Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick blamed defensive breakdowns and poor execution for his team’s 136-129 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, warning that the Lakers must improve their discipline after allowing 18 3-pointers.
“We just got broken down a lot,” Redick said after the Lakers suffered their first defeat of the season. “I thought the game plan discipline, KYP personnel discipline wasn’t where it needs to be.”
Portland shot 18-of-36 from beyond the arc, including a decisive stretch in the fourth quarter. Toumani Camara, Deni Avdija, Donovan Clingan and Sidy Cissoko combined to make 12 3-pointers, while Damian Lillard and Ja Morant scored 21 and 23 points, respectively.
Redick acknowledged Portland’s shot-making but said the Lakers also needed to take responsibility for their defensive mistakes.
“Sometimes early in the season, these are good learning lessons that we can all apply both as coaches and as players,” Redick said. “How can we teach and scheme better?”
Despite the defeat, Redick believed Los Angeles created enough opportunities offensively to win. Luka Doncic scored 41 points and dished out nine assists, while Austin Reaves added 26 points. The Lakers scored 129 points but struggled to get the stops needed down the stretch.
“We got wide-open threes and none of them went in,” Redick said of Los Angeles’ opportunities against Portland’s fourth-quarter zone defense. He also defended Collin Sexton’s ability to convert those chances, noting that the guard is a 40% 3-point shooter.
“We got good looks,” Redick said. “And I think we have to be able to rely on our defense every night. And if we score 129 points at home, we should be able to get enough stops to win.”
Redick credited Portland for its performance, describing the matchup as a valuable test for his team.
“They’re a really good basketball team. They showed that tonight,” he said.
The Lakers coach also pointed to turnovers as a problem, particularly in the third quarter. Los Angeles committed six turnovers in that period before reducing the number to two in the fourth.
“I’d have to go look one by one why it was,” Redick said.
Los Angeles now faces a quick turnaround, with a road matchup against the LA Clippers scheduled for Wednesday. Redick said the coaching staff would review the film before preparing for the next game.
“We’ll watch the tape tonight, watch the tape tomorrow, and figure out how to beat them,” Redick said.
