The Los Angeles Lakers saw their season come to a bitter end in Game 5 of the first round, falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves and capping LeBron James’ 22nd season in the NBA. While the Lakers’ strong regular season secured them the third seed in the Western Conference, rookie head coach JJ Redick faced heavy scrutiny for some of his decisions during the series, particularly in Game 4.
One decision under fire was Redick’s choice to make no substitutions during the second half of Game 4, sticking with the Lakers starting lineup of LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Dorian Finney-Smith. This move left key role players Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt on the bench.
Despite the backlash, James came to Redick’s defense, emphasizing that no one on the team questioned the decision. “None of us questioned JJ and the coaching staff about what happened. Obviously, Gabe and Vando—guys who have given us so many great minutes—definitely felt a way because they are competitors,” James explained during an episode of “Mind the Game”. “We all feel like we can get in and make a moment happen”.
James elaborated on Redick’s rationale, stating it wasn’t about doubting the players left out but rather about reading the game’s flow. “JJ told us it wasn’t a decision based on guys not being able to do the job; it was a decision based on the feeling of the game and the momentum of the game,” James continued. “None of us looked at him or the coaching staff in any way for the decision that he made. S—, it was our fault that we didn’t come through”.
Jaden McDaniels #3 of the Minnesota Timberwolves goes to the basket against LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers in Game Four of the NBA Playoffs. (David Berding/Getty Images)
James reflects on playing the entire second half of Game 4
While Redick’s decision drew criticism, James insisted he didn’t feel fatigued during the game. Instead, he attributed his exhaustion to the intensity of playoff basketball.
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“I felt in the moment. I wasn’t tired, I wasn’t looking for a sub,” James noted. “If it came, cool, I would’ve accepted it. But we had an opportunity to tie the series at 2-2 on the road versus a great team, and the coaches rolled the dice, and we rolled with it. We just didn’t make enough plays”.
James dismissed the idea that playing 24 straight minutes in the second half was the reason for his exhaustion postgame, saying it was a result of giving everything he had on the court.
“I left that game extremely tired and extremely like, ‘Oh s–’ because it was a postseason game—not because I played the whole second half,” James said. “I was tired as hell because I gave my whole body, my mind, my soul to the game for 48 minutes. But it wasn’t because I played 24 straight minutes in the second half. No. We had an opportunity, and we didn’t counter it”.
