Lakers coach JJ Redick accepted responsibility for the team’s first loss of the season on Monday. LeBron James and Co. had built an 18-point lead but ultimately allowed it to slip, resulting in a 109-105 defeat to the Kevin Durant-led Phoenix Suns at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.
After a strong start, the Lakers’ offense went cold in the second quarter, managing only 14 points. This scoring struggles allowed the Suns to close the gap and regain momentum. Reflecting on the team’s poor offensive execution, Redick took the blame for the outcome.
“If there’s one thing to nitpick it’s probably me,” Redick said after the game, as quoted by ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. ” We should never have a 14-point quarter … that’s on me.”
Fueled by Anthony Davis’ strong start, the Lakers scored 34 points in the first quarter, ending the period with a solid nine-point lead. However, the offense faltered in the second quarter, allowing the Suns to capitalize on the Lakers’ mistakes.
According to Lakers insider Jovan Buha, coach JJ Redick was furious with his players in the locker room after their 14-point showing in the second quarter.
JJ Redick on LeBron James’ below par offensive performance
A key factor in the Lakers’ offensive struggles was LeBron James’ tough night on the court. He managed just 11 points on 3 of 14 shooting and his lack of scoring efficiency further complicated the Lakers’ offense. After the game, coach JJ Redick reflected on LeBron’s subpar performance in the team’s first loss of the season.
“To be honest with you, we missed a lot of Paint 2s. For him, those are shots that he makes before he misses those one-leggers right in the paint,” said Redick.
“We gave him the space, they were very intentional about flooding when he was iso on that even wing, something we probably need to talk about. It felt like we gave him space on those isos, we all just missed shots in the paint.”
The Lakers will have an opportunity to bounce back and correct their mistakes from the game against the Suns when they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday in their fifth game of the season.
