In the aftermath of a 137-130 win over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, head coach JJ Redick had a lot of positive things to say about his red-hot Lakers team.
While the Lakers are still fresh off a loss to the Pistons, tonight’s win on the road moved them to 5-1 over their last six games. Now, as they head home for a game against the Nets on Friday, Redick made sure to congratulate his players on a job well done.
“Really good trip for us,” said Redick. “There were a couple games that you sort of look at, the Miami game and this game, where we get in late in Miami. That’s probably one of three or four teams that would be the worst-case scenario in terms of how fast they play, how they make you guard on every possession.”
Without Tyrese Haliburton, it would have been easy for the Lakers to overlook and dismiss the competition. That’s a common trap that good teams fall into, but they managed to avoid making that mistake today. In fact, with a 45-point first quarter, the Lakers set the tone early and never looked back after delivering that initial knockout punch.
“Then to end the trip with sort of the same situation with how Indiana plays,” continued Redick. “They just play with so much pace, both in the fullcourt and the halfcourt. It’s them, Charlotte, Miami, Chicago, these teams are relentless with their pace.”
The Lakers were heavily shorthanded tonight, without Deandre Ayton, Marcus Smart, or Rui Hachimura to help elevate the supporting cast. Still, other guys managed to step up and deliver in what has become a familiar pattern this season.
“I thought our guys, for what we talked about this morning and pregame, really did a lot of great things,” Redick added. “The starting group really set the tone.”
As much as team basketball and communication on the floor made a difference, it was Luka Doncic who carried his team to victory. In 37 minutes tonight, he dropped 43 points, six rebounds, seven assists, one steal, and zero blocks on 50.0% shooting and 36.4% shooting from three. His main backup was Austin Reaves, who finished with 25 points, one rebound, eight assists, two steals, and zero blocks on 43.8% shooting and 28.6% shooting from three. There was also LeBron James, who poured in 23 points, nine rebounds, nine assists, one steal, and zero blocks on 52.9% shooting from the field.
While the job is not yet done for the Lakers, they have shown an impressive degree of consistency and cohesion during this stretch. Most importantly, they have responded well to JJ Redick’s leadership, proving that everyone is bought in to his voice in the locker room.
Looking ahead, the Lakers are slated for some easy wins over the next few days with battles against the Nets and Wizards. After that is where things get tougher with games against the Cavaliers, Mavericks, and Thunder. Besides health, the key to victory in those matchups will be all about how this team adjusts and responds to changing variables.
