JJ Redick defends playing Luka Doncic after initial hamstring tweak
After Luka Doncic appeared to tweak his hamstring early in Thursday's loss to the Thunder, Lakers coach JJ Redick kept him in the game.
Now that Luka Doncic will be out indefinitely and, at the very least, will miss the rest of the regular season with a Grade 2 left hamstring strain , some Los Angeles Lakers fans are blaming coach JJ Redick for the injury. Doncic initially appeared to tweak the same left hamstring early in Thursday's game versus the Oklahoma City Thunder, but he remained in the game, even though the Lakers were down big throughout. They ended up losing, 139-96 , and fans are saying that he shouldn't have kept playing, given how lopsided the game was.
Los Angeles was down 44-21 at the end of the first quarter and 82-51 at halftime. Doncic exited the game in the third quarter with the outcome not exactly in doubt. Redick explained and defended his decision to keep Doncic on the court.
“We checked him out,” Redick said. “He got work done, but he was cleared. We’re not gonna put a player at risk.
Those things happen. ” “... It was discussed at halftime,” Redick continued when asked about possibly sitting Doncic.