Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick was afforded a rare break to help reset the team and get them ready for another tough stretch of games.
The Lakers got several days off due to the Emirates NBA Cup, though Redick opted to use the time to let his players heal as several of them are banged up. While the extra rest certainly had to do some good, it didn’t help Los Angeles offensively as they were defeated by the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night.
Both teams weren’t particularly sharp and some of that can probably be attributed to the extended layoff, though the Lakers arguably had their best defensive game of the 2024-25 season.