JJ Redick admitted the Los Angeles Lakers still have no answers for their second-half collapses against the Oklahoma City Thunder. After another painful loss in Game 3, Redick pointed to failed lineup changes and defensive adjustments as the Lakers fell behind 0-3 in the playoff series.
JJ Redick believes the Los Angeles Lakers are closer than the series score shows, but one stretch continues to destroy them against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
After another second-half collapse in Game 3, Redick pointed to the same issue that has followed Los Angeles throughout the entire series.
"Third straight game we're right there after two and half quarters," Redick said during a post-game press conference. "We tried different lineups, tried different coverages, still lost those minutes again."
The Lakers once again competed well early and entered halftime with a 59-57 lead, but Oklahoma City completely flipped the game after the break. The Thunder outscored Los Angeles 74-49 in the second half and now sit one win away from advancing.
Even with the season now on the line, Redick made it clear the team is not backing down.
"I'm not giving up on the series. And we're gonna go try to win on Monday," he explained. "We're gonna try to extend the series and we're trying to take this thing back to OKC."
Ajay Mitchell once again punished the Lakers defense and finished with 24 points and 10 assists, attacking the paint almost at will. Off the bench, Cason Wallace and Isaiah Joe also provided a major spark for the Thunder.
Turnovers only made things worse for Los Angeles. The Lakers gave the ball away 17 times, leading directly to 30 Oklahoma City points.
The Lakers now face elimination heading into Game 4, while the Thunder are one victory away from completing the sweep.
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