The Los Angeles Lakers were on a three-game losing streak over the past week, which led head coach J.J. Redick to call out his team. After the Christmas Day loss to the Houston Rockets, it was apparent that the Lakers needed a win.
They got a solid victory against the Sacramento Kings with a 125-101 result. This was one of the most well-rounded results of the year, as the Lakers won every single quarter. Luka Doncic was excellent once again, while LeBron James had the most efficient performance of his Lakers career.
Redick loved the Lakers' response to their losses
Redick is correct to be impressed by the performance because they deserve to be praised. The Lakers came into this game against the Kings with a mission, and that is to have a bounce-back night. It was rough for the Lakers to go through that losing stretch, especially since Austin Reaves also suffered an injury.
Moving forward, this could be the model that the Lakers follow, as they want to keep fighting and winning. The game against the Kings was a show of dominance for the Lakers, as Doncic and James took over. Even Nick Smith Jr. Had an impressive night filling in for Reaves.
More: Lakers head coach J.J. Redick sees Nick Smith Jr. Playing a big role after Reaves injury
"We played together, we played for each other. We had probably one of our most consistent games, in terms of 48 minutes of pure competitiveness... This is the first game we've had all year that we've won all four quarters. That says a lot about the approach and the consistent mentality we played tonight," Redick said about the performance.
As long as the Lakers can perform to the highest level on both ends of the floor, they can properly climb the Western Conference standings. It will be a challenging time for the Lakers, as most teams would love to beat them.
With Doncic and James clicking, the Lakers have become more dangerous. Of course, losing Reaves was big, but the Lakers are becoming known for delivering perfect responses to losses. The Lakers fans would prefer not to lose games, but it was useful because Redick's team learned from their mistakes.
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