Redick and the Lakers were close to extending their win streak, even down a few players.
The Los Angeles Lakers saw their nine-game winning streak come to an end on Monday night, falling 113-110 to the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena in a game that got away from them early but nearly swung back in their favor.
The loss dropped the Lakers to 46-26, still third in the Western Conference, while Detroit improved to 52-19 and strengthened its grip on the top spot in the East.
The Pistons jumped out to a 16-point lead in the first half, outscoring Los Angeles 42-25 in the second quarter alone, and the Lakers went into the break trailing by 13.
Making matters worse, the Lakers were without Marcus Smart and Rui Hachimura due to injuries, and it showed on both ends of the floor.
The Fight Back
But JJ Redick's group did not fold, and the head coach pointed to that second-half effort after the game.
"We did a good job of defending, we did a good job of just staying with it and got back in the game," Redick told reporters via Spectrum SportsNet.
That was especially true in the third quarter, when the Lakers flipped the script and outscored Detroit 35-24 to pull within two heading into the fourth.
Luka Doncic led the charge with 32 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and three steals, though he shot just 11-for-29 from the field and 3-for-13 from deep on a night where efficiency was hard to come by.
Doncic is averaging 33.4 points per game this season. Austin Reaves added 24 points and five assists while LeBron James posted 12 points, nine rebounds, and 10 assists after going scoreless in the first half, which was just the third time that had happened in his 23-year career.
Redick praised LeBron's approach rather than focusing on the early drought, saying he "played a really unselfish game" and "did a really good job of not just trying to score and make the right play like he always does."
LeBron echoed that mindset by pointing to his current role, telling reporters, "It's the role that I'm playing for the ball club, and in order for us to win ball games, it's the role that I'm playing."
The Lakers actually took a 108-107 lead on two Deandre Ayton free throws with 39.9 seconds left, but Detroit's Daniss Jenkins answered with two free throws of his own to put the Pistons back on top.
Reaves hit a jumper to make it 110-109, but Jenkins sealed the win from the line after Doncic missed a 14-foot jumper on the Lakers' final possession.
Jenkins finished with a career-high 30 points on 11-of-18 shooting, stepping up in a major way with Cade Cunningham out due to a collapsed lung.
What's Ahead
Redick made sure to point out that the nine-game streak happened while the team was healthy, and that losing Smart in particular changed the dynamic.
"Not having Smart tonight killed us," he said. "It's important for us that we can get healthy."
The schedule gives the Lakers a chance to bounce back quickly, with a trip to Indiana on Wednesday followed by home games against Brooklyn and Washington.
The real tests come after that, with Cleveland visiting on March 31 and a trip to Oklahoma City on April 2 to face the Thunder, who hold the best record in the West at 57-15.
Redick is not letting one loss change the bigger picture, though.
"We're a good basketball team," he said. "I believe we are a good basketball team."