Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick said on Apr. 19 that his team remained focused and maintained their mentality despite Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant missing Game 1 of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs. The Lakers secured a 107-98 victory over the Rockets, even as many outside observers had predicted an early exit for Los Angeles after injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
The significance of this win lies in the Lakers’ ability to overcome adversity and exceed expectations, especially with key players sidelined. Their performance in Game 1 demonstrated resilience and a collective effort that kept them competitive against a favored opponent.
Redick praised his team’s composure after mistakes during the game. “[I] just thought we were really poised as a team,” he said after the win. “We had a great next play mentality. Wasn’t a perfect game. None of these games are gonna be perfect. Got some contributions from a lot of people in a lot of different ways and made enough winning plays despite the turnovers and the offensive rebounds.” He also addressed Durant’s absence: “Yeah, I don’t think it affected our mentality,” Redick said. “Again, this is all we’ve talked about for two months. It’s just our playoff mentality. You can’t worry about who’s in or out of the lineup. It’s our game plan. It’s our standards. It’s how we play and we’ve built towards that.
“I thought our guys just responded well and met the moment,” Redick continued. “That’s the biggest thing. You gotta meet the moment in every game… There’s a lot that you have to do with Kevin and you just kind of scrap that and you move on to all the other stuff we worked on.” The team’s cohesion since All-Star break has helped them stay competitive regardless of setbacks on court.
Despite their success, areas for improvement remain as Los Angeles committed 20 turnovers compared to forcing only 13 from Houston, while also struggling at free throws by making only 17 out of 26 attempts.
Looking ahead, guard Luke Kennard highlighted ongoing belief within the locker room: even though many doubted them following injuries to Doncic and Reaves, Kennard said there is still confidence they can compete with Houston throughout this series.
