The Rockets demolished the Lakers 119-96 on Christmas. Amen Thompson scored 26 and Kevin Durant added 25. Alperen Şengün controlled the boards. Luka Doncic had 25 points but six turnovers. LeBron James finished with 18. Houston out-rebounded L.A. and turned second-chance chances into a 24–10 edge. The Rockets also scored 23 points off Lakers’ turnovers.
The Lakers made clear mistakes. They gave up 37 points in the first quarter. They lost the possession battle and allowed too many offensive rebounds. Turnovers and poor box-outs compounded the problem. Defensively, they failed to guard the rim or secure loose balls. Redick must address rotations, rebounding schemes and effort standards.
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MORE: ESPN analyst and former Cavaliers star slams JJ Redick after Lakers’ Loss
Redick did not mince words after the game. “We don’t care enough right now,” he said. “We don’t care enough to do the things that are necessary. We don’t care enough to be professional.” He warned of an uncomfortable practice and meeting. “I’m not doing another 53 games like this,” he added. He singled out a recurring lack of choice to compete, and he promised accountability.
Analysts reacted fast. Kendrick Perkins told ESPN that Redick “got to do better as well.” Perkins argued public rants can cost respect and that blame cannot be one-sided. “It’s always everybody else’s fault but not JJ Redick’s,” he said. Perkins urged the coach to own adjustments and fix communication.
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Players weighed in too. Doncic echoed change is needed: “I don’t know what has to change, but definitely something needs to change,” he said. He accepted responsibility, saying, “Everybody has got to give better effort, starting with me.”
The Lakers host Sacramento next. How Redick handles practice, rotations and the veterans will show if he still commands the locker room. The next game will test his message soon enough.
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