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When a team enters the fourth quarter of a critical road playoff game with a 10-point lead against a lesser seed, it's a game the team is simply supposed to win. That was the case for the Lakers in Game 4 against Minnesota, when the team had a 90.7% percent chance of victory, per ESPN's game tracker, as time wound down on the third period.
Yet a disastrous fourth quarter saw the Lakers outscored, 32-19, leading to a 116-114 loss in Minnesota that puts their season on the brink. The Wolves now have a 3-1 series lead, and while Game 5 is back in Los Angeles, the Lakers must beat them three straight games--and Minnesota has not had a three-game losing streak since Jan. 4.
For a team that was a No. 3 seed and some considered a contender to win the Western Conference, this turn of events is especially surprising. And, of course, there needs to be a scapegoat.
On ESPN on Monday morning, that scapegoat was coach JJ Redick, at least as former NBA champ and now-analyst Kendrick Perkins sees it.
"It was JJ Redick, without a doubt," Perkins said. "Without a doubt."
Perkins' reasoning is the same as others who have taken note of the fact that Redick decided to play a five-man rotation for the entire second half in the loss, and the Lakers ran out of steam late in the game.
And it was not so much playing all five of the same guys that irked Perk. It was playing LeBron James for 24 straight minutes. James was just 0-for-2 shooting in the final period.
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts to a replay that confirms he fouled Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) in the fourth quarter during game four of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
"Listen, you have a guy, LeBron James, who is 40 years old, you realize he is going to be eligible for his pension in five years," Perkins said on "First Take" on Monday. "Do you realize the short turnaround to Game 4, less than 48 hours, with what he gave you in Game 3? And all of the sudden, you're asking a 40-year-old LeBron James, who's guarding everybody ... he had two shot attempts in the fourth quarter. Not because he wanted two attempts, it's because he didn't have the energy."
The Lakers have some valued pieces on the bench, including veteran point guard Gabe Vincent and defensive stalwart Jordan Goodwin.
"JJ, you mean to tell me, the time that you went up 10 points, that you couldn't find time to rest those guys and get those guys a breather?" Perkins continued.
"When it comes down to LeBron James, a guy that you need the most, especially toward the end of the game, when it comes to possession-to-possession and you don't get the best out of him because you overextended his minutes, I got to blame this loss on JJ Redick, and he's got to take accountability."
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Yet a disastrous fourth quarter saw the Lakers outscored, 32-19, leading to a 116-114 loss in Minnesota that puts their season on the brink. The Wolves now have a 3-1 series lead, and while Game 5 is back in Los Angeles, the Lakers must beat them three straight games--and Minnesota has not had a three-game losing streak since Jan. 4.
For a team that was a No. 3 seed and some considered a contender to win the Western Conference, this turn of events is especially surprising. And, of course, there needs to be a scapegoat.
On ESPN on Monday morning, that scapegoat was coach JJ Redick, at least as former NBA champ and now-analyst Kendrick Perkins sees it.
"It was JJ Redick, without a doubt," Perkins said. "Without a doubt."
Perkins' reasoning is the same as others who have taken note of the fact that Redick decided to play a five-man rotation for the entire second half in the loss, and the Lakers ran out of steam late in the game.
And it was not so much playing all five of the same guys that irked Perk. It was playing LeBron James for 24 straight minutes. James was just 0-for-2 shooting in the final period.
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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) reacts to a replay that confirms he fouled Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (5) in the fourth quarter during game four of first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
"Listen, you have a guy, LeBron James, who is 40 years old, you realize he is going to be eligible for his pension in five years," Perkins said on "First Take" on Monday. "Do you realize the short turnaround to Game 4, less than 48 hours, with what he gave you in Game 3? And all of the sudden, you're asking a 40-year-old LeBron James, who's guarding everybody ... he had two shot attempts in the fourth quarter. Not because he wanted two attempts, it's because he didn't have the energy."
The Lakers have some valued pieces on the bench, including veteran point guard Gabe Vincent and defensive stalwart Jordan Goodwin.
"JJ, you mean to tell me, the time that you went up 10 points, that you couldn't find time to rest those guys and get those guys a breather?" Perkins continued.
"When it comes down to LeBron James, a guy that you need the most, especially toward the end of the game, when it comes to possession-to-possession and you don't get the best out of him because you overextended his minutes, I got to blame this loss on JJ Redick, and he's got to take accountability."
Continue reading...
