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JJ Redick, Los Angeles Lakers
LA Lakers head coach JJ Redick continued his optimistic stance despite being down 0-3 in the Western Conference semifinals against the OKC Thunder.
Ahead of Game 4 on Monday, Redick acknowledged the pressure of representing the Lakers and that familiarity with pressure should equip them to face must-win situations.
“Being on the Lakers, you feel like your back’s against the wall every game,” Redick, who has been the Lakers’ head coach over the past two seasons, said. “So I think the whole season has prepared us to be in a position where we’re in.”
“I mean, being on the Lakers, you feel like your back’s against the wall every game. So I think the whole season has prepared us to be in a position where we’re in …” – JJ Redick on if the adversity LAL has faced this season preps them for this OKC challenge
The Lakers kept within striking distance for most of the series so far, but have lost their path in the second halves of all the games.
The Lakers lost the first two games by 18 points before losing by 23 points in Game 3 in Los Angeles, putting them in their current predicament.
The team has been playing through adversities, including a massive one surrounding Luka Doncic. The Slovenian star has been out in the playoffs due to a Grade 2 hamstring strain, which has yet to heal even after numerous procedures in Europe and a ramped-up rehabilitation over the past few weeks.
The Lakers also started the playoffs without Austin Reaves, but returned in Game 5 of the first round against the Houston Rockets, a series where LeBron James took the cudgels and steered the Lakers to win in six games.
The Thunder is a different hill to climb. The defending champions have managed to get strong offensive production from their supporting cast outside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, especially Ajay Mitchell, who had a game-high 24 points in the Thunder’s Game 3 victory.
Gilgeous-Alexander has been held to 18, 22, and 23 points in the first three games of the series so far, but his limited scoring has not yielded the Lakers a win in the series.
GettyJJ Redick remains optimistic about the Lakers.
The Lakers have yet to give up in beating the Thunder despite the odds, JJ Redick expressed.
Redick said that the team must find a way to get better in Game 4 as they look to take one game at a time in toppling the Thunder.
“The MVP is 18, 22, 7-of-20 [from the field] tonight, and they’ve kicked our ass three straight games,” Redick said shortly after Game 3. “Third straight game we’re right there after two and half quarters. We tried different lineups, tried different coverages, still lost those minutes again.”
“They’re a terrific basketball team. I said that before the series. I’ve been very impressed with them,” Redick added. “Still think we can beat them. But we’ve got to be better.”
No squad has yet to recover from a 0-3 deficit in NBA Playoffs history.
In the first round, the Lakers zoomed to a 3-0 lead against the Rockets before the Rockets won two straight.
Game 4 of the West semifinals will be on Monday, May 11, in Los Angeles.
The Lakers have yet to beat the Thunder in seven meetings so far this season, including the regular season.
If the Lakers win, the series will shift to OKC for Game 5. A Thunder win would put the OKC record to 8-0 in the playoffs and will push them to the Western Conference Finals.
Rob Andrew Lo Rob Andrew Lo is a writer at Heavy Sports and is covering the NBA. He has covered local, collegiate, professional and international sports in various sites. He was the sports editor of The Varsitarian, the official student publication of University of Santo Tomas, and a sports, entertainment, and lifestyle writer for Rappler. A Journalism graduate from the University of Santo Tomas, he has built his voice across both collegiate and international platforms, previously contributing NBA coverage to Fansided and Sportskeeda. More about Rob Andrew Lo
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