting performance. “We had so many different contributions at different times,” he said, pointing out late offensive rebounds by Max Christie and Gabe Vincent, along with strong defensive plays from Cam Reddish.
The Lakers were led by Austin Reaves, who scored 25 points to carry the team to victory. Reaves played a key role in securing the Lakers’ third win in four games, especially in the second half, where the team pulled away. Redick also praised Reaves’ athleticism, saying, “I think he’s a great athlete… maybe not in the 1% of the NBA, but he’s in the 1% of the world.”
LeBron James made history during the game, surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record for most career regular-season minutes played. James added 19 points, six rebounds, and seven assists in the win, playing 34 minutes to bring his total to 57,471 minutes.
Anthony Davis was another standout for the Lakers, posting a dominant 21-point, 20-rebound double-double. D’Angelo Russell also contributed 16 points to help Los Angeles maintain a steady lead throughout the game.
Sacramento kept things competitive, led by De’Aaron Fox, who scored 26 points and dished out five assists. Domantas Sabonis nearly recorded a triple-double with 18 points, 12 rebounds, and nine assists. Malik Monk added 17 points for the Kings, but the team was unable to recover from a slow start and fell short in the fourth quarter.
Despite the Kings’ late push, which brought the game to 93-90 with eight minutes remaining, the Lakers pulled away. Reaves responded with a key bank shot, and Davis sank two free throws to spark a 10-2 run, giving the Lakers the separation they needed.
