Lakers coach JJ Redick says beating Cavaliers requires ‘close to perfect basketball’ after 122–110 loss
The Cleveland Cavaliers improved their NBA-best record to 29–4 with a 122–110 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.
Lakers coach JJ Redick was certainly impressed by what he saw from the Cavs, who have won eight consecutive games and 12 of their past 13. He told reporters after the game that “close to perfect basketball” must be played to defeat Cleveland this season.
JJ Redick says you have to play “close to perfect basketball” if you expect to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers this season.
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) January 1, 2025
Jarrett Allen scored 27 points with 14 rebounds and three blocks against a Lakers frontcourt that could probably use some help alongside Anthony Davis. Evan Mobley added 20 points and six rebounds.
In the backcourt, Donovan Mitchell dropped in 26 points (shooting 6-for-13 on 3s) with four rebounds and four assists, followed by Darius Garland’s 14 points and 14 points. In his best game since returning from a right ankle injury, Max Strus scored 15 points while shooting 4-for-8 on 3-pointers.
The Lakers may not have played perfect basketball against the Cavs, but they did cut Cleveland’s lead to 112–107 on a LeBron James 3-pointer with 2:50 remaining in the fourth quarter. However, the Cavaliers closed the game out from there with a 10–3 run.
Austin Reaves led the Lakers with 35 points (tying his career-high), nine assists and 10 rebounds, shooting 12-of-13 from the free throw line. Davis scored 28 and grabbed 13 rebounds with four assists, three steals and two blocks. And in his first game since turning 40 years old on Monday, James added 23 points with four rebounds and seven assists against his former team.
James became the first NBA player to appear in a game in his teens and his 40s, according to the Associated Press.
In his Lakers debut, Dorian Finney-Smith scored two points, getting a putback dunk off a Davis miss in the first quarter. Shake Milton, also part of the trade that sent D’Angelo Russell to the Brooklyn Nets, contributed six points.
With the defeat, the Lakers drop to 18–14 and hold seventh place in the Western Conference. Up next, they host the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday. The Cavaliers finish their road trip with a Friday matchup with the Dallas Mavericks.
