The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a 116–132 loss against the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday, that dropped their record to 24–16. For a team with championship aspirations, such results raise concerns.
Still, head coach JJ Redick did not appear rattled by the double-digit loss and maintained a calm outlook following the game. In the post-game press conference, JJ Redick addressed the Lakers’ loss.
“I think it’s normal to feel defeated in defeat, if that makes sense, when you lose by 16,” Redick said. “I think we have one single-digit loss. Yeah. But I do think the job of the coach and the coaching staff and the leaders on the team, the players, it’s all of our job to remain level-headed.
“The natural highs and lows of the season can be challenging, and this season has felt like a constant challenge.”
Luka Doncic missed Saturday’s contest due to left groin soreness. In his absence, LeBron James and Marcus Smart stepped up. Smart led the charge with 25 points, while James contributed 20 points along with nine rebounds and eight assists. Drew Timme also made an impact off the bench, recording 21 points, four assists, and two steals. Despite those efforts, the Lakers were unable to close the gap and secure a win.
JJ Redick Stresses Belief Amid Lakers’ Ongoing Challenge
Following the game, JJ Redick explained how he continues to take positives from tough nights, even when results don’t go their way.
“I was just talking about it with my coaching staff,” he said. “We don’t into games thinking “Tonight’s gonna be rough” or “We can’t win.” Our belief level and our expectations don’t change. Um you know, it’s um, this has been the normal all season. — We’ve won some games. We’ve actually beaten a bunch of good teams. You play a team the second time around, and you watch the game, and you’re like “oh shit, we didn’t have Austin that game, we didn’t have Luka that game, we didn’t have Rui that game. We didn’t have DA that game.” So this has just been our season.
“Look every team is going through it. I’m not saying we’re singled out, but this is just, you know, this has been our season. You get one guy, healthy, and another guy gets injured. You get one guy back, and another guy gets injured.Two guys go out tonight, you play without your two centers. It’s just been our season.”
The Lakers came out strong to open the season with a 15–4 record through their first 19 games. Since then, momentum has shifted, as they have gone 9–12 over their last 21 games and dropped five of their previous six games. That downturn has cost them in the standings. The LA team slid from the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference down to No.2 after the latest loss.
