Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick addressed on Apr. 3 the decision to keep Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves on the court during a heavy loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, despite both players showing signs of injury before halftime.
The issue has drawn attention as Doncic left the game in the third quarter with a left hamstring injury and did not return. The incident comes at a critical time for the Lakers, with playoffs approaching and concerns about player health rising among fans and analysts.
Redick said that he discussed possibly sitting Doncic and Reaves at halftime. “It was discussed at halftime,” Redick said on Spectrum SportsNet when asked about possibly sitting Doncic and Reaves. “Thought we’d give those guys about six minutes and if we didn’t cut into the lead we were gonna pull them. Obviously it was around that time, I don’t remember the exact time, [the injury] happened.”
He further explained that team doctors evaluated Doncic during halftime before clearing him to continue playing. “We checked him out. He got work done, but he was cleared,” Redick added. “We’re not gonna put a player at risk. Those things happen.”
During the incident, Austin Reaves also became involved in a verbal altercation with a fan who directed comments toward Doncic while he was injured on the ground.
With playoffs near, there is concern over how long Doncic might be sidelined due to his hamstring issue.
