LeBron James, Lakers, JJ Redick
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Lakers coach JJ Redick watches the action as LeBron James waits to go back in the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in game two of the NBA first playoff round at Crypto.com Arena.
The Los Angeles Lakers are on a tear.
By defeating the Houston Rockets 124-116 on Wednesday, March 19, LA won its seventh game in a row.
The LeBron James–Luka Doncic duo put up major numbers to knock off Kevin Durant and the Rockets for the second time in two nights.
By the end of the night, LeBron James finished with 30 points in 34 minutes. The superstar forward was nearly perfect from the field—but he ended up missing one of his 14 shots.
After the game, Lakers head coach JJ Redick jokingly called out James over the reason he missed the shot.
JJ Redick Calls Out LeBron James for Foul Baiting
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James during an NBA game.
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via LakersNation on X: JJ Redick on LeBron James:
“The one shot he missed, he was trying to foul bait.” 🤣
He also joked that what LeBron is doing at age 41 makes Redick feel like a loser because of how out of shape he is.
Of course, Redick’s comments were all in good fun. With Redick and LeBron being the same age, the head coach continues to be in awe of his star player’s ability to put together performances as he did against the Rockers on Wednesday night.
“Every time he falls on the ground, every time he has a box out, every time he gets hit hard in transition, I feel it too. I feel it too, because I’m just so out of shape right now. It’s remarkable,” Redick told reporters.
“This is what I was talking about with him; it’s just the preparation that he puts into his body over and over and over again. To me, that’s the ultimate sign of competitive stamina. He just holds on to it every single day, and he gets ready to ring the bell.”
Lakers forward LeBron James
GettyLos Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James
LeBron James And The Lakers Are Rolling
Seven wins in a row, and nine victories out of their last 10, the Lakers are 44-25 on the year.
Since they jumped over the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Lakers are 1.5 games ahead in the third seed. They have a long way to go if they want to catch the 51-18 San Antonio Spurs, but the Lakers are currently hot enough to feel confident against anybody.
James can turn the clock back and have near-perfect 30-point outings. Luka Doncic can put together 40-point, 10-assist runs just as he did against the Rockets on Wednesday.
The Lakers have certainly had their drawbacks at times this year, but they are making a major statement just one month out from the NBA Playoffs. With little rest, the Lakers will be back on the court on Thursday night to face the Miami Heat.