LeBron James faced the Toronto Raptors for the 75th time in his NBA career, and he, along with Anthony Davis, led the Lakers to a much-needed win. This victory helped the team and their fans move on from the tough loss against Cleveland in their last game.
There were a number of close calls during the game, but the Lakers ultimately pulled through for the win. In the aftermath of the game, Coach JJ Redick discussed his opinions on the team’s overall performance.
Sports writer Jovan Buha shared what the rookie coach JJ Redick said about the game and the changes he made. Buha tweeted, “JJ Redick said he adjusted the rotation tonight to put the ball in D’Angelo Russell’s hands more next to Anthony Davis. That also resulted in Austin Reaves and LeBron James playing more together, with Redick noting their two-man chemistry.”
LeBron James ignited a strong Lakers run, scoring 14 points in a quarter where the team racked up 43 points. Their defense limited the Raptors to just 19 points. It seemed like JJ Redick’s Lakers would easily hold their lead with the new changes, but the Raptors fought back hard.
However, James’ strong scoring, along with important shots from Rui Hachimura and D’Angelo Russell, and Anthony Davis’ great play, stopped the Raptors from taking over.
JJ Redick praises Raptors show against Lakers
The Raptors’ home audience encouraged them as they rallied to cut the deficit to single digits in the final seconds after being down by 26 points. Gradey Dick and Barrett contributed to the Raptors’ remarkable 58.8 percent shooting percentage in the second half.
With All-Star Scottie Barnes out with an injury, JJ Redick was oddly generous in his admiration of the youthful Raptors. In the postgame interview, he said, “In the NBA when you get a big lead, your focus can wane on the defensive end and I thought that’s what happened tonight. But you also have to give them a lot of credit. They play really hard.”
