Following an impressive 50-win season, the Los Angeles Lakers began the playoffs feeling good about their title chances. In just four games, all confidence in a Lakers victory has dwindled, and head coach JJ Redick says the entire team is on edge.
“I would describe us as on edge, as we should be,” Redick said in a chat with the media. “You have to play with a sense of desperation. You can’t change what’s already happened, and you can’t feel sorry for yourself. Our focus is on Game 5. We have to win Game 5. And that’s been conveyed by the coaches, players. Tomorrow is a Game 7 for us.”
The Luka Doncic trade reinvigorated the Lakers, and they’ve been working hard to make the most of his arrival. LeBron James and JJ Redick have gone out of their way to ease the transition for Doncic, and the results were pretty good during the regular season. The playoffs, however, have been an entirely different story, and two straight losses have led to panic across the organization.
In the first-round series against the Timberwolves, it’s been an up-and-down experience of emotions for the Lakers, starting with an embarrassing effort in Game 1. While a narrow victory in Game 2 gave them an early spark, the momentum failed to carry over for the rest of the series, and now they are on the brink of elimination, down 3-1 back in Los Angeles.
Overall, it’s been a rough series for the Lakers, and many of their core players have struggled to find a consistent place in the rotation. As fans look for answers, JJ Redick has had to explain why Jaxson Hayes, Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent, and Jordan Goodwin have been completely starved of minutes. Fortunately, they haven’t given Redick any problems so far, and he’s still confident they can turn the series around.
“I spoke to everyone yesterday that would’ve potentially played in the second half,” Redick said. “They all understood it. There was no issue with that.”
At the Crypto.com arena, there is hope that the Lakers can find a spark that will let them extend the series, but NBA history is stacked against them. Out of all the teams that have gone up 3-1 in a series, they almost always go on to win. The win rate is roughly 95%, with just 13 comebacks (out of 288). Against a Timberwolves team looking increasingly dominant, the odds of a comeback are stacked against the Lakers, but JJ Redick is sending a different message to his guys ahead of Game 5.
If they can tighten up on some of the errors, mostly on defense, the Lakers can contain Minnesota and relieve some pressure from their offense. Most importantly, the Lakers will have to play with a sense of urgency in the game if they want to save their season.
With a focus on taking it one game at a time, the Lakers are taking a very cautious but hopeful approach into Game 5, but they’ll need near-perfect execution to have the best chance of avoiding a loss.
