When the Lakers led Houston 3-0 in the first round, JJ Redick was asked why it was so hard to close out a playoff series.
He said (sounding like Dexter):
💬 “Well, you have to kill them. It’s difficult to kill someone. You’ve got to … again, survival instincts says, ‘I want to stay alive.’ And so, you got to be able to kill them.”
On the opposite end of that 3-0 deficit, the Lakers played like a team that wasn’t ready to close its eyes. They fought through turnover problems. They sustained a six-plus-minute scoring drought. They took haymakers from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Ajay Mitchell.
And they lived. And lived. And lived. Austin Reaves. LeBron James. Marcus Smart. Jaxson Hayes. Rui Hachimura. All made plays. All put the Lakers in position…until there was no more air. James’ missed runner would’ve given the Lakers the lead. Austin Reaves missed 3-pointer would’ve tied the game.
Two shots that didn’t fall in the final minutes, the difference between playoff life and playoff death.