Redick is leaning on LeBron right now.
The Los Angeles Lakers snapped a three-game losing streak Thursday night with a 119-103 win over the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center, and head coach JJ Redick made sure to single out the player who made it all happen.
LeBron James put together one of his most complete games of the season while playing without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, finishing with 26 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds, two steals and a block on 11-for-17 shooting in just 32 minutes.
After the game, Redick had nothing but praise for the way James carried the group from the moment the team gathered that morning.
"Thought his leadership all day long, in the meeting, in the walkthrough this morning. Just the way he carried himself, he really set the tone for the team, guys followed that," Redick said. "Obviously, the play was fantastic, the offensive efficiency, and then the full, complete game with the assists, and the rebounds, and the steals, and blocks. Just a terrific game from him."
Setting the Tone Without His Co-Stars
The Lakers (51-29) have been navigating a rough stretch since losing both Doncic to a hamstring strain and Reaves to an oblique injury, and their 123-87 blowout loss to Oklahoma City on Tuesday had the vibes around the team at a low point.
Redick publicly called out multiple players after that game, so Thursday night was about more than just a win against a depleted Warriors squad (37-43). It was about resetting the energy and the culture headed into the postseason.
That reset started with James, who is averaging 20.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.1 assists on 51.2 percent shooting this season.
He scored 12 of his 26 in the first quarter, pushed the lead open with an 8-0 run to start the third, and was able to sit the entire fourth quarter because the game was already decided by then.
The Supporting Cast Follows His Lead
It was not just James, though.
Deandre Ayton looked like a different player from the one Redick had criticized earlier in the week, pouring in 21 points on 9-of-11 shooting and controlling the paint on both ends.
Jake LaRavia added 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while Bronny James chipped in 10 points and even connected with his father on what became the first son-to-father assist in NBA history.
The Lakers opened the fourth quarter by making their first 10 shots from the field, turning a nine-point lead into a blowout and proving that Redick's message about finding guys who are "all in" had landed with this group.
With only two regular season games left on the schedule, the Lakers remain tied for the fourth seed in the Western Conference and will need this version of LeBron James if they want to survive long enough for Doncic and Reaves to potentially return in the playoffs.