The Los Angeles Lakers recorded one of their most impressive wins of the 2025-26 NBA season on Sunday, defeating the New York Knicks 110-97 at Crypto.com Arena. The Lakers, often criticized for their defense, managed to put the clamps on the Knicks down the stretch, and head coach JJ Redick praised his team in his postgame press conference for the way they operated, considering their recent schedule.
“My other just kind of observation on it was we had a first night back-to-back in Denver,” Redick said, via Spectrum SportsNet. “And Denver, for anybody that’s been in the NBA, and I’m sure you guys that have traveled, you know how long that trip is to the airport. Whether it’s the first night or the second night, a Denver back-to-back always takes a lot out of you.
“And then we’ve got a quick turnaround after Friday’s game, a 12:30 afternoon game,” Redick continued. “We lose an hour of sleep. So to me, this wasn’t an offensive game. It wasn’t going to be an offensive game. This was going to be a gritty, tough game that we had to win with effort, and we did that.”
The Lakers had played in Denver on Thursday and then flown back to Los Angeles for a clash with the Indiana Pacers on Friday. They did get Saturday off after that, but Sunday’s game was far earlier than usual, as it tipped off at 12:30 p.m PT.
The Lakers were also short-handed against the Knicks, with LeBron James being ruled out due to left elbow contusion and left-foot arthritis. So, a squad that had struggled against the better teams in the NBA all season now had to face one with less rest and without one of their best players. That seemed like a recipe for disaster, but it wasn’t.
For much of this season, there weren’t many instances when you could say that the Lakers came out on top in a tough, gritty affair. We have now seen them do it a few times lately, and Redick is encouraged by it.
“I’m not in a position where I can overreact,” Redick stated. “I let you guys do that. Fans rightfully should always overreact. It’s what makes fandom so awesome. I know, as a kid growing up as a Duke fan, I cried after every single Duke game… I was an overreactor. My job is not to overreact. We’re 15-9 in our last 24. We’re top 10 offense, a top 15 defense.
“That’s what we wanted to be coming into the season with this group, and that’s where our group is right now,” Redick added.
Over the last 24 games, the Lakers rank 13th in defensive rating (113.4) and seventh in offensive rating (117.0). The offense has been fine, in general, but if this defense can keep improving, this team can potentially go on a deep playoff run.
Following the All-Star break, Redick had claimed that the Lakers were trending in the right direction in certain areas. They’d then go on a three-game losing streak in late February, leading to concerns being raised about this group. They have rebounded well from it, though.
The Lakers have now won five of their last six game to improve to 39-25. They are now fifth in the Western Conference and will take on the Minnesota Timberwolves next at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday at 11 p.m. ET.
