The Los Angeles Lakers suffered a 119-96 blowout loss to the Houston Rockets on Christmas Day, marking their third straight defeat. Coach JJ Redick expressed deep frustration with his team's effort, stating they 'don't care enough right now.' Star Luka Dončić echoed the sentiments, calling for improved performance across the board.
The Lakers, who started the season 15-4, have stumbled to a 4-6 record in their last 10 games, falling to 19-10 overall after the Christmas Day defeat at home against the Rockets. The loss highlighted ongoing defensive struggles, with Houston dominating the rebounding battle 48-25 and outpacing Los Angeles throughout the second half by double digits.
In his postgame comments, Redick was blunt about the team's shortcomings. "We don't care enough right now," he said. "And that's the part that bothers you a lot. We don't care enough to do the things that are necessary. We don't care enough to be a professional." He emphasized that "effort and execution" were the issues of the day, noting that when the Lakers perform those at a high level, they succeed, but failures like this make them "a terrible basketball team."
Dončić, leading the NBA with 33.7 points per game, supported his coach's assessment. "I don't know what has to change, but definitely something needs to change," he said. "Think we [were] blown out the last three games. It definitely looks, like, terrible. We just got to talk about it. Everybody got to talk about it... Everybody has got to give better effort, starting with me."
Redick announced an "uncomfortable" practice on Saturday ahead of Sunday's matchup against the struggling Sacramento Kings, who sit at 7-23 in the Western Conference. The Lakers have won all 10 of their clutch-time games this season but have been exposed against bigger, more athletic opponents, as seen in this loss and their earlier NBA Cup quarterfinal defeat to the San Antonio Spurs.
Broader roster concerns have surfaced, with reports suggesting trades may be imminent to address depth and energy issues. The team waived Jordan Goodwin last season to accommodate Marcus Smart, and former players like Goodwin have thrived elsewhere. General manager Rob Pelinka's acquisition strategy, favoring former high draft picks such as Deandre Ayton and Rui Hachimura, has drawn scrutiny for not prioritizing high-effort role players needed alongside Dončić, Austin Reaves, and a 41-year-old LeBron James.
