Lakers head coach JJ Redick surely wasn’t feeling the Christmas spirit tonight — thanks to ‘The Grinch’ Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets.
Redick ripped into his Los Angeles Lakers after a humiliating
Christmas Day collapse, branding his own team “terrible” following a 119-96 blowout loss to the Rockets.
“We don’t care enough right now,” Redick stated bluntly in the post-game presser. “We don’t care enough to do what’s necessary. We don’t care enough to be professional. We don’t have it.”
JJ with some strong words for his team getting blown out three times in a row… pic.twitter.com/lFVktPGboU
— Lakers All Day Everyday (@LADEig) December 26, 2025
And he has fair reason to state the same.
It was not a pretty sight for Redick or any of the Lakers fans tonight at Crypto.com Arena as the Rockets never trailed, turning LA’s holiday showcase into a nightmare. Six Houston players scored in double figures, led by Amen Thompson’s 26 points as the visitors cruised from start to finish.
The defeat marked the Lakers’ third straight loss — all by 15 points or more — and exposed familiar issues: soft defense, careless turnovers and a lack of urgency. Even with Austin Reaves sidelined by a calf injury, Redick made it clear excuses weren’t welcome.
That frustration boiled over when Redick promised change — and discomfort.
“It’s a matter of making the choice,” he said. “Too often, we have guys who don’t want to make that choice. And it’s pretty consistent who those guys are. Saturday’s practice is going to be uncomfortable. The meeting is going to be uncomfortable. I’m not doing another 53 games like this.”
Houston snapped a two-game skid behind Thompson, while Kevin Durant added 25 points and nine assists, and Alperen Sengun chipped in 14 points and 12 rebounds.
For the Lakers, Luka Doncic scored 25 points in his return from a leg injury, while LeBron James added 18. But the star duo combined for nine of the team’s 16 turnovers and struggled from deep as the Lakers slumped to another lifeless loss.
Christmas was supposed to be a statement night. Instead, it became a public dressing-down — with Redick making it clear the patience has been worn thin.





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