Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick praised his team’s performance after Sunday’s 128-104 victory over the Sacramento Kings at Crypto.com Arena. “I did. I thought we ended up with 34 assists… Luka did a great job of getting us going,” Redick said, emphasizing the importance of ball movement and team chemistry.
Redick discussed the challenges posed by Sacramento’s bigs, noting their rebounding impact. “They’re like Mitchell Robinson level offensive rebounders… giving them second-chance points hurt us, and there was a stretch where our transition defense wasn’t very good,” he said.
He singled out Luka Doncic’s standout moments in the third quarter. “There’s a daring to Luka’s game. He made a bunch of amazing plays, split the blitz, scored at the rim, and threw a wraparound pass to Rui,” Redick explained, highlighting Doncic’s anticipation and processing speed.
Maxi Kleber also drew praise for his versatility and selflessness. “He’s a terrific teammate… plays winning basketball and is very unselfish. He had two poster dunks tonight, and the reaction from his teammates gives our group spirit,” Redick said.
The coach emphasized the impact of defensive effort in sparking momentum. “Smart’s defense totally ignited us… he ended up with five steals, diving for loose balls and starting transition plays,” Redick noted, crediting Marcus Smart’s intensity for energizing the team.
Redick reflected on maintaining consistency over a demanding schedule. “We’ve got six games in eight nights… no one is getting heavy minutes in either game, and it’s important to play four quarters of good basketball,” he said, highlighting the balance between player rotation and performance.
He also stressed the importance of consecutive wins for morale. “It’s just part of the nature of this cycle… our guys have bounced back and responded well throughout the season,” Redick said, noting the team’s ability to recover after prior losses.
Sunday’s win completed a back-to-back sweep following Saturday’s victory in Golden State. Doncic finished with 28 points and nine assists, while LeBron James added 24 points and two highlight dunks. Austin Reaves and Deandre Ayton each contributed 12 points, with Ayton shooting a perfect 6-of-6 from the field.
