Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick addressed his team’s performance following Tuesday’s 127-113 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers at Crypto.com Arena.
“We just went to, you know, 15 and did a good job once those switches were made of, you know, being in our shifts, having a low man,” Redick said about the defensive adjustments that helped the Lakers build a second-quarter lead. He added, “Then Mitchell wasn’t shooting and Harden wasn’t shooting. So, you know, we were sort of willing to live with that and slowed them down in that second quarter.”
Redick praised his team’s offensive execution, saying, “For three quarters offensively, we did a great job of executing and did a great job of playing with multiple actions and really making the right play, making the right pass.”
The Lakers improved to 50 wins for the season, marking consecutive 50-win campaigns for the first time since Phil Jackson’s era. Redick reflected on the milestone: “Don’t deserve to be mentioned along with Phil or Pat or any of those guys. I’ve got a lot left to accomplish for sure.”
He attributed March’s surge to both health and cohesion. “I think it was a confluence of things starting with health. It’s much easier when you have a consistent stretch of health to settle into roles and minutes and rotations,” Redick explained. He highlighted key contributions across the roster: “Luka has had as good of a month as anybody I can remember in modern NBA… AR getting healthy, LeBron on both ends of the floor, DA and Jaxson really just filling in and doing what they need to do to help this team win at a high level.”
Speaking on Luka Doncic’s performance, Redick emphasized consistency and mindset: “That good ball goes in the basket at a really high level and he works his ass off… He’s been really clear-headed and when he’s clear-headed he clearly has a lot of joy.” Doncic scored 42 points with 12 assists on Tuesday, his 16th game of 40-plus points this season.
Redick also praised LeBron James’ leadership and energy. “There are a million different forms of leadership… LeBron making hustle plays… it’s leadership. It’s going out on the court and doing your job and doing all the things that are required to win,” Redick said. James contributed 14 points, six rebounds, and six assists despite being a game-time decision with left foot soreness.
On preparing for future opponents, Redick noted the challenge of the Oklahoma City Thunder: “They’re great on both sides of the ball. You really have to do your best to keep them out of the paint… They know the timing of everything. It’s a tough team to guard.”
Reflecting on his coaching journey, Redick shared personal insight: “I knew when I interviewed for the Toronto Raptors job in 2023, I left Toronto and said, ‘I want to be an NBA coach.’ It was an obsession of mine for a full year and a half before I ever got the job.”
The Lakers’ 50th win came as they clinched the Pacific Division title, reinforcing a dominant March and setting the stage for the Western Conference playoffs.
