JJ Redick Sends Blunt Message on Lakers Amid Potential Thunder Sweep

Los Angeles Lakers coach JJ Redick watched his team take another small lead into halftime against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but they couldn’t keep up with the defending champs in the second half.

The Thunder, led by 24 points from Ajay Mitchell and 23 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, outscored the home team 74-49 in the final two quarters to win 131-109 and take a 3-0 series lead.

Monday night will be a must-win game if the Lakers want a chance to make improbable history, which seems nearly impossible with their only superstar, 41-year-old LeBron James, who is playing without fellow superstar Luka Doncic.

King James had help in these recent two games, with Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura stepping up to make key contributions. In Game 3, Luke Kennard also added 18 points off the bench.

That hasn’t been enough to take down a deep and dominant OKC squad, which keeps attacking all game, and never seems to stop. That’s the look of a team hungry to repeat as champions.

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And despite the likely sweep, Lakers coach JJ Redick knows he has to coach another game on Monday night, and isn’t going to simply wave the white flag.

“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,” Redick proclaimed at his postgame press conference.

It’s the type of statement a coach has to make to let his team know that all hope isn’t lost and they can still fight to keep playing, but this Lakers team lacks enough firepower to contend with what OKC has.

And while the Lakers are missing Luka’s contributions, keep in mind that the Thunder have been without their star player and second-leading scorer, Jalen Williams, throughout the series.

That hasn’t mattered for a team built to withstand battles and replace injured players as necessary. Ajay Williams has emerged as a star in Williams’ place.

Basically, the Thunder are outplaying a Lakers team driven by a 41-year-old legend hungry to keep playing, but OKC is still hungry for more championships.

Strong Redick statements aside, Monday night seems like it should be the final game of this postseason for LeBron and this Lakers squad, but they’ll look towards a healthier Luka for another potential run next season.

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This story was originally published May 10, 2026 at 7:39 PM.