JJ Redick focused on rotations, trust, and interior execution after the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors 110-93 on Sunday night at crypto.com Arena.
The Lakers earned just their second win in seven games behind 25 points each from Luka Doncic and LeBron James, plus a flawless shooting performance from Deandre Ayton.
Ayton finished with 25 points and 13 rebounds while going 10-for-10 from the field in his return from a knee injury, a night Redick described simply by saying, “Oh, he was great.”
Redick addressed his second-quarter lineup decisions in detail. He emphasized the physical look of that group, adding, “You get the clipboard just you know, we had talked about it so I knew it was coming but it’s still like a little jarring to see you know the the Vando, Drew, DA, LeBron you know that’s a it’s a big lineup.”
He credited that unit for execution on both ends, saying, “They did a good job of playing out of the post during that stretch and we also were able to get some stops and run.”
Asked about Ayton becoming the third player in franchise history to post at least 10 makes without a miss and 10 rebounds, Redick said, “Yeah, he was phenomenal.”
He added context beyond the box score, noting, “He’s had a number of these games um where he scores efficiently, but really just from a production standpoint to get, you know, 20 plus points, 10 plus rebounds, that he’s had games like this.”
Redick highlighted patience from the roster, saying, “I thought our guys just continued to trust him and you know as the game progressed he just he made some really tough catches in traffic uh and then was able to score the basketball.”
On Ayton’s rhythm since returning from a calf issue earlier, Redick said, “So, it’s starting to come,” while explaining, “The minutes restriction, I think, for him is tough.”
He underlined the importance of Ayton’s third-quarter baskets, stating, “Those were big shots for us,” and added, “In a game like this where it’s it’s hard to score and it’s a low possession game and it can be a little muddy.”
Redick closed by comparing styles from recent games, saying, “Two very different games to be honest with you,” before adding, “Against their defense, we had to slow this thing down.”
Toronto, led by Scottie Barnes with 22 points, dropped back-to-back games for the first time in four weeks.
Both teams play again Tuesday, with the Raptors visiting Golden State and the Lakers heading to Denver.
