The Los Angeles Lakers overcame a slow start to edge the San Antonio Spurs 118-116 on Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena. Lakers head coach JJ Redick praised his team’s resilience and defensive focus in a postgame press conference.
Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 35 points, supported by Deandre Ayton’s 22 points and 10 rebounds. Rui Hachimura added 15 points, and Marcus Smart contributed 17 points with five assists.
Speaking after the game, Redick emphasized the team’s ability to overcome a challenging pace and multiple fouls. “I think both teams just kind of got stuck in that cycle…there was just a lot of touch fouls tonight. And it kind of disrupted the flow,” he said, noting that Los Angeles responded during the second quarter after a flat start.
Redick praised Rui Hachimura for pivotal plays late in the game. “I thought Rui made the two biggest plays of the game…he made that three, which was huge. And then the charge on Wemby…was the biggest one yet,” Redick said, referring to Victor Wembanyama’s key defensive play.
The Lakers maintained defensive intensity despite missing LeBron James due to sciatica. Redick singled out Doncic for his leadership in the second half. “The word of the day is resiliency…he stayed with it. The focus level with both the referees and his teammates…he was able to do that throughout the game,” Redick explained.
Los Angeles’ adaptability with multiple lineups has been a season hallmark. “This is the reality of the NBA. We’re going to start the group that makes sense for that night and hopefully find a way to win,” Redick said. The coach highlighted defensive communication, particularly Marcus Smart’s role as a “quarterback” on that end of the floor.
Defensively, the Lakers forced 19 Spurs turnovers and held San Antonio to 39.4% shooting. Redick credited team chemistry for the late-game execution. “Whether it’s off-court activities…if you’re connected off the floor, you’re connected on the floor,” he said.
DeAndre Ayton’s performance also drew praise for both offense and defense. “He’s had a phenomenal start to the year…he was a big part of that, the helpside blocks, the one-on-one blocks. He’s a winning basketball player,” Redick said.
The Lakers will face the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday, while the Spurs return home to play the Houston Rockets on Friday.
