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JJ Redick is in his second season as head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Los Angeles Lakers were dealt a worst-case scenario on Thursday night during their 139-96 blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Not only did the defeat rank among the largest in franchise history, but superstar guard Luka Doncic was forced to exit the game due to injury.
The Slovenian left midway through the third quarter with a left hamstring issue.
Before leaving, Doncic had 12 points, four rebounds, seven assists, and one steal in 25 minutes, shooting 3-of-10 from the field and 1-of-7 from three-point range.
Lakers Head Coach Under Scrutiny After Luka Doncic Injury in Blowout Loss
Doncic was seen grabbing his hamstring in the first half, yet remained in the game as the Lakers fell behind 44-21 after the opening quarter.
From that point, the contest quickly turned into a one-sided affair. Despite early signs of discomfort, head coach JJ Redick kept Doncic on the floor, a decision that has since drawn criticism.
Lake Show Life’s Tyler Watts questioned the approach, pointing to the risk taken with the Lakers’ franchise player.
“Instead of taking out his superstar out in a game they had already lost, head coach JJ Redick left him in,” Watts wrote. “Doncic clearly made the injury worse in the third quarter. He was visibly upset when leaving the floor.”
“There was no reason to keep him in. The Lakers weren’t defeating the Thunder. The game was over after the first quarter. Luka was clearly hurt. Redick didn’t protect his star, and now the entire Lakers nation is paying the price.”
“Redick deserves plenty of blame here. Just take him out. The game was over, and Los Angeles needs their star in the playoffs. Redick’s heavy minutes and refusal to rest his stars caught up to him at the worst possible time. Hopefully, it is a fast recovery from Luka and a lesson learned for JJ.”
Injury Timeline Unclear as LA Await MRI Results
It was confirmed after the game that Doncic will undergo an MRI on Friday to determine the severity of the injury.
NBA and NFL injury insider Dr. Evan Jeffries provided early insight, noting that the issue appears to involve the same hamstring Doncic injured earlier in the season.
He explained that a grade one strain could lead to a one to two week absence, while a grade two strain could sideline Doncic for three to six weeks.
With just five games remaining in the regular season, any extended absence could carry into the playoffs and significantly impact the Lakers’ postseason outlook.
Doncic was not the only Lakers player dealing with an issue. Austin Reaves showed signs of lower back discomfort during the first quarter.
He briefly exited to receive treatment in the locker room before later returning to the game.
“It was discussed at halftime,” Redick on if he considered sitting his stars at the half. “Thought we’d give those guys about six minutes and if we didn’t cut into the lead we were gonna pull them.”
“Obviously it was around that time, I don’t remember the exact time, [the injury] happened.”
Following Doncic’s exit in the third quarter, the Lakers turned to their bench for the remainder of the game to avoid further injury risks.
With the loss, the Lakers fell to 50-27 and now hold a narrow one-game lead over the Denver Nuggets for the third seed in the Western Conference.
Matt Evans is a sports journalist from the United Kingdom, based in Paris, with over a decade of experience covering the NBA and wider global sport. More about Matt Evans
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