The Los Angeles Lakers lost a heartbreaker in Game 4 to the Minnesota Timberwolves 116-113. They now go down 3-1 and are on the verge of being eliminated in the first round in back-to-back seasons. Former Laker Magic Johnson was watching and took to X to mention what he thought was the reason for their loss. And most of it was on JJ Redick.
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First-year head coaches tend to struggle in the NBA playoffs. They have to adjust to a new intensity, learn how their players react in the heat of battle, and make crucial decisions. Sometimes, those decisions may cost the team the game.
This may have been exactly what JJ Redick did today in the loss to the Wolves. He played his starters the entire second half without rest, becoming the first head coach in NBA history to do so in the playoffs.
To call this a coaching oversight would be an understatement. This is a complete blunder that JJ made. LeBron James had 27 points in the first three quarters of the game. Then, on no rest in the fourth, he gassed out and was blanked.
JJ Redick just became the first coach in the play-by-play era to play five players for an entire half in the playoffs.
James, Doncic, Reaves, Hachimura & Finney-Smith played the entire second half today.
— Keerthika Uthayakumar (@keerthikau) April 27, 2025
This was something that former Lakers Hall of Famer Magic Johnson noticed while watching. Following the game, he tweeted his thoughts on the decision.
“I dont know if it smart to play LeBron and Luka the entire second half after only having one day of rest between Games 3 and 4. When we needed LeBron to take over in the fourth quarter he couldn’t – he scored 0 points in the fourth,” Magic tweeted.
Magic was more than justified in sending off the tweet. He should know better than anyone the importance of conserving stamina for the late stages of a playoff game. Now, LeBron is going into Game 5 tired and down 3-1.
When Luka Doncic was asked about it after the game, though, he shrugged off the fatigue excuses.
“This is the playoffs. Fatigue shouldn’t play a role,” Luka said postgame.
Luka: "This is the playoffs. Fatigue shouldn't play any role" pic.twitter.com/tZ0n2EO6bw
— Oh No He Didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) April 27, 2025
Regardless of what Luka says, fatigue definitely seemed to play a role in LeBron’s lack of scoring in the fourth. After all, he’s 40. As much as we want to act like he’s indestructible, Father Time is undefeated. So, fatigue may not be an issue for Luka at 26, but for a guy like Bron, it’s a big deal.
Magic Johnson adored Ant-Man’s performance
The thoughts on JJ’s coaching decisions weren’t the only thing Magic wanted to talk about following the game, though. First, he tweeted his support for Anthony Edwards and commended the young star on his masterful performance.
“Just a brilliant performance and masterful 43 points by Anthony Edwards tonight in the Timberwolves win over the Lakers. As the old saying goes, live by the jump shot, die by the jump shot.”
Edwards nailed two clutch free throws to give the Wolves a three-point lead with 10 seconds remaining in the fourth. He ended up scoring 16 of the team’s 32 points in the quarter. Just a remarkable performance from one of the best young stars in the league. And Magic made sure he shouted out the youngin.
Now, the series moves back to LA with the Lakers and LeBron down 3-1. It’s a scenario where the leading team wins the series 95% of the time. But hey, if there’s anyone who can get it done and spur a comeback, it’s Bron.
