Adam WellsJanuary 16, 2025
Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images
Before the Los Angeles Lakers play the Miami Heat on Wednesday night, head coach JJ Redick was still fuming over their defensive performance earlier this week in a loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
Redick called the Lakers’ team defense “atrocious” in their 126-102 loss to the Spurs on Monday during his pregame press conference Wednesday.
Daniel Starkand @DStarkandSafe to say JJ Redick was not happy with the Lakers’ defense against the Spurs: pic.twitter.com/vazbeGxAVv
Redick specifically pointed out how the Lakers “left every single guy” for the Spurs on an island with no one shifting and no one in the paint to prevent easy buckets.
The first half stats weren’t great, but nothing that would cause any alarm. They allowed the Spurs to score 53 points on 46.5 percent shooting.
Things fell apart for the Lakers in the second half when they were outscored 73-40. Most of the problems came in the final 16 minutes because Los Angeles actually led 84-74 after a Max Christie three with 3:57 remaining in the third.
San Antonio closed the game on a 52-18 run from that point on. Even though Dorian Finney-Smith was acquired by the Lakers from the Brooklyn Nets on Dec. 29 for his defensive versatility, he’s still getting acclimated to his new surroundings.
Defense has been a problem for the Lakers all season. They rank 20th in points allowed per game and 22nd in defensive rating, but even that doesn’t explain how they collapsed in such a short period of time against the Spurs.
After winning seven of 10 games from Dec. 8-Jan. 3 to improve their record to 20-14, the Lakers have lost three straight. Each of their three opponents during this losing skid have scored at least 119 points.
The Lakers will look to avoid their first four-game losing streak of the season when they host the Heat at 10 p.m. ET.
