JJ Redick, after the Lakers' first loss of the season: "They outplayed us on defense many times"

The Los Angeles Lakers suffered their first loss of the 2026-27 NBA season, falling 136-129 to the Portland Trail Blazers at the Crypto.com Arena. Luka Doncic led the Los Angeles offense with 41 points and nine assists, but the team could not contain their rival's offensive potential. The Lakers were outscored in the second, third, and final quarters, with defense being their main weak point.

After the game, JJ Redick analyzed his team's mistakes, which had started off with positive feelings thanks to their starting five, led by Doncic, Austin Reaves, and Walker Kessler. The coach will have little time to react, as this Wednesday, the Lakers visit the Los Angeles Clippers at the Intuit Dome with the goal of bouncing back from the loss and improving their record at the start of the regular season.

Redick acknowledges defensive problems

“We were surpassed defensively many times,” Redick admitted after the game. The coach pointed out that his players did not respect the game plan as they should have and lacked the discipline to defend according to each opponent's characteristics.

“I think the discipline to follow the game plan and defend according to each opponent's characteristics was not at the level we need. Sometimes, at the beginning of the season, these situations provide us with valuable lessons that both coaches and players can apply. How can we teach the system better?” he reflected.

Redick explained that the Lakers managed to keep pace with Portland for a large part of the game, with two exceptions: a few minutes at the beginning of the second quarter and the final stretch when the visitors switched to a zone defense.

The wide-open threes did not fall

The coach also lamented that his team did not take advantage of the shooting opportunities created against Portland's zone defense. The Lakers found open shots from the perimeter but could not convert them.

“We got completely open threes, and none went in. I trust Collin Sexton with threes off the catch. He’s a 40% shooter. He had opportunities, as did Ziaire Williams. We generated good shots against the zone,” he explained.

Redick believed that his players executed offensive actions correctly and got the ball to the positions they sought. However, he highlighted the difficulty of attacking near the basket against the presence of Donovan Clingan and Robert Williams, who were essentially stationed in the paint throughout the game.

“It’s difficult. We were actually getting the ball to where we wanted and executing well against that defense. But they had Clingan and Robert Williams basically stationed in the paint for the entire game, and that makes it hard to score near the basket, especially when they go zone,” he added.

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“If we score 129 points at home, we should win”

Despite the loss, Redick believes the Lakers must trust their defensive capability and find a way to make the necessary stops to close out games. The coach reminded that his team scored 129 points at home, a number that should have been sufficient to compete for the victory.

“Still, we got good shots, and I think we need to be able to trust our defense every night. If we score 129 points at home, we should be able to get enough defensive stops to win,” he stated.

The coach also wanted to acknowledge Portland's merits, which he had already pointed out before the game as a tough test for the Lakers.

“We also have to give credit to Portland, of course. I said it before the game: they were going to be a great test for us because they are a very good basketball team. They proved it,” he concluded.

The Lakers prepare for their visit to the Clippers

The loss leaves the Lakers in fifth place in the Western Conference, with a record of three wins and one loss. Their next game will be this Wednesday against the Clippers, an opportunity to respond before facing their upcoming matches.

After that game, the Lakers will begin their participation in the group stage of the NBA Cup with a visit to the Golden State Warriors on Friday, October 30. They will then host the Toronto Raptors on November 1 in a game corresponding to the regular season.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, JJ Redick, tras la primera derrota de los Lakers en la temporada: "Nos superaron muchas veces en defensa"