Lakers' Opponents Wolves Faced Locked Lineup of 5 Lakers Players for Entire 2nd Half, Featuring JJ Redick
Cool beans! The Lakers' coach, JJ Redick, pulled off a wild move in Game 4 against the Timberwolves, playing five players for the entire second half. These five dudes were Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, LeBron James, Rui Hachimura, and Dorian Finney-Smith. This hasn't been done by any coach since the play-by-play era started in 1996-97.
Redick went all-in, seemingly feeling he needed to shake things up to avoid a 3-1 series deficit. Unfortunately for the Lakers, Minnesota outscored them 32-19 in the fourth quarter, snatching a narrow 116-113 victory.
The Lakers' "Big Three" struggled, combining for a measly 3-for-15 in the final quarter. Games like these make you wonder if fatigue might have played a part, as 40-year-old LeBron James went scoreless in the fourth after a fantastic three-quarter performance.
Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Jordan Goodwin, the bench crew, didn't fair much better either, scoring zero points in their 27 minutes on the court.
Minnesota found their groove in the fourth, hitting 10 out of 22 shots and 5 out of 11 three-pointers.
After the game, both teams had different takes. LeBron refused to blame fatigue, instead highlighting missed open shots. Finney-Smith remarked that no one wanted to come off the court during the playoffs. Redick expressed that he hadn't planned on playing the same five guys the whole second half, but they put in a hell of an effort.
On the other hand, Wolves star Anthony Edwards felt the Lakers were tiring down the stretch, claiming he tried to keep his foot on the gas.
The Wolves head home for Game 5 on Wednesday. Let's see if the Lakers can bounce back with some fresh legs!
- With the playoffs in full swing, the NBA is witnessing some intense moments, like JJ Redick's unexpected move in Game 4, playing five players for the entire second half.
- Perhaps inspired by the pressure, Redick made a gamble to shake things up and avoid a potential 3-1 series deficit, but Minnesota managed to take the lead with a 32-19 scoring advantage in the fourth quarter.
- In the thrilling game, the Lakers' Big Three, consisting of Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Rui Hachimura, combined for 3-for-15 in the final quarter, raising questions about the impact of fatigue, especially on 40-year-old LeBron James.
- Measures like taking timeouts, adjusting rotations, and strategizing are common in sports, but Redick had an interesting approach, choosing to stick with the same five players—James, Hachimura, Rui, Austin Reaves, and Dorian Finney-Smith—for the entire half.
- As the series shifts to Game 5, the Lakers will hope some rest and fresh legs will help them bounce back and challenge the Wolves for the win, as Minnesota prepares to host them on their home court.
