JJ Redick tried to keep it light, but the real numbers told a brutal story. After the Los Angeles Lakers went 6 of 38 from three-point range, in their 103-88 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, Redick summed up the night with an ironic dig at his players.
“I was impressed we improved from 4-for-33. We got better as the game progressed.”
The Lakers finished the night shooting 15.8% from deep, which marked their third-worst three-point shooting performance in franchise history with a minimum of 35 attempts. For a team that is heavily dependent on spacing and shot creation, it was a night where nothing went right unless it came from one player.
And that one player was LeBron James.
LeBron was brilliant tonight, especially in isolation with the chaos around him. He added 36 points on 15 of 28 shooting from the field and 3 of 7 from three-point range. He consistently attacked mismatches and kept the Lakers in the game.
LeBron added 12 points in the 4th quarter alone, and gave the Lakers a little hope. But with the rest of the roster barely hitting any shots, his night went to waste.
The Lakers’ rotation was already fragile before the opening tip. They were without Austin Reaves, Deandre Ayton, and Rui Hachimura, three of their regular starters. And things became worse when Luka Doncic exited the game in the first half with a left leg contusion.
The night was fulled of missed looks. Open corner threes clanged off the rim, pull-up attempts were short. Even wide-open catch-and-shoot chances weren’t hitting. Marcus Smart went 0 for 9, while Luka Doncic went 1 for 6 and Nick Smith Jr. went 1 for 5. The misses piled up fast.
The Lakers are ranked 23rd in the league in three-point percentage at 34.5%. They also rank 23rd in the league in terms of 3-point attempts and 25th in terms of 3-point makes. This has been a problem for the Lakers all season long, but their overall field goal percentage is ranked 2nd in the league.
Redick’s reaction mattered because it showed a coach trying to balance accountability with perspective. He did not lash out at individual players. He did not hide behind injuries. Instead, he used humor to acknowledge how rough the night was while keeping the room from tightening further. Sometimes a sarcastic line says more than a lecture ever could.
The loss dropped the Lakers to 19-8 on the season and marked their lowest scoring output of the year. It also came against a Clippers team that had lost five straight, making the shooting collapse stand out even more. This was not elite defense forcing bad decisions. These were shots the Lakers expect to make.
The bigger picture still favors Los Angeles. They have won seven of their last ten games and sit comfortably near the top of the West. Shooting nights like this usually correct themselves. Still, when a team posts one of the worst three-point performances in its long history, it deserves to be called out, even if that call comes wrapped in dry humor.
Redick’s comment was funny because it was true. They technically improved. It just did not matter.
