The Los Angeles Lakers were thoroughly outclassed on their home floor by the Boston Celtics on Sunday night.
It was an emotionally deflating performance for Lakers fans, who pivoted to dreaming about Giannis and/or wondering once again whether JJ Redick is the right coach for this team.
There were no excuses on Sunday for the Lakers (who were 100 percent healthy), but that didn't stop Redick from making some during the postgame presser.
JJ Redick's postgame ref complaints rang hollow given the Lakers' effort
Redick spent some time complaining about the officiating crew for Sunday's game, as if that made a difference in the outcome.
In particular, Redick was fixated on a missed goaltending call in which Celtics center Neemias Queta stuck his hand through the rim and snuffed out a LeBron James layup.
Sure, JJ, but you did lose by 22 points. Would a 20-point loss have been more palatable?
It's worrisome that Redick chose to spend any time at all during the postgame presser talking about the refs. It shows that Redick isn't completely focused on the task at hand, which is to improve his underperforming basketball team.
Effort has been a problem for the Lakers all season long, and that falls on Redick. Pointing fingers at the refs after an embarrassing loss at home just paints a picture of a coach who feels entitled to a whistle even when his team isn't playing hard enough. That's not going to get it done.
It's time for Redick and the Lakers to stop acting like they deserve anything at all. Sunday night was a perfect example of two teams with opposite mindsets squaring off. On the other side of the court was a Celtics squad that's been undervalued all season long due to a perceived lack of talent.
It turns out that Boston is a heck of a lot more talented than people gave them credit for, and they also play harder than almost anyone.
The NBA is loaded with talent across the board, and games are won at the margins by effort, IQ, and shot-making. A robust franchise culture in the NBA is one that sets up a consistent presentation of those three deliverables.
Joe Mazzulla's Celtics have embodied the above in 2025-26. Redick and the Lakers have a long way to go in that regard. That can begin by quitting all of the excuse-making and complaining, especially when it comes to officials.