JJ Redick did not hide from responsibility after the Los Angeles Lakers watched a winnable game slip away in a 105–101 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks at Crypto.com Arena. In a finish defined by confusion, missed chances, and one critical decision, Redick made it clear the blame belonged with him.
“There’s a certain process that you follow. In those situations. End of game. The first thing is always, you tell the ref, make or miss. I’m gonna call a timeout. Luka fouls out. Not to make excuses, Luka fouls out. I’ve got a sub in, and we are discussing. Do we want Vando in for rebounding, so we get another sub in.”
“And there’s one shot left. We know it’s a short time out. Alright 16 seconds. Need 2, need 3. Felt like there was enough time to do a need 2. All right let’s run this, then they miss. And I jump up, call time out, they did not hear me. Which I get, that’s like the third time that’s happened this season.”
“Again, the process, I skipped a step there, I like kind of what I saw. We won a game in Toronto like that. You know. Could’ve, would’ve, should’ve. The reality is the one step, didn’t follow it of the process. I’ll take the blame of that.”
Redick did not deflect. He acknowledged he skipped a step, referencing a similar situation earlier in the season in Toronto that had worked. This one did not. Officials did not hear him calling a timeout, something he noted has happened multiple times this year, but he refused to lean on that. He said plainly that the process broke down and that the mistake was his.
The loss overshadowed strong individual performances on both sides. LeBron James finished with 26 points, including 13 in the fourth quarter, along with eight rebounds and seven assists as he powered the Lakers’ late rally. Luka Doncic added 24 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists, scoring 12 of those points in the third quarter to keep Los Angeles within reach before fouling out late.
For Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo delivered a quiet but brutally efficient night. He scored 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting, added six rebounds and four assists, and made the two game-saving defensive plays on James in the final minute. Kevin Porter Jr. led all scorers with 22 points, shooting 7-of-14 from the field while adding six assists.
The Lakers had rallied from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit and entered the night undefeated in clutch games. That made the ending sting even more. One clean possession could have changed everything.
Redick understands that reality. He did not point fingers at his stars, the officials, or circumstance this time, even though he has consistently called out his players after brutal losses. He owned the decision, publicly and immediately. In a season still about establishing trust and structure, that level of accountability matters. It will not erase the loss, but it does define the standard Redick is trying to set.
