Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick addressed the team’s 122-110 home loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on New Year’s Eve, attributing the defeat to a disparity in three-point shooting and missed opportunities.
Speaking to reporters postgame, Redick acknowledged Cleveland’s sharpshooting as a critical factor in the loss. “They have some really good shot makers on their team,” he said. “You think about some of those threes they made and some of the threes we missed…that level of disparity from the three-point line is really the difference in the game.”
Cleveland converted 18 three-pointers compared to the Lakers’ nine, creating a scoring gap that Los Angeles struggled to overcome. Redick also highlighted the need for more free-throw attempts to counteract such deficits, an area where the Lakers fell short despite generating quality looks.
The Cavaliers seized control with a late third-quarter surge, capped by Max Strus hitting three consecutive three-pointers. Redick pointed to this stretch as pivotal, noting how the Lakers narrowed the gap to one point at 79-78 but failed to sustain momentum. “Niang gets an offensive rebound, they bang another three, and we just weren’t able to get any closer than that,” Redick explained.
Jarrett Allen delivered a season-high 27 points and 14 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who secured their eighth consecutive victory and improved to an NBA-best 29-4 record. Donovan Mitchell added 26 points, while Evan Mobley contributed 20, showcasing Cleveland’s balanced offense.
LeBron James, in his first game as a 40-year-old, made NBA history by becoming the first player to appear in games during both his teenage years and his 40s. James scored 23 points, including three three-pointers, but it wasn’t enough to lift the Lakers past Cleveland.
Austin Reaves led Los Angeles with a season-high 35 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds, nearly securing a triple-double. Anthony Davis added 28 points and 13 rebounds, but the Lakers struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 25.7%.
Redick praised the team’s effort, particularly Reaves’ performance, and expressed confidence in the offensive play drawn for him when the Lakers were down 107-114. “Austin had a great look…he was wide open, top of the key. I’ll live with that all day,” Redick said.
Cleveland’s defense and rebounding played a key role in the victory. Allen dominated inside, and the Cavaliers committed only 11 turnovers. Darius Garland orchestrated the offense with a season-high 14 assists, while Max Strus and Georges Niang contributed key points off the bench.
For Los Angeles, newly acquired players Dorian Finney-Smith and Shake Milton made their debuts but had minimal impact. Finney-Smith scored two points, while Milton added six. The Lakers fell to 18-14, placing them seventh in the Western Conference standings.
Redick emphasized the importance of near-perfect execution against teams like Cleveland. “You have to play close to perfect basketball…they’re not going to beat themselves,” he said. Despite the loss, Redick remained optimistic about the team’s spirit and competitiveness.
