Lakers Coach JJ Redick Brings Up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander After Loss to Thunder
Game 2 between the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder had more controversies than highlights. While JJ Redick's side didn't get the win, the frustration after the game was directed toward a bigger problem. The coach didn't mince words while sharing his frustration with his opponents.
The Lakers continued their NBA playoff run without their season top scorer Luka Doncic. While the return timeline for the 6x NBA All-Star still remains unclear, Redick's team encountered bigger issues in Game 2 of the second round.
Throughout the game, Lakers players LeBron James, Deandre Ayton, and Austin Reaves kept complaining to the referees. Most complaints were related to not getting calls and against Thunder stars who faced flopping accusations. After the 107-125 loss, Redick spoke about OKC's playing style, targeting their main star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
"They have a few guys that foul on every possession. And all the good defenses do. SGA gets like a, I don't know, a touch foul I guess", the Lakers coach said. "There was a stretch of four straight possessions, our guys got absolutely clobbered". He pointed out how Jaxson Hayes' jersey was grabbed by Jalen Williams with "both arms" yet no foul was called.
Redick further added, "They're hard enough to play. You've got to be able to just call it if they foul. And they do foul". The 41-year-old coach wasn't the only one complaining about the Thunder's flopping. Social media critics of OKC included legendary rapper Lil Wayne, who claimed the defending NBA champions are "unwatchable".
The Lakers were issued 26 fouls, out of which the Thunder scored 21 free throws. Meanwhile, OKC fouled their opponents 21 times, which resulted in LeBron and others scoring 18 points. Both teams had one technical foul each. Redick and Alex Caruso were punished for their behavior towards the officials.
Shai was also hit with a technical foul for his incident with Reaves. The game drew more controversy after the final whistle when Lakers players shared their frustration with the officials by crowding around them. The total fouls from both teams saw a major jump from Game 1, in which the Lakers were issued 16 fouls while the Thunder had 14.
As both teams look ahead to Game 3 at Crypto.com Arena, the Lakers and Redick will hope for a better whistle against this Thunder team.
Copyright 2026 Athlon Sports. All rights reserved.
This story was originally published May 8, 2026 at 5:50 AM.