JJ Redick's 'anger' is effective: The Lakers win and convince

Los Angeles Lakers were looking to get back on track on their four-game road trip after a painful loss to the Chicago Bulls with a half-court buzzer-beater. With that goal in mind, coach JJ Redick gathered LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves for a meeting in Memphis on Saturday morning.

"We challenged the three of them when it came to their three-man actions to play with a bit more strength, more push, and more creativity," Redick explained about the message he conveyed to them.

The trio's response was resounding, combining for 85 points and 25 assists in Los Angeles' 134-127 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. Together, they generated 120 of their team's points.

"We played as well as we have offensively so far," Redick stated.

Reaves led all scorers with 31 points on 8-of-16 shooting, including 5-of-8 from beyond the arc, in addition to contributing 8 assists and 7 rebounds. Doncic scored 29 points with 9 assists and 8 rebounds. James, on his end, added 25 points, 8 assists, and 6 rebounds, his best performance since returning from a two-week absence due to a left groin strain.

"I think the meeting was just to continue building that chemistry between the three of us to help the team be successful," said Reaves. "Tonight showed that when we play the right way and trust each other, especially on offense, we can get open shots on almost every possession. It was really a conversation about how much we want to win and do it at the highest level."

The Lakers shot 50.6% from the field and 44.2% from three-point range, making 19 of 43 from deep. Seven of those triples came from substitutes Gabe Vincent (4-of-6) and Dorian Finney-Smith (3-of-7).

"The ball was flying around thanks to the advantages they created [James, Doncic, and Reaves] when driving into the paint," commented Finney-Smith. "Gabe, Rui [Hachimura], [Jarred Vanderbilt], and I were just beneficiaries of them playing well".

Right from the start, the Lakers showed a different mindset, with James excelling both offensively and defensively by dunking over Memphis rookie center Zach Edey, who measures 2.24 meters and weighs 138 kilograms, and taking a charge in the first quarter.

"He was an incredible leader tonight," Redick said about James. "And he was from the tip-off throughout the game. When we found ourselves behind, I challenged him in a timeout, and he was as vocal as I've seen him since his return from injury. That rallied the group. I think if he hadn't said what he did at that moment, we probably wouldn't have won the game."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, La "bronca" de JJ Redick funciona: Los Lakers ganan y convencen