Lakers head coach JJ Redick highlighted the team’s toughness following Thursday’s 119-115 win over the Philadelphia 76ers at Crypto.com Arena.
On Luka Doncic leaving with a left leg issue, Redick said, “He felt some soreness in his hamstring. He didn’t feel like it was it was good enough to go back in. Neither did medical, so we held him out. He’ll get some imaging. Too early to say there’s an injury, just a sore hamstring.”
Redick emphasized the group’s effort despite the setback: “Starting with Luka having to come out of the game, there were a lot of things that didn’t go right… but the group that closed, everybody out there in the second half, their toughness and physicality really allowed us to get back in the game.”
He credited Austin Reaves for stepping up in limited minutes, saying, “We kept him on a 25-minute limit, and he was unbelievable tonight… His drives, getting to the free throw line, scoring at the rim, was really great to see.”
On team contributions, Redick added, “Everybody gets credit… Maxi’s spirit, approach, being a teammate, never changes. He’s easy to root for.”
Regarding defensive adjustments, Redick explained, “Embiid was really good tonight. It didn’t matter if we kept the primary matchup or switched… As long as you live with contested 17-18 footers, you feel like you’ve got a chance.”
On Reaves’ performance after missing 19 games, he said, “A couple weeks of stay-ready games against assistant coaches is not VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey. It’s remarkable what he was able to do tonight in his second game back.”
Redick also addressed the recent trade with Atlanta: “Gabe Vincent, his teammates loved him, his coaches loved him… very appreciative of him. Excited about Luke Kennard… one of the best shooters in the NBA. He’ll be a corner threat and an off-ball threat, and will help get the offense going.”
Thursday’s win improved the Lakers to 31-19 while Philadelphia fell to 29-22. Los Angeles hosts Golden State on Saturday, and the 76ers visit Phoenix.
