Lakers Coach JJ Redick Says Beating Cavaliers Needs Perfect Play
After a tough loss, Lakers coach JJ Redick emphasizes the need for near-perfect basketball to beat the Cavaliers this season
Los Angeles, Cleveland, NBA, JJ Redick, LeBron James, Cavaliers, Lakers
Los Angeles: The Cleveland Cavaliers just keep rolling, improving their record to 29–4 after beating the Lakers 122–110. It was a solid win for them, marking their eighth straight victory.
Lakers coach JJ Redick was pretty impressed with the Cavs. He mentioned that to beat them, the Lakers would need to play “close to perfect basketball.” That’s a tall order, especially with how well Cleveland is playing.
Jarrett Allen was a beast in the game, scoring 27 points and grabbing 14 rebounds. Evan Mobley also chipped in with 20 points. The Lakers struggled against that frontcourt, which could use some extra help alongside Anthony Davis.
On the other side, Donovan Mitchell had a great night too, scoring 26 points. Darius Garland added 14 points, and Max Strus, back from an ankle injury, scored 15 points. The Cavs really showed their depth.
The Lakers did make a push, cutting the lead to 112–107 thanks to a 3-pointer from LeBron James. But the Cavaliers sealed the deal with a strong finish, going on a 10–3 run.
Austin Reaves led the Lakers with 35 points, tying his career-high. Davis had a solid game with 28 points and 13 rebounds, while LeBron, in his first game after turning 40, added 23 points.
LeBron made history by being the first player to play in the NBA in both his teens and 40s. That’s pretty impressive!
In his Lakers debut, Dorian Finney-Smith scored two points, and Shake Milton added six. The Lakers now sit at 18–14 and are in seventh place in the Western Conference.
Next up, they’ll face the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday, while the Cavaliers will wrap up their road trip against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday.