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Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick reacts during their game against the Sacramento Kings.
Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick is hoping the worst days are over for them and that better days are coming following his undermanned team’s courageous play in a 131-126 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday, March 14 that capped a winless four-game road trip.
Aside from the encouraging play of Austin Reaves, the lone starter available, and the Lakers reserves, Redick’s optimism is also buoyed by the expectation that he will get his key players back at some point in their five-game homestand.
Asked before the loss in Denver about the possibility of LeBron James (left groin strain), Rui Hachimura (left patellar tendinopathy) and Jaxson Hayes (right knee contusion) returning within the next week, Redick had a positive reply without going into specifics.
“They’re all very close to returning,” Redick told reporters, per Lakers’ sideline reporter Mike Trudell.
LeBron Out ‘Another Week’
They are all considered day-to-day. However, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that James is not expected to play anytime soon.
“This Saturday makes it one week,” Charania said on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Friday, March 14. “He’s not expected to play Sunday on ABC against the Phoenix Suns from what I’m told. I would expect him to still miss another week so that would put him at about two weeks.”
James’ absence hastened the Lakers’ fall from second to fifth place in the Western Conference with 17 games left, the sixth toughest schedule remaining according to Tankathon.
After their winless road trip, the Lakers head home to face another hell of a schedule — back-to-back games against the Phoenix Suns on Sunday, March 16, and San Antonio Spurs on Monday, March 17. Then they will have their third back-to-back games in one week in a rematch against the Nuggets on March 19 and the Bucks on March 20.
JJ Redick ‘Proud’ of Lakers’ Effort
Without six rotation players, including four starters led by James and Luka Doncic (left calf injury management and right ankle sprain) on the second night of a tough back-to-back schedule, the Lakers put up a gallant fight and nearly pulled the rug from under a healthy Nuggets team.
They took the lead 124-123 on Reaves’ drive with 64 seconds left and extended it to three on Dalton Knecht‘s transition dunk 12 seconds later. But the Nuggets executed down the stretch with championship poise and broke the Lakers hearts with an 8-0 closing run.
The loss stung but Redick lauded his shorthanded team’s effort.
“I’m proud of the group for their level of fight and resiliency, particularly not getting off to a great start there in the second half,” Redick told reporters after the loss. “Our transition defense was pretty bad from the first six minutes on. And then fighting back and taking a lead. There’s a lot we could’ve done better but the group competed tonight and gave ourselves a chance to win… Just very, very proud of their fight and the way they started the game and the resiliency they showed to get back in the game.”
Reaves led the way for the Lakers with a near triple-double effort (37 points, 13 assists and 8 rebounds). Knecht added 32 points on 27 shots.