The famous "Lakers in five" meme got dashed of all life on Wednesday night as JJ Redick's team fumbled the opportunity to close out on homecourt. The Los Angeles Lakers lost a tight 99-93 matchup to the Houston Rockets in Game 5. Despite that, there is a big difference in how the bench boss is approaching the second playoff series of his young coaching career.
Last year, Redick's frustrations against the Minnesota Timberwolves were easy to spot. There were blow-ups before, during, and after the games. Now, it is the second-year coach who is offering a steadying message as the Lakers lose ground in ending the first-round series against the Rockets.
Redick was asked about what the right type of reaction was to this moment of losing Game 5 at the postgame presser. In pondering how he views his job over the next 48 hours, Redick had a simple and reassuring reply for his group.
"It's the first team to win four games in a series. We happen to have won the first three. They happen to have won the last two. We've got to be better."
JJ Redick provided perfect comfort after disappointing slippage from Lakers
Redick could have just as easily used that moment to really nitpick everything that kept the Lakers from securing a close game. Instead, the improvements in reading the room and feeling out the human element of coaching were showcased.
The Lakers could have won this game. Despite all their flaws, they were still right in it at the end with a late push that could not quite get to where it needed to be for the victory to be wrestled away.
Things went wrong. Luke Kennard had a brutal showing. Turnovers were yet again an issue. Austin Reaves was (expectedly) far from perfect amid a rusty shooting night in his return to the court. The long ball was not falling.
Even with all of that, and then some, not playing out favorably for the Lakers, they still only lost by six.
Redick said it himself, they need to be better. However, the margins to turn a loss into a win really are not that massive here. The Lakers need four of those. They already have three. One of these next two contests just has to be seized.
Ideally, the Lakers want to do their damage on the road in Game 6. Even with Game 7 in Los Angeles, gifting more confidence to the Rockets and setting the stage for a do-or-die matchup is a recipe for disaster.
Maybe the Lakers can finally feel the weight of desperation again. Redick is being rightfully soft on the team now, but there is no doubt he will approach the lead-up to Friday with hunger.
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