As the Los Angeles Lakers struggled against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night, frustration was getting to JJ Redick’s team.
During the second quarter of the Lakers-Thunder matchup, JJ Redick called a timeout just 16 seconds in. The head coach wanted to get the veteran Jarred Vanderbilt out of the game.
Vanderbilt was visibly upset. The player exchanged words with his head coach, which led to players and coaches attempting to intervene to calm the situation down.
After the sideline exchange took place, many videos of the incident went viral on social media.
Following the Lakers’ 123-87 loss against the NBA Champs, Redick addressed the viral moment with reporters.
JJ Redick Makes A Statement On The Jarred Vanderbilt Scene
via Lakers Nation on X: JJ Redick says his exchange with Jarred Vanderbilt was “nothing personal” and a “normal interaction for me.”
He said it was a “confluence of things” that led to him being upset and calling the timeout.
Redick, Vanderbilt, and the Lakers were able to move past the situation and close out the game without any further altercations. However, the Lakers were still left frustrated with another shorthanded loss.
Vanderbilt checked in for just five minutes on Tuesday night. He shot 1-1 from the field, scoring three points. He also produced one assist, two rebounds, and one steal.
Leading up to Tuesday’s action, Vanderbilt appeared in 61 games for the Lakers. He typically averages 17.4 minutes per game.
With that playing time, Vanderbilt produces 4.5 points per game (47.1% FG, 30.4% 3PT), 4.5 rebounds per game, and 1.2 assists per game.
The Lakers Are Struggling Down The Stretch
Redick’s Lakers recently suffered two key injuries. Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are out for an extended period of time, as they were recently diagnosed with concerning setbacks.
On Tuesday, the Lakers ruled several key players just for the game as well. Marcus Smart, Jaxson Hayes, and LeBron James were all out.
A loss against the Thunder marked the third in a row for the Lakers on Tuesday. They are now 50-29 on the season, sitting 1.0-games back from the Denver Nuggets.
Suddenly, the Lakers have gone from being comfortable as the third seed to having just a 0.5-game lead over the Houston Rockets in the fourth seed.
The Lakers will take on the Golden State Warriors next. The two California-based teams will meet on Thursday, April 9.