JJ Redick says rival clubs prefer injury-hit Lakers in first round
jj-redick-says-rival-clubs-prefer-injury-hit-lakers-in-first-round
LOS ANGELES — With the regular season winding down and two key starters sidelined, Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick acknowledged Friday that Western Conference opponents are eager to draw his team in the opening round of the playoffs.
“Everybody wants to play us,” Redick said before the Lakers defeated the Phoenix Suns 101-73 at Crypto.com Arena.
The Lakers are dealing with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain that has shelved Luka Doncic and a Grade 2 left oblique injury that has kept Austin Reaves out of the lineup. Despite Friday’s win, Los Angeles sits at 52-29, fourth in the West and one game behind the Denver Nuggets (53-28) with one contest remaining.
Los Angeles owns head-to-head tiebreakers over both Denver and the Houston Rockets (51-30). The Minnesota Timberwolves, locked into the No. 6 seed, beat Houston 136-132 on Friday.
Earlier Friday, Denver routed the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder 127-107. Oklahoma City, which has already clinched the conference’s No. 1 position, rested 10 players, while Denver held out seven, including Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon, even though its seeding is still undecided.
Without naming specific clubs, Redick referenced those lineup decisions and said some teams are “in a position where they can start looking forward to potential second-round matchups.” He reiterated that the Lakers’ focus must remain internal: “We have to figure out the formula and the belief for this group to be successful.”
The Lakers conclude the regular season Sunday at home against the Utah Jazz (22-59).
Source: ESPN.com
