JJ Redick made a bold strategic decision in Sunday's Game 4 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, keeping his starting lineup of Luka Doncic, LeBron James, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, and Dorian Finney-Smith on the floor for the entire second half.
Despite entering the fourth quarter with a 10-point advantage, the Lakers ultimately lost as fatigue appeared to set in during the final moments of the game. The decision came as part of an already condensed playoff rotation for Los Angeles.
"No, it wasn't planned but we just made the decision at halftime," Redick explained postgame. "We gave the effort to win. And not a planned thing to play five guys an entire second half."
Redick noted that he communicated with his players about the possibility of substitutions if needed.
"We asked them at the beginning of the fourth quarter, told them we had two extra timeouts. If you need a sub, let us know. Those guys gave a lot."
Throughout the postseason, the Lakers have primarily relied on a tight rotation, with only Gabe Vincent, Jarred Vanderbilt, and Jordan Goodwin seeing limited action off the bench.
