Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick praised his team’s effort following a hard-fought 104-98 victory over the Houston Rockets at Crypto.com Arena on Monday night.
Redick emphasized the importance of defense, rebounding, and shot selection, pointing out that the Lakers set a season high with 29 catch-and-shoot three-point attempts.
“I think the competitive spirit and togetherness—we had to play really hard tonight to put ourselves in a position to win,” Redick said postgame. “We set a season high for catch-and-shoot threes. A lot of those were uncontested.”
The Lakers struggled from deep early, going 2-for-16 on uncontested three-point attempts in the first half, but they stayed aggressive and capitalized late.
Luka Doncic led Los Angeles with 20 points and nine assists, while Gabe Vincent and Dorian Finney-Smith each added 20 points, combining for 12 three-pointers.
LeBron James contributed 16 points and eight rebounds, making a key defensive stop in the closing moments to help seal the win.
Redick highlighted how Houston’s defensive schemes forced the Lakers to adjust, limiting their ability to get preferred matchups.
“They have a great defense—they communicate well, they’re big, they’re athletic, they’re strong,” Redick said. “But we weathered some missed shots, did a good job of taking care of the basketball, and limited them to 13 fast-break points and 10 second-chance points.”
Houston, which had won 12 of its last 14 games, struggled offensively, shooting 31.3% from beyond the arc.
Amen Thompson led the Rockets with 20 points, while Dillon Brooks added 16, but Jalen Green managed just nine points on 4-of-13 shooting.
Despite being undersized for much of the game, the Lakers held their own on the glass by committee.
“LeBron had eight rebounds, Austin had eight, Luka had six, Doe had six, Gabe had four, Van had six. That’s how we have to control the glass—by committee,” Redick explained.
Finney-Smith’s 20 points marked his highest-scoring game since joining Los Angeles, and Redick encouraged him to be even more aggressive.
“It should have been 14,” Redick said, referencing Finney-Smith’s 13 three-point attempts. “He should have shot 14—he passed up three.”
The Lakers’ defensive execution down the stretch proved decisive.
James blocked an Alperen Sengun shot in the closing moments, while Vincent and Finney-Smith made clutch shots to extend Los Angeles’ lead.
Houston trimmed the deficit to 100-98 after Brooks split a pair of free throws with 20.1 seconds left, but the Lakers retained possession after a timeout.
James then knocked down two free throws with 11.1 seconds remaining before sealing the win with a game-saving defensive play.
The Lakers shot 16-for-46 from deep, capitalizing on Houston’s defensive strategy of loading up against their primary scorers.
“Our three guys that are primary creators and shot-takers, I thought, just did a good job of being patient and taking what was there,” Redick said.
Los Angeles improved to 46-29, maintaining a strong position in the Western Conference playoff race, while Houston fell to 49-27, still holding onto second place.
With only a handful of games remaining, Redick and the Lakers are focused on locking in a top-six seed and avoiding the Play-In Tournament.
“We understand what’s at stake,” Redick said. “We just have to keep building on what we’re doing.”
