Following the Los Angeles Lakers’ elimination by the Oklahoma City Thunder, head coach JJ Redick offered a candid and reflective press conference, avoiding clichés after the 115-110 Game 4 loss on Monday night at Crypto.com Arena.
“I think when the season ends, there’s always a whirlwind of emotions,” Redick said, setting a tone of perspective rather than frustration. He added, “Certainly feeling a sense of gratitude for our players, the Lakers, our fan base.”
The Lakers’ coach highlighted the team’s resilience even as the defending Western Conference champions closed out the series. “I thought there were two different times during the game where our team could have gave in, could have let go of the rope. We didn’t,” Redick noted.
Los Angeles pushed Oklahoma City into its first real fourth-quarter pressure of the postseason, but the Thunder completed the sweep behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 35 points and Chet Holmgren’s clutch execution. Redick praised the home crowd, saying, “I thought the crowd was awesome tonight and our fans are awesome.”
From a tactical perspective, Redick emphasized how the Lakers consistently challenged a championship-level opponent. Asked about the gap between his team and a title contender, he said, “That’s what we got to figure out this offseason.” Still, he highlighted structural progress in the team’s identity. “I thought we were darn close to doing that,” Redick said, referring to championship habits, communication, and team shape. “You don’t know on day one of training camp what you’re going to turn out to be. And just proud of who we are.”
He repeatedly returned to the emotional instability of an NBA season, describing the human side of professional basketball. “There is highs and lows and frustrations and moments of triumph and joy and belief and doubt,” Redick explained. “You’re one game, you’re one quarter, you’re one play away from supreme confidence or a little bit of doubt creeping in.”
Redick rejected the concept of “moral victories” but acknowledged incremental progress. “I don’t believe in it. But I look at all the small wins along the way as part of the journey,” he said. When asked about the team’s identity, he answered bluntly: “I think it ended up being a really hard playing team, a really together team, and a team with a lot of heart.”
He closed with a raw assessment of the franchise’s status. “We’re not good enough right now,” Redick stated, adding that roster decisions will be made over the offseason. “There probably will be some continuity. There probably won’t be, but that’s what the next two months are for.”
The Lakers finished the postseason after losing six of their final seven playoff games, while Oklahoma City advanced to its sixth Western Conference Finals appearance in the last 16 years.
