(Video) JJ Redick Caught Schooling NBA Referee Over Fouls During Lakers Vs. Spurs

Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick was heard complaining loudly to the referee during the NBA Cup semifinal between the Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs.

(Video) JJ Redick Caught Schooling NBA Referee Over Fouls During Lakers Vs. Spurs

JJ Redick was caught schooling the referee (Image credits - Firstsportz)

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It was a hard loss for head coach JJ Redick and his men as the Los Angeles Lakers suffered a tough, 132-119, loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the 2025 NBA Cup quarterfinal at the Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday night. It was a disappointing loss for the Lakers as it came against a Victor Wembanyama-less Spurs.

The loss on Wednesday night pushed the Lakers down to fourth place in the Western Conference standings with a 17-7 record, while the Spurs are one spot behind at fifth with a similar record. It was Stephon Castle who stepped up in the absence of Wembanyama with a double-double. The number four pick of the 2024 NBA draft scored a season-high 30 points to go along with 10 rebounds and six assists.

It was a tough night for the Lakers from start to finish as the Spurs recorded 70 points by the end of the first half and were up by 12. They increased the lead to 17 before the start of the fourth quarter. The Lakers never looked like they could mount a comeback despite the presence of their offensive trio of LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves.

Doncic continued to score points at will and scored a game-high 35 points, but did not have enough support from James, who recorded 19 points and 15 rebounds, while Reaves struggled on the night with 15 points. The Lakers were looking to win their second NBA Cup after claiming the inaugural edition in 2023.

During the second quarter, when the Lakers were down 64-49, Doncic was getting ready to shoot his free throws, JJ Redick was heard complaining to the referee regarding a foul call and did not seem very pleased about it.

It was not the only heated exchange from the Lakers’ head coach as he received a technical foul after challenging a call in the second quarter, despite Rui Hachimura and Deandre Ayton signaling to Redick not to challenge the call. This is not the first time that Redick has lost his cool on the court as he demands the maximum from his players.

LA Lakers have problems in defense

While the Lakers can boast of having the best offensive trio in the league, it is their defense that is holding them back. Despite their impressive start to the 2025-26 season, many pundits and analysts do not see the Lakers as contenders for the NBA championship this season.

Austin Reaves, who has had a rough couple of games offensively, spoke to the media about the team’s defensive struggles after the loss.

That’s a weakness we got to get better at. The spirit is still high in here, we know we can do it. But we have to be a group that guards with five people and once again as Bron said we gotta be on our string and rotations and just play hard on that end.

It is a matter of concern for the Lakers, as among teams with 15 wins or more, the Lakers have the lowest defensive rating of them all and are ranked 21st in the entire league.

LeBron James on the Lakers chances in the playoffs

It has been a slow start to the season for James. After missing the first 14 games of his record-breaking 23rd season in the NBA due to sciatica nerve issues, James has averaged 16.5 points, six rebounds and 7.6 assists in eight games he has played. The Lakers had won 10 of their 14 games without James and have gone 6-2 since his return which shows that the four-time champion has integrated himself into the squad without affecting the team’s chemistry.

LeBron James
LeBron James (Image credits – CNN)

Several doubts have been raised by critics, including James’ agent Rich Paul about whether this Lakers squad can contend for the championship this year. When asked about the Lakers’ chances in the press conference, James said he can’t think about the playoffs in December.

I can’t think about what we can do in the playoffs in December. What I can say is that the habits that we build throughout the regular season.. that we are in a position to make it to the postseason and we have to build that now. Talking about what type of damage we can do in the postseason in December, that’s not right for the Basketball Gods.

There is still a long way to go for the playoffs, and a lot can change by then. But for now, as good as the Lakers have been, they will struggle to compete against the likes of younger and more athletic teams in the West.

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