Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick addressed the team’s late-game execution following a 105-101 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday. The Lakers, who trailed for most of the game, had an opportunity to take the lead in the final minutes but were unable to capitalize.
Redick took responsibility for how the last possessions unfolded and discussed his decision-making process during crunch time. “I have to go back and watch it, but at the top of my head, we took the lead to go up four and then we came up empty on a number of possessions,” Redick said. “They weren’t like empty possessions, we were getting good looks. Didn’t score. Then we put them on the free throw line for the Kevin Porter play and the other, I think it was LeBron that fouled. So they end up getting four points there at the free throw line when we were quite frankly playing great defense for most of the entire second half. And then there’s a certain process that you follow in those situations, end of game. The first thing is always you tell the ref, make or miss I’m gonna call timeout. Not to make excuses, but Luka fouls out, I gotta get a sub in. Then we’re discussing if we want Vando in for rebounding, so we get another sub in.
“There’s one shot left and it’s like, we know it’s a short timeout, 16 seconds, need two (points), need three, felt like there was enough time to do a need two. So it’s like alright, then they miss and I jump up and I call timeout, they didn’t hear me, which I get. That’s like the third time this season that’s happened. And again, the process, I skipped a step there. And then once it got down, it was about six, seven seconds, maybe eight tops when it got across half court. I liked kind of what I saw, we won a game in Toronto like that. But coulda, woulda, shoulda, the reality is that the one step of the process, didn’t follow it. So I’ll take the blame on that.”
Redick also acknowledged Giannis Antetokounmpo’s defensive plays against LeBron James as key moments that secured Milwaukee’s win: “Yeah, again the last play, I said to the team like we got a good advantage,” Redick said. “We created an advantage with the best player, our best player on the floor. And he made a hell of a play to get the back tap. And then the block was again—we have that on scouting report—you gotta have awareness on him and I like the take and he made a hell of a defensive play. We’ve seen him do it a number of times.”
The loss marked Los Angeles’ first defeat in clutch-time situations this season.
Redick highlighted mistakes such as Luka Doncic fouling Kevin Porter Jr., resulting in free throws for Milwaukee late in regulation; after missing one attempt from three shots at the line by Porter Jr., LeBron James lost possession when Antetokounmpo forced a turnover.
Despite recent struggles—including what Redick described as difficulties during December—the Lakers’ coaching staff has worked toward improving team performance on both ends of court.
Redick also credited role players Jake LaRavia and Jaxson Hayes for stepping up during Austin Reaves’ absence: he emphasized that successful teams rely on contributions from nine or ten players over long stretches.
The Lakers now face challenging upcoming games as they look to regain momentum following their narrow loss to Milwaukee.