JJ Redick fumes after Lakers' Christmas collapse, demands better effort

The Los Angeles Lakers entered their 2nd play nether caput manager JJ Redick and their archetypal afloat play with prima defender Luka Dončić, looking to amended aft past year’s aboriginal playoff exit.

With conscionable implicit one-third of the NBA play already completed, the Lakers person experienced immoderate ups and downs this year. After getting disconnected to a 15-4 start, the Lakers struggled with inconsistency. In Thursday’s primetime matchup, the squad fell abbreviated of Redick’s expectations.

The Houston Rockets dominated the Lakers successful a 119-96 triumph connected Christmas Day. Redick sounded disconnected aft Los Angeles dropped a 3rd consecutive game, questioning his team’s effort and professionalism.

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Los Angeles Lakers caput manager JJ Redick calls a play during the 4th fourth against the Houston Rockets astatine Crypto.com Arena Dec. 25, 2025, successful Los Angeles.  (Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images)

"We don't attraction capable close now," Redick said. "And that's the portion that bothers you a lot. We don't attraction capable to bash the things that are necessary. We don't attraction capable to beryllium a professional."

Redick’s crisp critique comes amid the Lakers’ 4-6 people successful their past 10 games. Los Angeles failed to chopped the second-half shortage against the Rockets to azygous digits, prompting Redick to telephone retired his team’s deficiency of execution.

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"The 2 words of the time were effort and execution," Redick said. "And I consciousness similar erstwhile we've done some of those things astatine a precocious level, we've been a bully hoops team. When we haven't, we're a unspeakable hoops team. And contiguous we were a unspeakable hoops team. And that started legitimately close away."

Houston Rockets defender Amen Thompson (1) moves to the handbasket against Los Angeles Lakers defender Luka Dončić (77) during the 2nd fractional astatine Crypto.com Arena Dec. 25, 2025, successful Los Angeles. (Gary A. Vasquez/Imagn Images)

Redick besides committed to making Saturday’s signifier up of Sunday’s matchup with the Sacramento Kings "uncomfortable" for the Lakers.

Los Angeles Lakers caput manager JJ Redick reacts to his squad losing the pb to the Minnesota Timberwolves precocious successful the 4th fourth during Game 4 of the archetypal circular of the 2025 NBA Playoffs astatine Target Center successful Minneapolis. (Matt Blewett/Imagn Images)

Dončić, whose 25 points led the squad Thursday, shared akin sentiments to Redick’s and called for change.

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"I don't cognize what has to change, but decidedly thing needs to change," the five-time All-Star said. "Think we [were] blown retired the past 3 games. It decidedly looks, like, terrible. We conscionable got to speech astir it. Everybody got to speech astir it. I cognize JJ said it's going to beryllium uncomfortable [for everybody]. As they should be. Everybody has got to springiness amended effort, starting with me." 

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