Magic Johnson fires subtle shot at JJ Redick's coaching grit after LeBron James' silent 4th qtr in Lakers' loss

Magic Johnson is frustrated with LA Lakers head coach JJ Redick after LeBron James went scoreless in the final quarter of Game 4. After only having one rest day from their Game 3 loss against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Lakers had the opportunity to tie the series on Sunday night.

Throughout the game, the Lakers seemed to be in control. They took over the first quarter and made it seem like they could win after a dominant third quarter. However, in the final period, LA struggled to find its rhythm and only scored 19 fourth-quarter points as a team. James' inability to convert his shots was a key factor.

Johnson expressed his frustrations on X over what he saw in Game 4. Though he didn't directly attack coach Redick, Johnson questioned the coaching decision, which is a subtle jab at the Lakers' head coach.

"I dont know if it smart to play LeBron and Luka the entire second half after only having one day of rest between Games 3 and 4," Johnson said. "When we needed LeBron to take over in the fourth quarter he couldn’t - he scored 0 points in the fourth."

Johnson also noted how heartbroken he was knowing that the Purple and Gold could've won the game. As mentioned earlier, the Lakers had control of the second half when they dominated the third quarter.

"I’m just sick to my stomach that the Lakers lost this game after being in control most of the 2nd half🤦🏿‍♂️," Johnson wrote on X.

Magic Johnson expressed frustrations towards Lakers coach JJ Redick

Before the events of Game 4, NBA legend Magic Johnson was already frustrated with the LA Lakers, particularly head coach JJ Redick. Throughout their first-round series matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Lakers have only managed to secure one win.

This is mind-boggling for Johnson, considering how well the Lakers have performed in the regular season. Magic ranted about the Lakers' lackluster showing and called out Redick for having a subpar performance in his first playoff appearance as a head coach.

“Coach JJ Redick did a great job all season but he didn’t do a good job for Game 1,” Johnson wrote. “The Lakers stood around on offense, played too much one-on-one basketball, and he didn’t make any necessary adjustments.”

Game 5 is set to be back in Los Angeles. With home-court advantage, the Lakers don't have excuses to take another loss in the series.

​