Lakers head coach JJ Redick addressed his team’s performance following a 129-99 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday at Rocket Arena. “We got outplayed. You can say, you know, I got outcoached,” Redick said, adding that the team lacked energy in the second half.
Redick pinpointed the turning point as Cleveland’s late second-quarter run. “We gave up four points on basically just not playing solid defense… they got two layups and then maybe an offensive rebound or a transition point after a turnover, cut it to four,” he said.
On the team’s adjustments, he explained, “Substitutions, switch coverages… we went to some zone in the second half. I thought our communication… wasn’t great. We said we wanted to be physical and we were not good with our physicality in that first half.”
The coach reflected on the Lakers’ difficulty with loose balls. “We couldn’t get to 50/50 balls in that first half… just really struggled to get loose balls all night,” he said, emphasizing the Cavaliers’ advantages on the glass.
Redick discussed Luka Doncic’s minor ankle issue early in the game. “I haven’t watched the play yet… the substitution patterns got a little bit out of whack. We got back to where we normally were,” he said, noting the team’s rhythm suffered briefly.
Addressing the third quarter, he admitted, “A lot of it was just we got blitzed in the third quarter… I probably should have made substitutions earlier in that third. We just didn’t have all our juice tonight.”
LeBron James’ performance also drew Redick’s attention. “It’s an emotional game… there’s a human element to all of this,” he said. “He’s as level-headed and just as normal of a 21-year-old as I’ve ever been around,” referencing Bronny James’ presence and the crowd’s reaction during the game.
Redick also commented on the Rockets-style offensive rebounds and floor concerns. “It is absolutely a safety hazard… a lot of their offensive rebounds were a confluence of unlucky bounces, not getting to balls, and some mistakes,” he said.
Finally, Redick reflected on the season grind. “There haven’t been as many games lately where you haven’t had full juice… what goes into that part of the NBA season is substitutions, adjustments, and keeping players engaged,” he noted.
The Cavaliers led by two at halftime but dominated the third quarter with a 25-8 run, ultimately handing Los Angeles its worst loss in Cleveland as a visiting team. Donovan Mitchell scored 25 points, Jaylon Tyson added 20, and De’Andre Hunter contributed 19 to help Cleveland secure its fifth straight win.
