JJ Redick had seen enough.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ five-game win streak ended in ugly fashion Saturday night with a 122-102 loss to the Atlanta Hawks, and Redick’s frustration boiled over. The first-year head coach’s postgame press conference lasted less than ninety seconds, with curt replies that made it clear how disgusted he was by his team’s lack of effort, per Larry Brown Sports.
Playing without LeBron James and Austin Reaves, the Lakers never led after the first two minutes. They trailed 68–54 at halftime, managed only 18 points in the third quarter, and went into the final frame down by 26, Sports Illustrated reports. Even garbage-time buckets couldn’t mask how lifeless they looked on both ends.
When a reporter asked Redick if there was a moment he realized the game was slipping away, the coach cut him off: “I realized that in the first two minutes of the game.” When pressed on what he saw, Redick simply said, “Nothing.”
He called the defeat “very disappointing,” adding, “They brought the requisite level of effort and urgency and physicality. Not a lot to like tonight.”
Redick Loses Patience With Lakers’ Energy
For Redick, the performance was a step backward for a team that had started the road trip strong. He made no effort to hide his disappointment in how the Lakers approached the game. “Very disappointing… but we’re going to look at it for sure,” he told reporters before abruptly walking off the podium.
Deandre Ayton, who finished with 11 points and five rebounds, echoed the sentiment. “They played phenomenal but us not even damn near competing in the sense it looks bad on paper, it looks bad on the film,” Ayton said. “This is one of them games where, yeah, the food gonna taste bad tonight.”
The context only added to the frustration. Atlanta was missing several key players, including Trae Young, Kristaps Porzingis, Jalen Johnson, Luke Kennard, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. The Hawks were also on the second night of a back-to-back, while Los Angeles had been resting since Wednesday.
Redick expected his team to capitalize on that advantage. Instead, they looked flat, slow, and disconnected from the opening tip.
Lakers Face Critical Stretch Ahead
Despite the meltdown, Los Angeles still sits second in the Western Conference at 7-3, a solid start for a group still building chemistry under its fiery young coach. But Redick’s visible anger underscored something deeper than one off night — it hinted at frustration with consistency.
This isn’t the first time he’s walked out of a press conference after a disheartening loss. Redick did the same last postseason, when a similar lack of intensity left him questioning his group’s focus.
The Lakers now move on to face the Charlotte Hornets on Monday, followed by games against the Thunder, Pelicans, and Bucks. How they respond could define their early-season identity.
If JJ Redick’s reaction is any indication, he’s not letting this one slide. Hoopers know the film room session on this game is going to be an awkward one, as Ayton already hinted at. We also have a situation where a team that should win plays down to their competition and doesn’t get the job done. The Lakers don’t have room to do that.
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