JJ Redick after getting swept:
“I think when the season ends there’s always I would say a whirlwind of emotions. Certainly a feeling of sense of gratitude for our players, the Lakers, our fanbase”
Getty
JJ Redick sends emotional message to Lakers fans
The Los Angeles Lakers’ season ended Monday night with a 115-110 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena, completing a four-game sweep in the Western Conference semifinals. Despite the defeat, first-year head coach JJ Redick delivered an emotional message afterward while reflecting on the team’s season and the support from Lakers fans.
Oklahoma City advanced to the Western Conference finals after extending its playoff winning streak to nine games dating back to last season’s championship run. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 35 points and eight assists, while Ajay Mitchell added 28 points in the closeout victory.
The Lakers fought throughout Game 4 and briefly held a fourth-quarter lead before Oklahoma City closed the game late behind key baskets from Chet Holmgren and Gilgeous-Alexander. LeBron James finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds, while Austin Reaves added 27 points, six rebounds, and six assists.
GettyLos Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick
Following the loss, Redick focused on gratitude while discussing the effort from his team and the atmosphere inside the arena despite the Lakers facing elimination.
“I think when the season ends, there’s always, I would say, a whirlwind of emotions,” Redick said. “Certainly feeling a sense of gratitude for our players, the Lakers, our fan base.”
JJ Redick after getting swept:
“I think when the season ends there’s always I would say a whirlwind of emotions. Certainly a feeling of sense of gratitude for our players, the Lakers, our fanbase”
Redick also praised the crowd at Crypto.com Arena during the elimination game.
“I thought the crowd was awesome tonight,” Redick said. “I’ve been part of these 3-0 games before, and I thought there were two different times during the game where our team could have gave in, could have let go of the rope. We didn’t.”
The Lakers stayed competitive deep into the fourth quarter despite trailing 3-0 in the series entering Monday night. Los Angeles briefly reclaimed the lead late after key baskets from Rui Hachimura and Marcus Smart before Oklahoma City answered in the final minute.
Redick said he appreciated how his players continued to compete even after falling behind in the series.
“Our fans are awesome,” Redick said. “Yeah, gratitude. Yeah.”
The loss ended Redick’s first season as Lakers head coach after he took over the team prior to the 2025-26 campaign. Los Angeles advanced past the Houston Rockets in the first round before running into the defending champions in the second round.
Redick became emotional while describing how he views an NBA season after the Lakers’ playoff run officially came to an end.
“I told the team this, it’s my 17th year being part of an NBA team,” Redick said. “I always look at a season as a living organism.”
“When the season ends, that organism is dead and that organism will never live again,” he continued. “I didn’t want our season to end.”
JJ Redick: “I told the team this, is my 17th year being part of an NBA team … I always look like at as season as a living organism … when the season ends, that organism is dead and that organism will never live again. … I didn’t want our season to end.”
The Lakers entered the postseason without Luka Doncic for much of the playoffs after the star guard suffered a hamstring injury earlier in the postseason. Los Angeles still managed to reach the second round but struggled to match Oklahoma City’s depth and versatility throughout the series.
Even with the sweep, Redick said he remains proud of the group and what the team accomplished during his first year leading the franchise.
“That’s what we got to figure out this offseason,” Redick said when asked about the gap between the Lakers and championship contention. “But I take a lot of pride in our players and what we turned out to be.”
The offseason now brings major questions for Los Angeles. LeBron James is entering free agency at age 41, while the Lakers must also determine how to reshape the roster around James, Doncic, and Reaves after falling short against the Thunder.
Oklahoma City, meanwhile, moves on to the Western Conference finals and remains undefeated in this postseason run. The Thunder will face either the Minnesota Timberwolves or the San Antonio Spurs in the next round.
For the Lakers, the focus now shifts to the offseason after a year in which Redick admitted he was not ready to see the end.
Debayan Biswas Debayan Biswas is a sports writer at Heavy Sports covering NBA, NFL, Golf, and Soccer. His work has been syndicated on Yahoo Sports, Yardbarker, Flipboard, The Sun News, and The Olympian. Previously, he contributed to Athlon Sports, EssentiallySports, and PFSN. More about Debayan Biswas
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