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JJ Redick is never one to hide his emotions during press conferences.
After the Los Angeles Lakers suffered a disappointing 122-102 defeat against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on Saturday night, the head coach quickly exited the media session.
Redick’s postgame comments were brief, lasting just 90 seconds, as he responded with terse one-liners in a monotone voice.
“Not much to be pleased about tonight,” he remarked.
The Lakers were soundly beaten by a depleted Hawks squad, which was missing its top four scorers: Trae Young, Jalen Johnson, Kristaps Porzingis, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker.
While LeBron James and Austin Reaves were sidelined for LA, that same Luka Doncic-led regime had conquered a mighty San Antonio Spurs squad on Wednesday.
The Lakers hadn’t played since, coming out flat after multiple days rest. The Hawks, meanwhile, coasted to victory on the second leg of a back-to-back.
Redick credited Atlanta for bringing the “requisite level of effort, urgency, and physicality,” a passive-aggressive jab at his squad for failing to do the same.
It didn’t come as a shock to Redick that the Lakers committed 19 turnovers and trailed by as much as 30 points down the stretch.
He could tell Los Angeles wasn’t in the game within the first two minutes of the game, after which it never held a lead.
Asked about what he saw in the first 120 seconds, Redick said “nothing” — and walked out.
It’s not the first time Redick had stormed out of a presser, doing so prior to the team’s Game 5 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves in last season’s playoffs.
Los Angeles had rattled off five straight wins before the humiliation in Atlanta, owning a solid 7-3 record and ranking fourth in the Western Conference.
The Lakers will aim to rebound against the Charlotte Hornets as they resume their road trip on Monday night.
