JJ Redick Vows to Fight On Despite Lakers’ 3-0 Deficit to Thunder
jj-redick-vows-to-fight-on-despite-lakers-3-0-deficit-to-thunder
LOS ANGELES — Head coach JJ Redick insisted the Los Angeles Lakers are not finished, even after Friday’s 106-92 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena dropped them into a 3-0 hole in the Western Conference semifinals.
“I’m not giving up on the series,” Redick said following Game 3. “We’re going to try to win on Monday, extend this thing and bring it back to OKC.”
The Lakers have remained competitive through the first 30 minutes of each contest but have been unable to match the Thunder’s closing bursts. Playing without injured guard Luka Doncic for the entire series, Los Angeles also continues to miss Austin Reaves, who has been sidelined since the opening round.
Redick has relied on multiple lineup combinations and defensive schemes, none of which have slowed the defending champions. “We tried different lineups, tried different coverages, still lost those minutes again,” he said. “We’ve got to get better.”
Despite the frustration, the first-year coach praised Oklahoma City’s adaptability. “If you can poke holes in a team during a playoff series, usually they’ll have a temporary solution,” Redick noted. “This team adjusts in-game. Need shooting? They’ve got it. Need multiple wing defenders? They’ve got it. Two bigs? They can do that, too. They’re a terrific basketball team.”
Los Angeles advanced past the Houston Rockets in the opening round despite injuries, surprising many league observers. Redick credited his players’ “full buy-in” for that upset and said the same approach must resurface to keep the current series alive.
Game 4 is scheduled for Monday at 7:30 p.m. PT, again at Crypto.com Arena. No NBA team has ever overcome a 3-0 series deficit, but Redick said the Lakers will “keep doing all we can” until the Thunder clinch.
Source: LakersNation.com
