In their darkest playoff hour, Lakers coach JJ Redick advised his players during practice Sunday to take the same mental approach for the win-or-go-home Game 4 that they’ve used since the first day of training camp.
The Lakers trail the Oklahoma City Thunder 3-0 in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series. The Lakers must beat the Thunder at Crypto.com Arena on Monday night or their season is over.
“Our first slide that we put up in training camp was [to] win the day,” Redick said. “Today was a quick offensive review and then just going over some stuff defensively. Got to win today and we got to win tomorrow. We know what we’re facing being down 3-0. So it’s just more of a mindset check than anything else.”
No NBA team has ever come back to win a series when trailing 3-0, with those teams holding a 161-0 record.
Those are the long odds the Lakers face.
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Redick was asked what his team’s mood was like at practice.
“These guys are good,” he said.
Redick then was asked what his squad has shown him that gives him hope the Lakers can still win.
“Affirmation,” he responded.
Even after losing three games by an average of 19.6 points per game, the Lakers still cling to some hope.
Rui Hachimura has been on what Redick called a “heater” from three-point range. He has made 57.1% of his threes and has shot 54.1% from the floor in the series, averaging 18.3 points per game.
Hachimura thought back to the Lakers’ first-round series against the Houston Rockets and how they had a commanding 3-0 lead. But the Rockets fought back to make the series 3-2 before the Lakers closed out the series.
“It’s crazy, but I think that’s the mentality we need,” Hachimura said. “I think it’s one at a time. I think especially with this type of team, you can’t really make mistakes. … We have to keep the same energy the whole game. That’s the only way we can win. So, we know what we do.”
What they need to do is play better in the third quarter. The Lakers have been outscored 92-61 in the third quarter by the Thunder.
“I feel like every game we’re getting closer,” Hachimura said. “Especially last night … apparently we had the best offensive game of the series, even the playoffs. I think we had really good looks, great looks. But I think defensively we, especially in the third quarter, we kind of slowed down. I don’t know [if] we got burned out or we got tired, whatever.
“So, I think our focus is like how we play in the first half we have to do in the whole game. … That’s going to be our goal.”
The Lakers have managed to slow down Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander by having Marcus Smart guard him and putting constant double teams on the reigning NBA most valuable player.
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Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 21.0 points per game in the series, far below the 31.1 points he averaged during the regular season. He’s averaging 5.7 assists per game, which is below his 6.6 during the regular season, and he’s shooting 45.8%, which is below his 55.3% for the season. He’s averaging four turnovers in the series as well.
But Chet Holmgren, who is averaging a double-double in the series at 21.3 points per game and 10.0 rebounds, has been a handful for the Lakers. Ajay Mitchell is averaging 20.7 points per game and 6.6 assists.
That’s why the Lakers are on the verge of seeing their season end. The Lakers have faced adversity all season, but Game 4 will be the ultimate test.
“Being on the Lakers, you feel like your back’s against the wall every game,” Redick said. “So I think the whole season has prepared us to be in a position where we’re in the second round of the Western Conference and being in the mix with a great basketball team.”
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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