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Collin Sexton is one of the players the Lakers acquired for a moment like Wednesday, and he delivered in a big way, coming off the bench to provide energy and effort in helping the Lakers take a 103-87 victory over the Clippers. “Sometimes it’s hard to get his attention because he gets locked in, he gets in the zone,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said about Sexton. “I love the competitive fire.” Sexton was at his best in the third quarter, scoring 11 of his 21 points, flexing and pounding his chest after a made basket. His play helped the Lakers open a 22-point lead they never lost.
The Lakers dropped to 3-1 despite Dončic becoming the sixth Laker to notch 20 career 40-point games. He achieved the feat in only his 96th game with the franchise since being traded from the Dallas Mavericks in 2025. The Lakers probably needed Dončić to score 52 again, like he did Sunday in a 132-123 road win against the Utah Jazz. “We just got broken down a lot,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said of a Lakers defense that allowed 56 paint points, 41 free-throw attempts, and 18 3s out of 36 attempts. “I thought the game-plan discipline, KYP (know your personnel) discipline wasn’t where it needs to be. And I think sometimes early in the season, these are good learning lessons that we can all apply, both as coaches and as players. How can we teach the scheme better? It was also an incredible shot-making game. Let’s also factor that in.”
Law Murray: Asked JJ Redick about Donovan Clingan as it relates to Walker Kessler Redick observed that the Blazers are "in the deepest drop in the NBA" Micah Nori mentioned later than Kessler "does a lot of what Donovan Clingan does for us"
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Khobi Price: "When he's in the flow state, he gets into like showman mode, he's on stage performing, and that's always – it's always really fun to watch." JJ Redick on Luka Doncic's 52-point performance in the Lakers' comeback win in Utah:
Thuc Nhi Nguyen: JJ Redick said Jake LaRavia hopes to return Tuesday next week if not Sunday. LaRavia hoped to go today, but spoke with coaches after shootaround and his right ankle “just wasn’t there,” Redick said.
Khobi Price: JJ Redick on Jake LaRavia: "No update. I'm probably be more positive than when it first happened. But again, he'll be evaluated and the next time I talk to you guys, we'll have an update."
Thuc Nhi Nguyen: JJ Redick said Cameron Carr is "day to day" with his oblique strain and Collin Sexton, while missing today's game with a calf strain, didn't suffer a setback, but just a collaborative decision to sit out today.
"What excites me about this roster is there are elements of modern basketball that we just haven't been able to do," Redick told ESPN. "Even with Smart, Smart at his age, can't pick up full court every single possession. And he was the only person that was even capable of doing that on our team last year to begin with. So just that alone, that's exciting. "I think Walker has the potential to be one of the best rim [protection] guys, and when he's played, he's been that for the most part. ... So, it's more just being excited about this team, than comparing the two teams."
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"That's different for every team," Redick said. "That's different, maybe, in how we deal with adversity in November versus how we deal with adversity in March. Hopefully, there's growth throughout the season so we can deal with adversity in the right way, and that will ultimately prepare us for a deep playoff run."
Law Murray: JJ Redick says that Collin Sexton returned to a full practice Cameron Carr and Adou Thiero held out Dalton Knecht and Bronny James “under the weather”
So, as the Lakers prepared to open the regular season Wednesday night against the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena, Redick explained why he believes these Lakers are championship contenders. “Well, I think that every season,” he said. “Unless somebody blatantly tells me that we’re not trying to win, I think that every year. That’s why I say I’m confident. I said the same thing last year and for all of January and February that we were going to figure it out at some point and we did. And then we had some injuries. So, being a championship-level team or being a — I don’t like the word ‘contender’ — but being a team that can make a run and can play in the playoffs and can play different ways in the playoffs, those things take time and it doesn’t mean you’re going to be in the NBA Finals. “It’s just not the way this works, particularly with the way the playoffs work in terms of just matchups and what you can exploit and what you can’t exploit versus certain teams. But I think because of our talent, because of our fit, because of our depth, I really like our team.”