"JJ Redick went Pat Riley" - Skip Bayless makes feelings clear on Lakers' rookie coach in LeBron James and Luka Doncic's absence vs Nuggets

JJ Redick’s LA Lakers faced a tough task Friday night, missing eight players, including four starters, as they squared off against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. Despite a valiant effort, they surrendered an 8-0 run in the final minute, dropping their fourth straight game.

Despite the defeat, Skip Bayless applauded Redick for maximizing the undermanned Lakers roster, which was without Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Jaxson Hayes, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Dorian Finney-Smith, Trey Jemison III and Maxi Kleber.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Bayless likened Redick’s coaching to Pat Riley’s leadership while also raving about Austin Reaves' performance:

“Obviously the Nuggets had a hard time taking what was left of the Lakers seriously until they absolutely had to in the final minutes,” Bayless wrote. “Still, JJ Redick went Pat Riley with that coaching performance and AUSTIN REAVES CAN FLAT-OUT PLAY.”

Reaves flirted with a triple-double, tallying 37 points, 13 assists, eight rebounds and four steals, while Dalton Knecht poured in 32 points — just five shy of his career high.

Even with a staggering 38-16 free throw disparity (30-13 in conversions), it still took Denver until the final minute to close out a depleted Lakers squad. Jokic, who finished with 28 points, seven rebounds, five assists and three steals, attempted 17 free throws — one more than the entire Lakers team.

READ: "Needing the refs to bail you out" - Fans berate Nuggets for nearly losing to LeBron James and Luka Doncic-less Lakers despite 22 FT differential

JJ Redick takes accountability for Lakers’ late-game execution

JJ Redick’s Lakers held a 126-123 lead with 52 seconds left after a Dalton Knecht dunk, but Denver responded with eight unanswered points.

Nikola Jokic converted an and-one off a timeout, Jamal Murray knocked down a clutch 3-pointer and Russell Westbrook iced the game with a steal and dunk on the final possession.

After the game, Redick took accountability for the breakdown on Jokic’s pivotal play:

“I think the play that Jokic got the and-one, I'll take some ownership of that just because that was a short timeout, and I ran on the floor to check on DK (Dalton Knecht), and then I ran back and I didn't have time to really get us the right substitutions and matchups that I would have wanted,” he said.

“And that's not a knock on CK (Christian Koloko), but I just kind of put him in a tough spot knowing that Jokic was going to go quick.”

After Murray’s triple put Denver up by three, the Lakers had a chance to tie but turned it over, leading to Westbrook’s game-sealing dunk. JJ Redick chose not to elaborate on the final play.

“And then the last play, no comment on that one,” Redick said.

The Lakers return home for a back-to-back, facing the Phoenix Suns on Sunday and the San Antonio Spurs on Monday. They then host the Nuggets on Wednesday before wrapping up another back-to-back against the Milwaukee Bucks.