Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick said on Mar. 9 that he was pleased with his team’s performance after a 110-97 victory over the New York Knicks, highlighting the players’ consistent effort throughout the game.
The win comes at a crucial point in the season, with only 18 games remaining and the Lakers aiming to solidify their position in both offense and defense. The team has struggled at times to maintain focus for an entire game, but against the Knicks—who are third in the Eastern Conference—the Lakers managed to sustain high intensity on both ends of the court.
Redick emphasized that multiple efforts were key to securing the win. “The key to the game and, you know, we always have three keys defensively and three keys offensively. Really tonight, there was one key, and that was multiple efforts,” Redick said. “I thought we did that throughout the game, not just in spurts… We were able to sustain that for all four quarters.”
He also noted that while fans may react strongly to wins and losses, his role is to keep perspective as the team moves forward. “Yeah, again, I’m not in a position where I can overreact. I let you guys do that,” Redick said. “Fans, rightfully so, should always overreact. It’s what makes fandom so awesome… My job is not to overreact. We’re 15-9 in our last 24. We’re a top 10 offense and a top 15 defense. That’s what we wanted coming into this season with this group, and that’s where our group is right now.”
Looking ahead, Redick acknowledged that upcoming games will be challenging as they face several playoff-caliber teams before the regular season concludes. He described this stretch as an opportunity for his squad to prove themselves against strong competition.
As Los Angeles continues its push toward postseason play, Redick said he will focus on maintaining discipline and effort from his players through each remaining contest.
