The Lakers lost Game 4 to the Rockets, missing a chance to sweep the series. Coach JJ Redick emphasizes the need for a killer mentality in Game 5 to eliminate the Rockets' survival instinct.
The Los Angeles Lakers dropped Game 4 to the Houston Rockets on Sunday, spoiling their chances at a series sweep.
A post shared by LA Sports Report (@lasportsreport) âWell, you have to kill them,â Redick said Tuesday. âItâs difficult to kill someone ⊠Survival instinct says âI want to stay alive.â And so youâve got to be able to kill them.â
On Sunday, the Lakers had a chance to sweep, but they ended up losing by 19 points. Deandre Ayton and Adou Thiero were ejected, and Marcus Smart and Luke Kennard were fined for criticizing the referees after the game. In Game 5, though, the , while Rockets star will remain sidelined. The Lakersâ other top scorer, , will remain out, however. Itâs unclear when Doncic will return, but the Lakers will likely need his services soon to either close out the Rockets or for the next round. The winner of this series advances to face the defending champions, the , in the Western Conference Semifinals.
JJ Redick stated that the Lakers need to adopt a killer mentality to extinguish the Rockets' survival instinct.
Austin Reaves is expected to make his return for the Lakers in Game 5, while Luka Doncic remains out.
The Lakers need to win Game 5 to advance to the Western Conference Semifinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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While the Lakersâ mindset was off on Sunday, so too was their physicality, something Rockets star Alperen Sengun said theyâve noticed works against the older Lakers. âI know theyâre going to hit,â he told reporters on Tuesday. âWell, weâre hitting them too ⊠Weâre younger. We heal faster than them, probably.â At Crypto.com Arena at 7 p.m., weâll find out if a killer mentality can overcome youthful physicality. The post âYou Have to Kill Themâ: JJ Redick Challenges Lakers for Game 5 Against Rockets appeared first on LA Sports Report.