"You guys didn't let go of the rope"- JJ Redick ignites Lakers locker room with fiery pep talk as Rob Pelinka watches on post OT win over Knicks
JJ Redick gave an impassioned speech to the Lakers following their hard-fought victory over the New York Knicks on Thursday night. The rookie coach hailed the team's determination and key decision-making in their nail-biting overtime win.
LA's 113-109 triumph meant the purple and gold have won eight successive games and secured 13 victories in the last 15 games. GM Rob Pelinka was present in the locker room as Redick gave the postgame speech that the Lakers' staff captured on video and posted to X (formerly Twitter).
"Tonight was a great example of us being down and keeping our poise", Redick said.
He added, "The old euphemism, 'don't let go of the rope', you guys didn't let go of the rope tonight".
Redick credited the team for digging deep and not giving in late in the game. They outscored the Knicks 23-15 in the fourth quarter to force overtime. Specifically, he noted that the team kept shooting even when their shots weren't going in, which led to them finishing strong.
"We started out, what were we, 4-26 from three?" Redick said. "We got to keep believing in our shot. We made 10 of our last 19".
Redick praised a few Lakers, including Gabe Vincent for his shooting and Jaxson Hayes for his defense.
He said, "I don't know if you[Vincent] remember what I said to you in the timeout. I said you're going to make another big one." Redick continued, "You made three more. That was big time. You won us the game. I'm dead serious, Gabe. You won us the game."
Redick added, "Jaxson, thought you were awesome tonight on the defensive end in the second half."
The win was the Lakers' eighth straight win. They've climbed to the second seed in the West and emerged as serious championship contenders.
Pelicans forward gives insight into Lakers' defensive success
The LA Lakers have been on a roll lately, winning eight games in a row and 13 of their last 15. The purple and gold are 8-2 with Luka Doncic, and having climbed to the second seed in a loaded western conference, they look like real championship threats.
The superstar-level play of LeBron James and Luka Doncic is one prominent component of the team's success. Despite that, a significant key to their recent dominance has been the level of defense the roster has reached.
New Orleans Pelicans forward Trey Murphy III got to play the Lakers on Tuesday, where LA won 136-115. Following the loss, Murphy opened up on JJ Redick's former podcast, "The Old Man and The Three", now, "The Young Man and the Three".
Murphy saved some insight into what LA is doing to achieve their current defensive success.
"They play a really smart defense where they shut off driving lanes" Murphy said.
"He continued, "they help off of guys and they just try to funnel everything into the paint but also still try to take away paint points”.
A team that consistently struggled to be a strong defense over the past few seasons has now remarkably become one of the best in the league. The LA Lakers posted the number one defensive rating in the NBA over the last 15 games and the month of February.