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JJ Redick on needing to call timeouts to dull Thunder runs

The second Western Conference semifinals Game 1 tips off Tuesday night with the Oklahoma City Thunder at home against the Los Angeles Lakers. 

The Lakers earned their place after grinding out a six-game first-round win over the Houston Rockets. Their reward is a date with the defending champion Thunder, one of three 60-win teams from the regular season. 

Ironically, the other team in the West to win 60 games was the San Antonio Spurs and they lost their second round Game 1 to the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night.

The Lakers don’t have Minnesota’s defense, which means that advancing at the Thunder’s expense will be down to fine tactical margins. 

Coach’s Warning To Los Angeles Lakers Before OKC Series

Ahead of tip-off, Laker head coach JJ Redick has made it clear that his side cannot afford complacency or slow starts. Oklahoma City dominated the regular season and entered the postseason as heavy favorites, boasting elite efficiency on both ends. 

GettyOKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – APRIL 8: Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball in front of Luguentz Dort #5 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first half at Paycom Center on April 8, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)

The Thunder will not resemble the Rockets or show the same complacency. Oklahoma City finished the regular season with the league’s best net rating over the past two years. It  also ranks top 10 in disruptive defensive categories like steals, blocks and forced turnovers. 

Redick acknowledged the Thunder’s efficiency in possession and transition, which may be the Lakers’ kryptonite. He does, however, have a plan, and that starts with warning his players about the level of opponent they are getting ready to face.

“I’ve already told the staff, already told the players, I’ve got to be more diligent than I normally am,” Redick said. “I like my timeouts, I like going into the fourth quarter with four timeouts, I like having two in the last 30 seconds. I don’t think you have the luxury of worrying about that because the games get away from you so quickly because of how explosive they are when they go on their runs and they do that to everybody. It’s what they do. Mitigating the 12-15-point runs, I think, is really important.”

This adjustment is coming from a place of a serious lesson learnt. The Thunder blew out the Lakers in their last meeting just before the postseason. 

The Thunder can force opponents into tough shots while converting their own opportunities at high rates. 

These are key metrics Redick and his coaching staff will have to study.

Star’s Status Will Be Key For Lakers

The good news for Redick and the Lakers is they will start Game 1 of the second round healthier than they did in the previous round. Austin Reaves made a return for the last games of the first round and Luka Doncic could have made his but was rested.

Since winning the championship in 2020, reaching the Western Conference finals has been rare for the Lakers. They did make it in 2023 when they were swept by the Denver Nuggets but aside that, it has been exits at this stage or much earlier. 

Beating the defending champions will be a tall order, but not impossible if Doncic is back on the floor. His gravity will open the floor for the team to exploit an often weakness-free OKC defensive scheme. 

Doncic last played against the Thunder in early April, when he suffered a Grade 2 hamstring tear that has kept him out ever since.