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[Saba Sports News] With the NBA regular season winding down, JJ Redick is shifting his focus toward getting the Los Angeles Lakers playoff-ready. But after Thursday night’s 123-116 home loss to the Golden State Warriors, the first-year head coach made it clear — his team isn’t quite there yet.
“We’re still building it. We’re not there,” Redick said postgame, expressing concern about the Lakers’ current mindset and intensity. He emphasized the importance of developing a true playoff mentality — something he believes is still missing.
Luka Doncic, who had a rough outing in the loss, echoed the frustration, admitting he was disappointed in his performance.
The defeat dropped the Lakers to 46-30, placing them half a game behind the Denver Nuggets for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference and just one game ahead of the Warriors. Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder continue to dominate the West at 64-12, with a commanding 14.5-game lead over the second-place Houston Rockets.
The Western Conference playoff race is as tight as ever — just 2.5 games separate the Nuggets (No. 3) from the Clippers (No. 8). That kind of congestion has made the battle to avoid the dreaded 7–10 play-in spots even more intense.
After a strong run from late January through early March, the Lakers have cooled off, going 6-9 in their last 15 games. With tough matchups ahead — including two against OKC and another vs. Houston — Redick knows his team has to sharpen up fast.
If the Lakers want to make a real postseason push, they’ll need to find that edge — and soon.