Lakers head coach JJ Redick addressed his team’s resilience Monday following a 113-110 loss to the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena.
He reflected on defensive challenges: “We were really sharp and good defensively for three quarters. Second quarter not so much… Jenkins hits a couple back-to-back threes… gave them that lead.”
Redick praised the adjustments that helped the Lakers recover: “We made the adjustment at halftime to go one through five to switch… I think that was helpful in just kind of slowing them down.”
When asked about clutch situations, he noted: “Not execution-wise, just the ability to get stops… we get down with 31 seconds and go get the two for one and we execute it… Tobias did a good job of timing it and got his hand on the ball.”
The coach acknowledged ball control issues late in the game: “If you’re not shooting the ball and you’re giving the ball to the other team, it hurts.”
Redick also addressed the team’s mindset under pressure: “We didn’t ever give into that. On the road when you’re not scoring… it can feel defeating and we never gave into that.”
LeBron James’ performance was a focal point: “I thought he played a really unselfish game… He did a good job of not just trying to score, but make the right play like he always does, and he gets 10 assists.”
Reflecting on the season and the team’s current form, Redick said: “I believe that we’re a good basketball team… We saw flashes of it, short stretches of it, but we were a good basketball team.”
He emphasized the importance of health and depth: “Our winning streak has coincided with us being healthy… Smart and Rui are important to complement everybody… we need to finish the season strong, but also healthy.”
Redick’s focus on resilience and cohesion came after the Lakers trailed by 16 points early in the third quarter but managed to briefly take the lead late. Despite the loss, the team displayed moments of the composure Redick highlighted throughout his press conference.
Up next, Los Angeles will visit the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, looking to regain momentum in the final stretch of the season.
