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Lakers Notes: Game 4 Loss, Hayes, Finney-Smith, Doncic, LeBron

April 28th, 2025 at 11:01am CST by Arthur Hill

Coach J.J. Redick made two bold strategic moves that nearly led the Lakers to a Game 4 victory in Minnesota, writes Jovan Buha of The Athletic. Redick decided to replace center Jaxson Hayes with Dorian Finney-Smith for the start of the third quarter, and he used the same five players for the entire second half. Buha notes that Gabe Vincent nearly checked in at one point, but Redick changed his mind and stayed with the same unit for the full 24 minutes.

“I think once you’ve kind of made that decision, and (the players) all are in, you just gotta trust them,” Redick said.

The move seemed inevitable with Hayes, who has been limited to seven points and eight rebounds in the series and didn’t reach double digits in minutes in any of the first four games. Finney-Smith enables L.A. to spread the floor on offense and switch more easily on defense.

The group started the second half on an 11-0 run and won the third quarter by a 36-23 margin, giving the Lakers their highest-scoring quarter of the series. They led by seven points with 5:06 remaining and seemed to be in a good position to tie the series, but couldn’t close out the game. A series of late mistakes proved costly, but players refused to blame the loss on their iron man performance in the second half.

“I don’t think fatigue had anything to do with that,” LeBron James said. “Just missing some point-blank shots, you know? We were getting into what we wanted to get into. We just weren’t able to convert.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

  • Sunday’s game displayed how little trust Redick has in his bench, Buha adds. Along with Hayes, his other rotation members, Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt and Jordan Goodwin, tend to be one-way players. Buha believes Redick might use a center-less approach for the rest of the series, even though the Wolves have a lot of size on their front line.
  • After battling through a stomach virus in Game 3, Luka Doncic seemed to be back to normal on Sunday, according to Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Doncic finished with 38 points while logging a series-high 46 minutes. “This is the playoffs – fatigue shouldn’t play any role in this,” Doncic said. “I played a lot of minutes, but that shouldn’t play a role. I think they just executed better on the offensive end during the last minutes.”
  • James also played 46 minutes and appears to be fully recovered from a left hip flexor strain he suffered two weeks ago, Buha states in a separate story. “He’s moving better,” Redick said after Game 3. “He seems like he’s getting healthier by the day. It’s typically a one-to-two-week injury. Believe it’s been two weeks tonight, if I’m mistaken, from the Houston game. Clearly he’s moving better.”
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Lakers Notes: James, Game 3, Doncic, Wolves’ Crowd

April 26th, 2025 at 11:06am CST by Tristan Tucker

LeBron James recorded one of his highest-scoring playoff performances in a Laker uniform in Game 3 against the Timberwolves on Friday, scoring 38 points and 10 rebounds. The Lakers also knocked down 17 of their 40 three-point attempts after making just 21 combined in the first two games. Still, as Khobi Price of The Orange County Register writes, these positive developments didn’t help the Lakers overcome the Wolves in Game 3.

Los Angeles still committed too many turnovers that led to a significant shot disparity and ultimately, those downfalls cost them the game.

“They’re big, they’re long, they’re athletic, they pressure the basketball, they make everything tough,” head coach JJ Redick said of the Timberwolves. “We’re gonna have some turnovers. Sometimes they force you into turnovers, which they did. But we also had some unforced turnovers: over-dribbling, trying to draw fouls, dribbling into traffic, trying to do a little bit too much with the basketball. We generated a lot of really good shots when we didn’t turn [the ball] over.”

We have more from the Lakers:

  • Another reason the Lakers couldn’t pull out a victory on Friday is that Luka Doncic wasn’t playing at 100%, Price adds in the same piece. Doncic has been battling a stomach illness since Thursday and Redick said he was vomiting through Friday afternoon. He battled through the injury and recorded 17 points, seven rebounds and eight assists, but it was clear he wasn’t feeling like his usual self. He underwent thorough post-game treatment and didn’t speak to the media following the loss. As Price notes, Gabe Vincent started the second half in his place, though Doncic returned less than a minute into the third quarter. “I didn’t think he was going to come out [out of the locker room for the] second half,” teammate Dorian Finney-Smith said.
  • The Minnesota crowd was tough on the Lakers in Game 3, with the noise from fans having a direct impact on the game. At one point, officials had to address the crowd and tell them to stop whistling, as it was getting confused with the refs’ actual whistle. According to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin (Twitter link), Jordan Goodwin said he and other teammates heard a whistle come from the stands a handful of times before the officiating crew addressed it.
  • In a subscriber-only story, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times details how the Lakers’ investment in player development is providing benefits in the postseason. Goodwin is a prime example of the Lakers’ development system working, as he went from a training camp player to the G League to a two-way deal to a standard contract and is now earning playoff minutes.
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Lakers Notes: Game 2, Redick, Hachimura, Offense, Defense

April 24th, 2025 at 4:15pm CST by Rory Maher

The Lakers evened their first-round series with Minnesota at one game apiece on Tuesday evening, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Head coach JJ Redick called a timeout to tear into his team after Los Angeles’ lead was cut from 22 points to 11 in the third quarter, and the Lakers responded with a 9-0 run to regain control of Game 2.

“That’s JJ,” LeBron James said of the first-year coach’s outburst. “Obviously we need to listen to the message and not how he’s delivering it. … I thought we responded after that.”

Redick was particularly complimentary of Rui Hachimura, who remained aggressive despite having to exit the game in the first quarter after being hit in the face.

“He played like a warrior tonight,” Redick said of Hachimura. “I’m sure that he is probably in the X-ray room right now. There were a few plays that he made just getting deflections and disrupting plays. … He was awesome.”

Hachimura will wear a protective mask for a “little bit” for precautionary reasons, but imaging was negative, Redick said today (Twitter link via McMenamin).

Here’s more on the Lakers:

  • While Redick was pleased with the team’s defensive effort in Game 2, he said Thursday that the offense has plenty of room for improvement heading into Game 3, per Khobi Price of The Southern California News Group. The Lakers have averaged just 94.5 points in the first two games of the series. “We were more organized (compared to Game 1),” Redick said. “But the biggest thing for us is we have to find ways to create a little bit more thrust and pace. That’s probably the biggest thing. And we’ll continue to fine-tune that.”
  • Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards admitted he has been confused by the Lakers’ defensive strategy, according to Price. “I don’t know – it seemed like every time I caught the ball, [the Lakers] kind of went into a zone in a sense,” Edwards responded when asked about Minnesota’s lack of ball and player movement in Game 2. “It was kind of confusing at times, but we’ll watch film and be ready.” Edwards had 25 points in Game 2, but he attempted 22 shots and had zero assists and two turnovers after finishing with nine assists and one turnover in Game 1.
  • Edwards was flummoxed, but star guard Luka Doncic said the Lakers didn’t actually alter their defensive approach between games, Price adds. “We did the same game plan,” said Doncic, who finished with game highs of 31 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists in 42 minutes. “We didn’t really change much. It was just a question of if we were gonna be more physical or not. And we were for 48 minutes. We learned from the last game. And we just stuck to it.”
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And-Ones: Clutch Player Award, NBA Europe, Award Picks, Oweh

April 15th, 2025 at 6:55pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The official candidates for Clutch Player of the Year have been revealed, NBA analyst Kevin O’Connor tweets. Here’s the list of candidates that voters can select for the award, as chosen by the league’s 30 head coaches:

Curry won the award last year.

We have more from around the international basketball world:

  • While the NBA is trying to establish a new league in Europe, NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum insists that the goal is not to replace the EuroLeague, Eurohoops relays via a Reuters interview. “Our goal is to create a commercially viable league that features high quality on -court competition and respects the rich tradition of European basketball. And we think that that will better serve fans and players on the continent,” Tatum said. He notes that there are major cities in Europe that don’t have a team where the NBA can establish roots. “There are big markets in Europe that aren’t being serviced today, where there are millions of basketball fans that aren’t being serviced,” he said. London, Paris, Berlin and Rome are among the candidates that NBA Europe considers as prime targets.
  • The Athletic’s John Hollinger reveals his award picks. He has Gilgeous-Alexander atop his MVP list and the Rockets’ Amen Thompson as his Defensive Player of the Year. O’Connor, writing for Yahoo Sports, has the same duo winning those awards. They also both have Stephon Castle taking Rookie of the Year honors, Payton Pritchard atop their Sixth Man of the Year lists, and Kenny Atkinson as Coach of the Year.
  • Kentucky junior guard Otega Oweh will test the draft waters, Jeff Goodman of Field of 68 tweets. Oweh averaged 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.6 steals this past season. He played his first two seasons at Oklahoma.
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Pacific Notes: Curry, LeBron, Redick, Carter

April 12th, 2025 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

Warriors star Stephen Curry left Friday’s game in Portland with a right thumb injury, but X-rays were negative and he returned to action after getting it wrapped up, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic. Curry, who initially injured the thumb in January, downplayed the issue after the game and said he’ll be good to go on Sunday vs. the Clippers, per Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.

“From what I know, just an aggravation,” Curry said. “The same thing (as the earlier thumb injury), but hopefully it wasn’t anything serious. … I just know it hurts right now, but I’ll be all right.”

The Warriors will need their top scorer at his best on Sunday — a win over L.A. would clinch a playoff spot for the team, while there’s a good chance a loss would lead to a play-in berth.

“I don’t want to be too dramatic,” Curry said when asked about Sunday’s game. “It should be like a Game 7 kind of vibe. You win and you control your destiny on a guaranteed playoffs series. If you lose, you roll the dice.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

  • Like Curry, Lakers forward LeBron James exited Friday’s game with an injury. However, head coach J.J. Redick told reporters, including Dave McMenamin of ESPN, that James is “fine” after appearing to tweak his left hip/groin area. With Los Angeles locked into the No. 3 seed, LeBron seems unlikely to play much – if at all – on Sunday in Portland.
  • Asked on Friday whether he finds being a head coach more rewarding than being a player, Redick quickly said yes, though the Lakers‘ coach admitted he didn’t have a great explanation for why that’s the case, writes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register (subscription required). “I tried to figure that out for the last six months, I’m not sure,” Redick said. “But I will say, I think anybody that was around me as a player knows how much I enjoyed the job every day and knows how grateful I was to be in the NBA every day and very grateful to have a 15-year career. I like this more.”
  • Kings rookie Devin Carter didn’t make his debut until January due to a shoulder injury and has struggled offensively, averaging just 3.8 points per game on .375/.288/.591 shooting in 35 outings (10.7 MPG). Still, he’s playing a rotation role lately for the play-in club in large part due to his contributions on the other end of the floor. “I live with a lot of what DC does offensively as he still finds his way because he is spectacular on the defensive end,” interim head coach Doug Christie told Spencer Davies of RG.org, who spoke to Carter about his first NBA season.
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Lakers Clinch Playoff Berth

April 9th, 2025 at 11:05pm CST by Arthur Hill

It was overshadowed by Luka Doncic‘s emotional return to Dallas, but the Lakers clinched a playoff spot with tonight’s 112-97 win over the Mavericks, tweets Dave McMenamin of ESPN. At 49-31, L.A. can wrap up the No. 3 seed by winning Friday at home against Houston or Sunday at Portland.

Doncic led the way on Wednesday with 45 points after the Mavs welcomed him back with a tribute video during pregame introductions (Twitter link from Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal). Dallas fans cheered wildly for their former franchise player when his name was announced and continued to show their support throughout the game.

“I don’t know how I did it,” Doncic told ESPN (Twitter link). “Because when I was watching that video, I was like, ‘There’s no way I’m playing this game.'”

The improbable addition of Doncic shortly before the trade deadline in February changed the course of the Lakers’ season, setting them up as a dangerous opponent heading into the playoffs. Doncic is surrounded by a roster that’s just as talented as the one he led to the NBA Finals last year, and he appears to be fully healthy after dealing with a string of injuries during the first half of the season.

LeBron James continues to perform at an All-NBA level after turning 40 in December, averaging 24.5 points, 7.9 assists and 8.3 assists in 68 games heading into tonight. He and Doncic are both creative passers with elite court vision and a history of playoff success.

Austin Reaves gives the Lakers a reliable third scorer who can carry the offense on any given night. Reaves has been handed a larger role under first-year coach J.J. Redick and has responded with career highs of 20.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists in 71 games.

The Lakers made another significant move at the deadline, acquiring Mark Williams from Charlotte in exchange for Dalton Knecht, Cam Reddish and draft assets, but they later rescinded the deal due to concerns about Williams’ health following his physical. That decision left Jaxson Hayes as the team’s starting center with little proven help off the bench to back him up.

L.A. may have another roster move to make before the regular season ends. Jordan Goodwin was promoted from a two-way contract to a standard deal in late March, and either Christian Koloko or Trey Jemison is reportedly being considered for a spot on the 15-man roster to become eligible for the playoffs. Veteran center Alex Len appears to be most in danger of being waived if that happens.

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Lakers Notes: OKC Win, Defense, James, Doncic, DFS, Reaves, Bronny

April 7th, 2025 at 9:48pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Lakers made a statement with their resounding victory over the Western Conference’s top team on Sunday, Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times writes. They hammered the Thunder, 126-99.

“We know it’s the final stretch into the full season, so we’re just trying to rack up great habits,” LeBron James said.

Luka Doncic had 30 points and six assists, while James contributed 19 points. They also made a season-high 22 three-pointers.

We have more on the Lakers:

  • The Lakers’ defense was just as stellar as their offense on Sunday, as they held OKC 21 points below its average for the season. MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was limited to 26 points and didn’t get to the free throw line. “Defending the way we defended and holding this team under 100 with a [96] possession game, that’s elite defense. That’s gonna give you a chance to win every night,” coach JJ Redick said, per Khobi Price of the Orange County Register.
  • It’s anyone’s guess which players will suit up for the rematch against the Thunder on Tuesday. James and Doncic are listed as questionable due to groin strains, while Dorian Finney-Smith and Austin Reaves are also questionable with ankle injuries. Price tweets. Gabe Vincent (knee) is a 50-50 proposition too, while Rui Hachimura (knee) is out.
  • The Los Angeles Times’ Bill Plaschke says he was wrong to criticize the Lakers for drafting Bronny James. Plaschke notes Bronny averaged 22 points, five rebounds and five assists in his last 11 games with the G League’s South Bay Lakers. He scored 30 or more points three times at that level and showed he has the potential to develop into a legitimate NBA player.
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Pacific Notes: Curry, Lakers, Beal, Clippers

April 5th, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Warriors star Stephen Curry did a little bit of everything in Friday’s win over Denver, including some coaching, writes Ron Kroichick of The San Francisco Chronicle. Holding a lead during a play stoppage late in the game, Curry motioned for coach Steve Kerr to reinsert Gui Santos to provide energy and defense. Kerr took the suggestion, and Santos helped close out a 118-104 victory.

“I was like, ‘OK, if he’s saying it, then I’m going in,’” Santos said. “When the game matters a lot, in the most important moments, Steph wants everything to be perfect. He sees everything.”

Several players expressed the same message about Curry after the game, which was the Warriors’ first regular season win over the Nuggets in more than three years. Curry’s attention to detail when it’s time for “meaningful basketball” is part of what has made him one of the greatest players in NBA history.

“There’s a completely different focus, but you see the focus everywhere,” Draymond Green said. “It’s not just once Steph steps on the court in the game. It’s in practice, it’s in his workouts. He’s on the phone talking: ‘Yo, we need to do this.’ He gets into the weeds around this time. We try to keep him out of the weeds all year, because it can be a bit exhausting. But he kind of knows when it’s time for him to get in the weeds, and that’s where he is right now. … You can see the look in his eyes from a mile away.”

There’s more from the Pacific Division:

  • Coach J.J. Redick ran several actions involving LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves to finish off Friday’s win over New Orleans, per Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. The Lakers have started winning the minutes with their three stars on the court together, and Doncic believes their chemistry is improving. “Obviously, like we talk about, it’s still a work in progress,” he said. “We haven’t had many practices together, but I think we’re getting more comfortable, like you saw (on Friday). It’s getting better.”
  • Suns guard Bradley Beal missed all seven of his shots from the field Friday at Boston, but he felt fine physically after returning to the lineup following an eight-game absence due to a strained left hamstring, per Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. “Just getting back into a rhythm, getting back into the pace of the game,” Beal said. “Just got to be a little more aggressive. It was a little bit trying to feel my way into the game.”
  • The Clippers are in playoff mode already as they try to climb into the top six in the West and avoid the play-in tournament, according to Broderick Turner of The Los Angeles Times. L.A. has won 10 of its last 12 and entered tonight in a three-way tie for the sixth spot. “Everyone is treating every game like the playoffs. Honestly, it’s fun,” Ivica Zubac said. “I think what the NBA did with that play-in, I think it’s a really good thing. It’s very competitive and it’s been good. The last few weeks have been fun. You just kind of lock in, treat it as a playoff game, a must-win, and I’m sure other teams are like that too.”
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Anthony, Howard Headline 2025 Hall Of Fame Class

April 5th, 2025 at 11:41am CST by Rory Maher

Former NBA stars Carmelo Anthony and Dwight Howard headline the 2025 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame class, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). The organization has confirmed the news.

The full list of inductees is as follows:

  • Carmelo Anthony – 10-time All-Star, six All-NBA teams, three Olympic gold medals with Team USA, NCAA championship with Syracuse, member of the 75th Anniversary team.
  • Dwight Howard – Eight-time All-Star, eight All-NBA teams, three Defensive Player of the Year awards, five rebounding titles, NBA champion, Olympic gold medal.
  • Sue Bird – 13-time WNBA All-Star, eight-time All-WNBA, four-time WNBA champion, five Olympic gold medals.
  • Maya Moore – Seven-time All-WNBA, six-time WNBA All-Star, four-time WNBA champion, 2013 Finals MVP, 2014 MVP.
  • Sylvia Fowles – Eight-time All-WNBA, eight-time WNBA All-Star, four-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, two-time WNBA champion, two-time Finals MVP, 2017 MVP.
  • Danny Crawford – Officiated over 2,000 regular season games and 30 NBA Finals.
  • Billy Donovan – Currently head coach of the Bulls, Donovan will be inducted for his accomplishments at the college level, including winning back-to-back national championships with Florida in 2006 and ’07.
  • Micky Arison – The longtime Heat owner was inducted as a contributor. Miami has won three NBA titles and made the NBA Finals seven times during his tenure.
  • 2008 U.S. Olympic Men’s Team – Known as the “Redeem Team,” the Americans went 8-0 en route to a gold medal in Beijing after finishing with a surprising bronze in 2004.

As Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press notes, Anthony and Howard will essentially be inducted twice in the same year, as both were members of Team USA in 2008. Dwyane Wade, Jason Kidd, Chris Bosh and Kobe Bryant, all of whom were already in the Hall of Fame, were also members of that team, as were LeBron James and Chris Paul — both of whom are still active NBA players.

The 17 finalists for the 2025 class were announced in February.

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Lakers Notes: Doncic, LeBron, Hayes, Kleber

April 4th, 2025 at 8:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Luka Doncic wasn’t happy with his first experience in the Lakers-Warriors rivalry, taking the blame for Thursday’s loss to Golden State following a poor shooting night, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN. Doncic went 6-of-17 from the field and missed all six of his three-point attempts, ending a 114-game streak of making at least one three-pointer, which McMenamin notes was the fifth longest in NBA history.

The loss knocked L.A. back into fourth place at 46-30, a half-game behind Denver in the tight race for Western Conference seeding. The fifth-place Warriors moved to within a game of the Lakers at 45-31.

“That performance from me was unacceptable,” Doncic said. “When I play like that, that makes [it] harder [for the team] to win, so just got to figure that out.”

After the game, Doncic had ice on his left elbow, which was heavily wrapped in kinesiology tape, McMenamin states. However, Doncic refused to blame the injury for his shooting woes.

“It’s fine,” he said. “That’s my left [arm], so it’s fine. I was shooting with the right. It [just] looked like [the] left.”

There’s more on the Lakers:

  • LeBron James isn’t showing any effects from the groin strain that sidelined him for two weeks in March, McMenamin adds. In his seventh game since returning, James played 40 minutes and finished with 33 points, five rebounds and nine assists. “That was the best I’ve felt since before the injury, for sure,” he said. “I just tried to press, get downhill. My rhythm, as far as my jump shot, felt pretty good today. I have been shooting it from the free throw line extremely well as of late. But that was probably the best physically I’ve felt so hopefully I can build off of that.”
  • Jaxson Hayes saw his scoring numbers rise after the Doncic trade in early February, but opponents have adjusted to take away the lob threat, notes Khobi Price of The Orange County Register. Hayes averaged 9.6 PPG and shot 78.4% from the field in his first 19 games with Doncic, but defenses are now focusing on keeping their low man close to the basket. “When teams do that, man, it’s either Luka’s gonna get a bucket or one of the shooters gonna get a bucket,” Hayes said. “They’re pulled in trying to help on my rolls and tackle on my rolls, that means the corner man’s open. So it’s just all about making the right reads. I just gotta continue to force overs and continue to roll hard so people come pull into the paint and can try to bring more of their defense in to get other guys open.”
  • Maxi Kleber, who was acquired from Dallas in the Doncic deal, has been cleared for on-court activities, according to Jovan Buha of The Athletic (Twitter link). Kleber is recovering from surgery on his right foot in late January.
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