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JJ Redick Didn’t Hold Back on the Thunder and the Refs After Lakers’ Frustrating Game 2 Loss

Andy Nesbitt|
JJ Redick and the Lakers are down 0-2 to the Thunder after losing Game 2, 125-107.
JJ Redick and the Lakers are down 0-2 to the Thunder after losing Game 2, 125-107. | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

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Los Angeles LakersOklahoma City Thunder

The Lakers lost to the Thunder, 125-107, in Game 2 on Thursday night and find themselves in an 0-2 hole as the series shifts to Los Angeles. It was another frustrating night for LeBron James & Co. as they had a number of heated moments with the refs during the game, and one right after the final whistle when they had a long discussion with the officials on the court before heading back to the locker room.

Lakers coach JJ Redick was among those not happy with the officiating and he didn’t hold back during his postgame press conference. Redick, who got called for a technical foul during the first quarter, stood up for James, called out the reason why he thinks the Thunder get help from the refs, and bluntly stated that Oklahoma City has guys “that foul on every possession.”

Let’s take a look at all of Redick’s comments about the Thunder and the refs.

JJ Redick continues to be mad about the way LeBron James is officiated

Redick has been with LeBron for two years now in Los Angeles and he continues to be upset with the way he’s handled by the refs. That continued after Game 2.

"LeBron has the worst whistle of any star player I've ever seen," Redick said. "I mean, I've been with him two years now. The smaller guys, because they can be theatric, they typically draw more fouls, and the bigger players that are built like LeBron, it's hard for them. He gets clobbered. He got clobbered again tonight a bunch.

"And that's not like a new thing. That's not specific to this crew or this series. He gets fouled a lot and it doesn't [get called]. The guy gets hit on the head more than any player I've seen on drives, and it rarely gets called."

LeBron was asked about that claim by Redick but chose not to add any fuel to the fire, saying “I don’t know.”

Here’s one play from Game 2 that falls into that narrative, as LeBron thought he should have gotten a call after being knocked to the floor while trying to get a bucket.

JJ Redick went in on the Thunder and how they play defense

Redick and the Lakers are in a hole against the Thunder and need all the help they can get so the coach did what coaches do in the postseason and sent a message to the refs about how he feels that Oklahoma City gets away with a lot of things on the defensive end of the floor.

"I sarcastically said the other day, they're the most disruptive team without fouling," Redick said. "I mean, they have a few guys that foul on every possession. ... They're hard enough to play. They're hard enough to play, you've got to be able to just call them if they foul, and they do foul."

Redick probably hopes that those words will lead to the refs looking more into the Thunder in Game 3 and beyond, which could help the Lakers in the series moving forward. Will that happen? We’ll have to wait and see. We’ll also have to wait and see if his words lead to a fine from the league.

JJ Redick explained why he thinks the Thunder get so many calls

Redick thinks that emotions have a lot to do with the way the Thunder are officiated, saying that they are quiet a lot in the game and that may help them.

"Our guys were so good tonight just staying together, poised," he said. "The emotion is part of basketball. And I think some of the reason [the Thunder are] officiated the way they are is because they don't show emotion, and that's a credit to them. I mean, they've really been taking the emotion out of the game. They're super tight-knit. They don't complain to the officials and maybe they're the beneficiaries of that, I don't know."

Here’s one moment in which Redick let his emotions out, and rightfully got called for a technical for doing so.

What’s next for the Thunder-Lakers series

Game 3 is Saturday night in Los Angeles at 8:30 p.m. The Lakers are in a world of trouble and it feels like this series is going to be a quick one, especially since Luka Dončić remains out with a hamstring injury. It will be interesting to see how the series is officiated the rest of the way after Redick’s words following the Game 2 loss.

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Andy Nesbitt
ANDY NESBITT

Andy Nesbitt is the assistant managing editor of audience engagement at Sports Illustrated. He works closely with the Breaking and Trending News team to shape SI’s daily coverage across all sports. A 20-year veteran of the sports media business, he has worked for Fox Sports, For the Win, The Boston Globe and NBC Sports, having joined SI in February 2023. Nesbitt is a golf fanatic who desperately wants to see the Super Bowl played on a Saturday night.

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