Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick was not too thrilled with the officiating in their 116-114 win over the Phoenix Suns on Sunday. Redick threw some shade toward the referees after the game, though he acknowledged that he was also at fault for the Lakers’ near-collapse in the fourth quarter.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Redick thought that the Lakers made a lot of mistakes against the Suns. They were up by as much as 20 points, but Phoenix took the lead with 12.2 seconds left. He admitted to being wrong for using their challenge too early on a Jake LaRavia play, while also subtly taking shots at the refs.
“I thought we made a lot of mistakes tonight. Lot of mistakes, myself included. I shouldn’t have challenged that even though apparently in the NBA, you’re now allowed to grab a guy’s jersey as he goes up for a layup, which they acknowledge that Jake’s jersey was being grabbed as he went for layup, but apparently, that doesn’t affect guys anymore,” Redick said.
Redick was talking about late in the third quarter when Devin Booker blocked LaRavia’s shot. The Lakers called a timeout, and the coach decided to challenge because his player’s jersey was grabbed.
However, the officials didn’t think a foul occurred, so the challenge was unsuccessful.
Redick Calls Win Over Phoenix Ugly
At one point in the third quarter, the Lakers had a 20-point lead over the Suns. Things appeared to be over, but the home team made a furious rally late in the fourth quarter.
Just when it looked like the Lakers had solved their defensive issues with Jarred Vanderbilt, they went back to their old ways and allowed the Suns to get back into the game.
Luckily for the Lakers, Dillon Brooks‘ tomfoolery and LeBron James‘ clutch free throws and block were enough to win. JJ Redick described the victory as “ugly,” which is a good sign for the team.
“It’s going to sound sick, but love winning games like this. Wish it had not been a one-possession game, not been down with 12 seconds, like all that stuff. But, you know, winning ugly is actually really fun because it means you got in the trenches and you fought, and we did that tonight,” Redick said, via Spectrum Sportsnet.
The Lakers improved to 18-7 for the season, putting them in fourth in the West standings behind the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets.
What’s Next For The Lakers?
The Lakers will continue their four-game road trip on Thursday, when they visit the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City. They then face the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday before going back to Phoenix for a rematch against the Phoenix Suns on December 23.
After the trip, the Lakers are going back home to Crypto.com Arena for a Christmas Day showdown against Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets. It’s also the start of a five-game homestand that stretches through LeBron James’ birthday on December 30 until January 4.
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