Lakers head coach JJ Redick spoke briefly following Saturday’s 122-102 defeat to the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena. Redick admitted, “Just not a lot to like tonight… I realized that in the first two minutes of the game. Nothing.”
The Lakers trailed 37-20 after the first quarter and never recovered, despite Luka Doncic scoring 22 points with 11 assists.
When asked if the Hawks’ energy played a role, Redick said, “They brought the requisite level of effort and urgency and physicality. We spoke pregame about how much you guys have rallied and brought that energy.”
Redick called the loss especially disappointing given how the team had started the road trip. “Yeah, very disappointing… but we’re going to look at it for sure,” he added.
Atlanta dominated from the tip, with Mouhamed Gueye setting a career-high 21 points while Dyson Daniels flirted with a triple-double. The Hawks opened a 37-20 first-quarter lead, and their bench outscored Los Angeles 48-37.
The Lakers, missing LeBron James, Austin Reaves, Adou Thiero, and Gabe Vincent, struggled to respond, committing 19 turnovers and shooting 45.7% from the field. Luka Doncic was held to 22 points on 7-of-17 shooting, adding 11 assists.
The Lakers now turn their focus to a Monday matchup against Charlotte, seeking to bounce back from the lopsided loss.
