The Lakers felt good about their starting lineup on Thursday when Luka Doncic and Rui Hachimura returned from injury to restore their normal starting unit for just the seventh time this season.
But this good feeling didn’t last long. Coming out of halftime 10 points behind the Houston Rockets, Austin Reaves missed the entire second half because of left calf pain.
Lakers coach JJ Redick didn’t provide an update on Reaves’ injury following an uninspiring 119-96 loss to the Houston Rockets on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena, but he had plenty to say about how “terrible” the Lakers have been during their three-game losing streak.
“The two words of the day were effort and execution,” Redick said. “And I feel like when we’ve done those two things at a high level, we’ve been a good basketball team. When we haven’t, we’re a terrible basketball team. And tonight, we were a terrible basketball team. And it legitimately started right away.”
The Lakers knew they would have to stop the Rockets on the offensive boards, with Houston pulling down an NBA-best 16.1 rebounds per game. That mindset wasn’t enough to stop the Rockets from getting offensive rebounds in the first two games and finishing the game with 17 rebounds. They outscored the Lakers overall, 48-25.
So why haven’t the Lakers been able to solve their problems?
“Because we don’t care enough right now,” Redick said. “And that’s what bothers you the most. We don’t care enough about doing the things that are necessary. We don’t care enough about being professionals. … I always say that about culture, I always say that about a good team that’s a functioning organism. … It can change like that. We don’t have it right now.”
Does Redick think he can bring “care” back to his players?
“No, I think guys will say they want to win,” Redick said. “For me, the caring factor is, ‘Do I care enough to actually do what I’m supposed to do and do it consistently?’ “And that’s really what championship habits are and that’s what we don’t have right now.
Reaves missed three games with a left calf strain before returning against Phoenix on Tuesday. He scored 17 points off the bench in the Lakers’ loss to the Suns. Against the Rockets, Reaves started and played 15 minutes in the first half, scoring 12 points on five-of-eight shooting.
Reaves averages 27.3 points per game, which ranks 11th in the NBA in scoring.
Doncic, who returned after missing one game with a bruised left leg, had 25 points and seven assists. Doncic said Reaves wasn’t sure how serious his injury was when the two spoke after the game.
“He’ll have an MRI, I think, tomorrow or after,” Doncic said. “I know what it’s like to hurt your calf. It’s no fun at all. Just be there to support him.”
LeBron James, who had 18 points, did not speak after the game, as did Marcus Smart and Hachimura, who went scoreless for 28 minutes.
The Lakers have struggled on defense all season.
They entered Thursday allowing 117.4 points per game, 19th in the NBA. They ranked 26th in opponent field goal percentage (48.4), last in opponent three-point shooting percentage (38.5), and second-to-last in rebounds allowed (40.1).
The Lakers will take Friday off and practice Saturday before hosting the Sacramento Kings on Sunday.
Redick believes his players need to take more responsibility for their individual contributions if the Lakers want to break out of their rut.
“It’s about making a choice,” Redick said. “And too often we have guys who don’t want to make that choice. And it’s pretty consistent who those guys are.
“And so, practice on Saturday – I told the guys – it’s going to be uncomfortable. The meeting is going to be uncomfortable. I’m not going to do another 53 games like this.”
