The Los Angeles Lakers are on fire, and head coach JJ Redick is ensuring his squad stays locked in.
Lakers toppled the Knicks with a gritty 113-109 overtime win. They extended their win streak to eight games, their 13th victory in the last 15. Celebrations? Nah, Redick delivered a fiery pep talk, reminding his team exactly why they’re winning. But most importantly, what it’ll take to keep it going.
And let’s just say his message hit hard.
JJ Redick’s Message to the Lakers Is Clear
Redick’s message? Stay composed. Keep believing. And never let up.
“I want to credit you guys,” Redick started, praising the Lakers’ ability to weather tough stretches in games.
“A few times recently, I’ve talked about your poise when other teams have made runs when we’ve had a lead. Tonight was a great example of us being down and keeping our poise,” he said, emphasizing how the team stayed locked in despite trailing in the fourth quarter.
And then came his most powerful line, “The old euphemism, don’t let go of the rope, you guys didn’t let go of the rope tonight.” Redick was spot on: no matter what happens, keep fighting.
“Don’t let go of the rope.” Inside the locker room with JJ after the victory. pic.twitter.com/O1T7lGJ0QF
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) March 7, 2025
Redick also took a moment to shout out individual players who stepped up. The clutch shots from Gabe Vincent helped spark the comeback, and Jaxson Hayes made life miserable for the Knicks down the stretch like a true defensive force.
“Jaxson, I thought you were awesome tonight on the defensive end in the second half. Awesome tonight.”
When your coach is hyped like this? You know you’re doing something right.
Lakers Are Rolling—And They’re Not Slowing Down
This Lakers team? They’re different right now. At one point in the game, they were ice-cold from deep, missing plenty of shots from the three-point line. But they never lost confidence.
Redick made sure to keep them focused on the goal throughout the game. He told them in a timeout, “You’re going to make another big one.” And what happened? They got hot and knocked down a series of three-pointers later on in the game.
That kind of mental toughness and trust turns good teams into championship contenders. With this eight-game win streak, the Lakers are making serious noise in the West, and Redick is ensuring they don’t take their foot off the gas.
This team believes in each other. They’re playing gritty, disciplined, team-first basketball. And if they keep listening to Redick’s message, one thing’s for sure—they will be a problem come playoff time.