The Los Angeles Lakers entered their first extended road trip of the season riding a five-game winning streak and carrying a 7-2 record. That momentum stalled on Saturday night when they fell to the short-handed Atlanta Hawks, a team missing Trae Young, Jalen Johnson, Kristaps Porziņģis, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and several other rotation players.
Atlanta seized control from the opening tip and never trailed, capitalizing on 19 Los Angeles turnovers to hand the Lakers a decisive defeat. Despite the lopsided result, rookie guard Dalton Knecht said head coach JJ Redick addressed the team with less fire than usual once the game ended.
“Compared to other bad losses, he was a lot calmer,” Knecht told Spectrum SportsNet. “We got punched in the mouth, we punched back, but they kept going. We’ll watch the film, take the criticism and build on it for the next game.”
Knecht added that Redick’s post-game tone focused on growth rather than anger. “I don’t know if it’s calm; it’s just that he expected more from us,” the rookie said. “We’ve got to be ready for the next one and move on.”
The Lakers never found their footing at State Farm Arena, something Knecht attributed to a sluggish start. “We came out flat,” he noted. “It took us a while to get going, and when we did, they didn’t let up. We’ll watch film and get ready.”
Redick, now in his second season on the sideline, is known for his animated presence during games and candid post-game remarks. On Saturday, his press conference was brief as he expressed frustration with his club’s performance.
Los Angeles continues its trip looking to avoid further setbacks and regain the form that produced five consecutive victories before the Atlanta game.
Source: Lakers Nation
