Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick pointed to composure and execution as defining factors after his team’s 107-98 Game 1 victory over the Houston Rockets on Saturday.
“Just thought we were really poised as a team,” Redick said postgame. “We had a great next play mentality. Wasn’t a perfect game. None of these games are going to be perfect.”
The fourth-seeded Lakers shot 60.6% from the field and held Houston to 37.6%, creating a clear efficiency gap despite attempting only 66 shots.
“Got contributions from a lot of people in a lot of different ways and made enough winning plays despite the turnovers and the offensive rebounds,” Redick said.
The coach emphasized leadership from LeBron James, who finished with 19 points and 13 assists in his 19th postseason appearance.
“He displayed great leadership throughout,” Redick said. “We talked all week about being connected offensively and trusting the pass and he led us there in the first half getting ten assists.”
Redick added, “Just a fantastic overall game from him and he gave us all he had on the defensive end. He really exerted himself on both ends and that’s what the playoffs are.”
Los Angeles entered the game without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, while Houston was without Kevin Durant due to a knee injury.
“You can’t worry about who’s in or out of the lineup,” Redick said. “It’s our game plan. It’s our standards. It’s how we play.”
He continued, “I thought our guys just responded well and met the moment. That’s the biggest thing. You got to meet the moment in every game.”
Luke Kennard led all scorers with 27 points, and Redick highlighted his aggressive approach.
“I just like that he was aggressive shooting threes,” Redick said. “He just played really aggressive tonight and did a nice job.”
Redick also pointed to offensive structure as a key factor against Houston’s pressure defense.
“I think the guys that were handling versus pressure overall did a nice job of getting us organized,” he said. “We ran a lot of the stuff we wanted to run and we got a lot of good stuff.”
He stressed long-term priorities in the series, stating, “This is going to be can we take care of the ball over the course of seven games, can we take care of the ball and can we limit their offensive rebounds?”
The Rockets grabbed 21 offensive boards and attempted 27 more shots, but struggled to convert efficiently.
“I think there’s still things we can clean up,” Redick said. “We did a good job of contesting those six to eight foot shots without fouling and using our length.”
Deandre Ayton’s interior presence stood out, finishing with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
“He was great,” Redick said. “I think he was great on both ends. Again we’re at our best when he’s playing at a high level.”
Despite the win, Redick acknowledged areas for improvement, particularly in transition decision-making.
“We want to look for transition opportunities but we can also slow it down and execute and get what we want,” he said. “We don’t have to force them.”
Game 2 is scheduled for Tuesday in Los Angeles, where the Lakers will look to maintain their efficiency while refining execution details.
