Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick credited his team’s defensive intensity, rebounding and bench production after the Lakers defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 103-87 on Wednesday, October 28, despite playing without Luka Doncic.
The Lakers improved to 4-1 after responding to their first loss of the season. Quentin Grimes scored 23 points, Collin Sexton added a season-high 21 off the bench, and Los Angeles recorded 48 rebounds and 15 steals.
Redick highlighted the contributions of Jarred Vanderbilt, Sandro Mamukelashvili and Sexton, whose plus-21, plus-21 and plus-23 ratings, respectively, reflected their impact during the victory.
“They were great. They helped us win,” Redick said of the three reserves. He also praised Jake LaRavia’s defensive performance as the Lakers recovered from their previous defeat.
The Lakers dominated the second quarter, outscoring the Clippers 31-6 to build a 56-38 halftime lead. They collected 17 offensive rebounds and won the scoring-opportunity battle by seven, giving them additional possessions against a Clippers team that committed 24 turnovers.
“Most of the time in the NBA, the harder playing team wins,” Redick said. “Seventeen offensive rebounds is phenomenal.”
Redick also pointed to Sexton’s defensive energy and ability to pressure opponents. Sexton scored 11 consecutive points during a 27-15 Lakers run to close the third quarter, including back-to-back three-pointers that extended the lead to 85-65.
“I love it, I love the competitive fire,” Redick said of Sexton. The coach added that the Lakers had the personnel to become a disruptive defensive team but needed to execute their schemes more consistently.
Redick also discussed Matisse Thybulle’s shooting. Thybulle scored 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting, including four three-pointers, while helping Los Angeles maintain its lead.
“I don’t necessarily think the shooting is an added bonus because it’s, you know, we kind of view him as a good catch and shoot three-point shooter,” Redick said. “But he’s shooting the ball great right now.”
The coach emphasized that the team’s defensive performance still required improvement, particularly in executing assignments and maintaining discipline while applying full-court pressure.
“We’ve got a lot of things we’ve got to get better at,” Redick said. “But we have the makeup to be a decent defensive team. We’ve got a really good defensive team.”
The Lakers will face the Golden State Warriors on Friday, October 30, to open NBA Cup group play.
