Shots Fired! JJ Redick Unleashes On Lousy LA Lakers After Shameful Blowout

Last Updated:April 08, 2026 3:58 PM IST

JJ Redick slams Lakers’ lack of effort after blowout loss to Thunder, calling out key players as injuries pile up and playoff seeding hangs in the balance.

Lakers’ head coach JJ Redick (AFP)

Los Angeles is supposed to be “La La Land.” Right now, it feels more like survival mode for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Injuries have ripped through the roster — Luka Doncic out, Austin Reaves sidelined, and even LeBron James being carefully managed.

But what unfolded in their 123-87 blowout loss to the reigning champions OKC Thunder was something else entirely: a complete lack of fight.

And head coach JJ Redick wasn’t having it.

Frustrations Boil Over

During an early timeout, Redick was caught in a heated exchange with Jarred Vanderbilt, who was quickly pulled from the game.

Vanderbilt would end up playing just five minutes, finishing with three points, two rebounds, an assist, and a steal.

Redick later downplayed the incident.

“Just a confluence of things. It’s nothing personal with him. Normal stuff from my end,” he said. “Being under-manned, we’ve got to scrap and claw… got to be on the same page… got to play hard.”

But while that may have been “normal,” what followed was anything but.

Redick Calls Out Rui, Ayton

Redick didn’t hold back, especially when it came to Rui Hachimura.

“I called the early timeout because Rui didn’t do his job, so I took him out of the game,” he said, referencing a timeout just over two minutes into the first quarter.

The message was clear: effort is non-negotiable.

“We’ve got to find nine guys that are all-in… willing to go out and fight and be all in on the team. We’ll find the nine guys.”

Then came the harshest criticism, aimed squarely at center Deandre Ayton.

“He’s had trouble catching the ball… I don’t know if that’s the passing or it’s him trying to get position… He hasn’t been able to catch the ball.”

Ayton finished with just three points and three rebounds on 1-of-4 shooting. Not nearly enough, especially with the team already stretched thin.

Playoff Picture Getting Messy

The loss couldn’t have come at a worse time. With just three regular-season games left, the Lakers have slipped from control of the No. 3 seed and are now neck-and-neck with the Houston Rockets, both sitting at 50-29.

Upcoming games against the Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns, and Utah Jazz will decide their fate.

For now, the task is simple — as Redick put it, they need to “fight and will themselves” forward. Because, unless reinforcements arrive soon, this postseason run might rest entirely on the shoulders of a 41-year-old LeBron.

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