JJ Redick has every intention of going down swinging against the Oklahoma City Thunder in their Western Conference semifinals clash.
The Los Angeles Lakers head coach could do little to alter Saturday’s result as the Thunder blew his team out for the third straight game to open the series. The Lakers led 59-57 at halftime but could not keep up in the second half, falling Game 3 in a 131-108 affair at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif.
Redick didn’t mince words during his postgame press conference. Despite reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander having a relatively off night, Redick admitted that the Thunder “kicked our a– for three straight games.” But the second-year head coach was not yet ready to admit defeat.
“We’ve got to be better, but I’m not giving up on the series,” Redick told reporters with a stern look on his face. “We’re gonna go try to win on Monday. We’re gonna try and extend the series, and we’re trying to take this thing back to OKC.”
JJ Redick:
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) May 10, 2026
"I'm not giving up on the series. We're gonna go try to win on Monday. We're gonna try and extend the series and we're trying to take this thing back to OKC" pic.twitter.com/JumbQwKQx0
It’s not exactly surprising to hear a coach say such words despite falling into a historically insurmountable 0-3 hole. However, Redick’s stubbornly competitive nature may make him actually believe the Lakers have a chance more than most coaches actually would.
But as long as Luka Doncic remains nowhere near healthy and Deandre Ayton continues to give Redick more in-game migraines than defensive rebounds, the Lakers’ chance of winning four straight games against the Thunder is virtually zero.
