JJ Redick gives brutally honest assessment of Lakers' loss - "Not sure where our collective brains are at"

The Los Angeles Lakers had a great start to their ongoing six-game road trip, clinching wins against the Golden State Warriors and the Charlotte Hornets. There was a real possibility for the team to go undefeated during this stretch. However, a 104-118 loss against the ailing Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday put an end to this dream, snapping their four-game win streak.

JJ Redick was critical of the Lakers’ subpar performance on the night. In the postgame interview, he didn’t mince his words when questioning LeBron James and co.’s mindset. However, the head coach did cut his players some slack, acknowledging the physical toll of their hectic schedule.

“3 in 4 nights, back to back. I'm not sure where our collective brains are at. I understand the physical fatigue. We were a step slow all night on Maxey,” Redick said.

That fatigue was evident, especially on the defensive end. LA rotated multiple defenders on Tyrese Maxey, but none could keep up with the Philly guard. Maxey’s energy stood out against the Lakers’ sluggish defense, which allowed him to dominate the game with 43 points in under 36 minutes.

Even James agreed with his head coach, evaluating the team's underwhelming performance and admitting that they lacked focus.

“Just don't think we were mentally sharp tonight, made a lot of mistakes, that simple,” James said.

Fatigue hampered LeBron James’ performance according to the Lakers' coach

LeBron James continued his impressive scoring streak, extending it to eight consecutive games with at least 20 points by dropping 31 in tonight’s matchup. This marked his second-highest scoring performance in January, complemented by eight rebounds and nine assists.

However, his eight turnovers stood out as a huge concern. JJ Redick attributed James’ season-high in turnovers to fatigue caused by a demanding schedule.

“I attribute (a few of) [LeBron's] turnovers to a lot of fatigue,” Redick said.

The Lakers will now travel to Washington to face the Wizards, hoping for a straightforward victory that will allow their star players to rest before Saturday night's highly anticipated showdown against the New York Knicks.