Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick reflected on Friday night’s 116-99 victory over the Brooklyn Nets at Crypto.com Arena. “I felt like, you know, we were a step slow. And I told the guys at halftime, this is our seventh game of the road trip. Anytime you come back and there’s a day in between, that’s just another city until you can get adjusted,” he said.
Redick highlighted his team’s defensive improvements in the fourth quarter. “Our defense got progressively better throughout the game and I thought a big part of that was DA and Jaxson, their rim protection with eight blocks tonight deterred some other ones,” he explained.
Luka Doncic led the Lakers with 41 points and eight rebounds, though he also picked up his 16th technical foul of the season. Redick addressed the double technical called on Doncic and Ziaire Williams, saying, “I’m sure we will appeal it. I’m not sure. I didn’t see it.”
On the offensive strategy, Redick emphasized the importance of attacking the paint. “He’s doing a great job of touching the paint right now for us and that’s been big. Not just for him to score, but also to collapse the defense,” he said, referring to Doncic’s impact.
Austin Reaves finished with 26 points, including 15 in the fourth quarter. Redick praised his performance late in the game: “The made threes really opened things up. He hit the one at the end that put us up 17, but the other ones gave us a cushion.”
Redick also discussed the contributions of Rui Hachimura. “We are now 42 and 18 when Rui plays, which is about a 58-win pace. That tells you all you need to know. His ability to space the floor and his size are so important for our team and rotation,” he said.
Bronny James played alongside his father for the second straight game. Redick commented on the decision: “He was great today. He’s always ready to play. I just hit a big three when things were getting a little wayward there in the second quarter. I’m really happy with where he’s at and very confident in where he’s going to be as a player.”
The Lakers maintained over 50% shooting for most of the night, though three-point efficiency fluctuated. Redick noted, “We made five of our last seven and that really opened things up for us.” Despite Brooklyn keeping the game competitive until the final minutes, the Lakers’ depth and adjustments proved decisive.
With the victory, Los Angeles improves to 48-26, securing their third spot in the Western Conference. The Nets fall to 17-57 and will host Sacramento on Sunday, while the Lakers return home to face Washington on Monday after their first consecutive days off since the All-Star break.
