MINNEAPOLIS — With Game 3 of the Lakers’ first-round playoff series against the Minnesota Timberwolves being the team’s first road game of the postseason on Friday night, Lakers coach JJ Redick reflected on what he liked most about playing in hostile environments.
Ones like the Lakers walked into at Target Center, and will again on Sunday afternoon for Game 4 of the best-of-seven series.
And Redick’s reflection was true to his character as a self-described “sicko.”
“Just the feeling you get of people hating you and yelling at you, and then the opportunity to silence them,” Redick said ahead Friday’s game. “But also kind of ruin their day. They paid all that money. They wore their T-shirt, grabbed their towel, whatever it may be. The feeling you get on the road in the playoffs when you win a game, it’s – outside of like a championship – I mean, there’s just something awesome about winning on the road in the playoffs.”
Redick recalled a conversation he had with assistant coach Beau Levesque about one of a his favorite road playoff games when he played for the Philadelphia 76ers: a 106-102 victory over the Heat in Miami in Game 4 of a first-round series.
“We’re up 2-1 and Game 4 was like a slugfest,” Redick said. “And we ended up coming back and winning the game and I just remember that feeling walking off the court and getting back in the locker room. I’ve heard Shane Battier talk about it too. You gotta really embrace it. And if you embrace it, whatever dopamine hit you could ever want in your life, you get it.”
When asked by the Southern California News Group about that game in the Lakers’ road locker room pregame on Friday, Redick perfectly recalled his stat line: a team-high 24 points on 8-of-18 shooting.
JAMES’ STREAK
Friday not only marked LeBron James’ record-extending 290th playoff game, but it was also his 290th consecutive playoff game, with James never missing a postseason game since first leading the Cleveland Cavaliers to the playoffs in 2006.
“It is very impressive,” Redick said. “And if you think about the 10 (NBA) Finals runs plus, there’s one conference finals in there with Cleveland, another one with L.A. so 12 times in 22 years … he’s playing an extra two months. And that’s not only the intensity, but the games aren’t necessarily spaced out.
“You got very intense games in a short amount of time. Particularly after you get past the first round, those next two rounds are pretty much every other day. It’s just hard and particularly in the last seven, eight years as the game has changed, the wear and tear of playoff basketball and playing that way is significant. And we’ve seen a number of guys battle through stuff. It’s a credit to him and his commitment to the craft and his commitment to taking care of his body.”
James expressed his joy for playoff basketball when speaking at shootaround Friday morning.
He had 22 first-half points on Friday, the 100th time in his career he had a 20-point half in a playoff game, which is the most in NBA history.
“I love what I do, so anytime I get the opportunity to do it, I just try to take the most out of it, pour it all into it and I’m able to live with the results – no matter win, lose or draw,” James said. “Because I know my commitment to what I do.”
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