The Los Angeles Lakers suffered their eighth loss in 12 games on Thursday when, after leading the Chicago Bulls 115-110 with 12.1 seconds left, they practically gave the contest away and allowed Josh Giddey to hit a halfcourt game-winning shot just before the final horn.
Something needed to change right away. Head coach JJ Redick decided to arrange a meeting with LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves — his three stars — just hours before the team's game on Saturday versus the Memphis Grizzlies.
The result was a 134-127 win in perhaps its best offensive outing since Doncic became a Laker last month.
Redick revealed a bit of what was talked about during that meeting.
Via ESPN:
"We challenged all three of them when we get to their three-man actions to play with a little more force and a little more thrust and a little more creativity," Redick said of his message.
In Saturday's game, the three stars became the first NBA trio to each put up at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists while making two 3-pointers apiece in the same game. As a team, the Lakers shot 50.6% from the field and 44.2% from 3-point range while notching 30 assists on 45 made baskets.
It was the third time the Lakers reached the 130-point mark since Doncic joined them, but this time, they did so against a very good team that ranks 12th in defensive rating and sixth in defensive field-goal percentage.
As a result, L.A. has a 45-29 record and is in fourth place in the Western Conference with a one-game lead over the fifth-place Grizzlies. It trails the second-place Houston Rockets, a team it will play next on Monday, by three games.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: JJ Redick held meeting with Lakers' three stars before Saturday's game
