redick

In their darkest playoff hour, Lakers coach JJ Redick advised his players during practice Sunday to take the same mental approach for the win-or-go-home Game 4 that they’ve used since the first day of training camp.

The Lakers trail the Oklahoma City Thunder 3-0 in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinal series. The Lakers must beat the Thunder at Crypto.com Arena on Monday night or their season is over.

“Our first slide that we put up in training camp was [to] win the day,” Redick said. “Today was a quick offensive review and then just going over some stuff defensively. Got to win today and we got to win tomorrow. We know what we’re facing being down 3-0. So it’s just more of a mindset check than anything else.”

No NBA team has ever come back to win a series when trailing 3-0, with those teams holding a 161-0 record.

Those are the long odds the Lakers face.

Redick was asked what his team’s mood was like at practice.

“These guys are good,” he said.

Redick then was asked what his squad has shown him that gives him hope the Lakers can still win.

“Affirmation,” he responded.

Even after losing three games by an average of 19.6 points per game, the Lakers still cling to some hope.

Rui Hachimura has been on what Redick called a “heater” from three-point range. He has made 57.1% of his threes and has shot 54.1% from the floor in the series, averaging 18.3 points per game.

Hachimura thought back to the Lakers’ first-round series against the Houston Rockets and how they had a commanding 3-0 lead. But the Rockets fought back to make the series 3-2 before the Lakers closed out the series.

“It’s crazy, but I think that’s the mentality we need,” Hachimura said. “I think it’s one at a time. I think especially with this type of team, you can’t really make mistakes. … We have to keep the same energy the whole game. That’s the only way we can win. So, we know what we do.”

Lakers star LeBron James plays against the Thunder in Game 3 of the Western Conference semifinals on Saturday.

(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

What they need to do is play better in the third quarter. The Lakers have been outscored 92-61 in the third quarter by the Thunder.

“I feel like every game we’re getting closer,” Hachimura said. “Especially last night … apparently we had the best offensive game of the series, even the playoffs. I think we had really good looks, great looks. But I think defensively we, especially in the third quarter, we kind of slowed down. I don’t know [if] we got burned out or we got tired, whatever.

“So, I think our focus is like how we play in the first half we have to do in the whole game. … That’s going to be our goal.”

The Lakers have managed to slow down Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander by having Marcus Smart guard him and putting constant double teams on the reigning NBA most valuable player.

Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 21.0 points per game in the series, far below the 31.1 points he averaged during the regular season. He’s averaging 5.7 assists per game, which is below his 6.6 during the regular season, and he’s shooting 45.8%, which is below his 55.3% for the season. He’s averaging four turnovers in the series as well.

But Chet Holmgren, who is averaging a double-double in the series at 21.3 points per game and 10.0 rebounds, has been a handful for the Lakers. Ajay Mitchell is averaging 20.7 points per game and 6.6 assists.

That’s why the Lakers are on the verge of seeing their season end. The Lakers have faced adversity all season, but Game 4 will be the ultimate test.

“Being on the Lakers, you feel like your back’s against the wall every game,” Redick said. “So I think the whole season has prepared us to be in a position where we’re in the second round of the Western Conference and being in the mix with a great basketball team.”

Though Jarred Vanderbilt suffered a gruesome dislocated right pinky injury during the Lakers’ loss in Game 1 against the Thunder on Tuesday, coach JJ Redick said his forward has been listed as day-to-day for the second-round series.

Vanderbilt, who is left-handed, was injured in the second quarter trying to block a dunk by Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren, but his hand hit the backboard. Vanderbilt immediately doubled over in pain, as the bone broke through the skin and had to be put back in place.

“They were able to put his finger back together and it’s splinted and he’s day-to-day,” Redick said Wednesday.

The Lakers and Thunder play Game 2 here Thursday night at Paycom Center.

Redick said it was a “reduction” for Vanderbilt, meaning it was a procedure to restore his dislocated finger.

Vanderbilt had his finger taped and had a splint on the finger after the game.

“Yeah. I mean, he’s obviously a tough-minded player and person,” Redick said. “It just, he had a full dislocation. So they just put the stuff back together. You know, he’ll be day-to-day.”

Redick was asked if it’ll be a pain tolerance issue for his defensive-minded forward.

“Certainly the pain is involved,” Redick said. “From my understanding, it’s basically making sure basically the tissue is healed enough. We’re obviously going to splint him, but making sure the tissue is healed enough to protect his skin barrier.”

Jaxson Hayes called Vanderbilt’s finger injury “disgusting” because the “whole bone was out of his skin.”

“Obviously, you never want to see one of your teammates go down,” Hayes said. “But, I mean, that was gross. That was really gross.”

The Lakers understand the daunting challenge they’re about to face against the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals.

Lakers coach JJ Redick referenced the great Chicago Bulls teams that won back-to-back championships in 1996 and ’97 and the Golden State Warriors teams that won titles in 2015 and ’17 when talking about the Thunder after practice Sunday.

“The Thunder is one of the greatest teams ever in NBA history,” Redick said. “It’s just the reality. They’re that good. I think our guys recognize that and respect that, and we know what kind of task we have in front of us.”

The Thunder had the best record in the regular season at 64-18. They were ranked first in defensive field-goal percentage (43.7%), first in defensive rating (106.5), first in net rating (43.7) and second in points given up per game (107.9).

They have the league’s reigning most valuable player in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is the leading candidate to repeat as MVP. He was second in scoring this season (31.1 points per game) and leads the postseason in scoring (33.8).

The Thunder just swept the Phoenix Suns in their first-round series. The Lakers eliminated the Houston Rockets in six games.

This season the Thunder beat the Lakers by an average of 29.2 points per game in sweeping the four-game set. So the Lakers are facing long odds to win this series, but they say they aren’t intimidated heading into Game 1 on Tuesday night.

“You can respect the team but you can’t fear them,” forward Jake LaRavia said. “You can’t come into the game fearing the opponent and then you’re just gonna come in and get punked. So, we respect how good this team is, but our goal is to win — win the games and win the series. So, our mindset stays the same.”

The Thunder have a reputation as a stingy defensive team — they were called for the seventh-fewest fouls per game (19) this season.

“They’re top five in every category that’s disruptive-base: steals, blocks, turnovers forced, all that stuff. And they don’t foul,” Redick said. “They somehow do all of that without fouling, which is one of the most remarkable things, I think, in NBA history.”

Gilgeous-Alexander is famous for drawing fouls. He took nine free throws per game this season, third-most in the league.

“Nobody’s been able to stop him all season,” Redick said. “So, you can hope and pray.”

Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drives against the Lakers during a Thunder win on April 2.

(Cooper Neill / Getty Images)

The Lakers had their own weapon at the free-throw line, but it’s unclear when Luka Doncic might return from injury. The All-Star point guard hasn’t played since sustaining a Grade 2 left hamstring strain against the Thunder on April 2.

Doncic was coming off a magical month, becoming the only player in history other than Michael Jordan to score 600 points in March.

Redick had no update on Doncic’s status — he remains out indefinitely.

But the Lakers got by the Rockets with LeBron James leading the way. He averaged 23.2 points, 8.3 assists and 7.2 rebounds in the six games. And star guard Austin Reaves, who also was injured in the April 2 game against the Thunder, returned to help beat the Rockets.

Still, few think the Lakers, who advanced past the first round for the first time since 2023, can get by the deep and talented Thunder.

“You could say nobody thought we were going to get past Houston, but everybody in this building believed,” Reaves said. “It’s the same mindset going into this. We obviously know the team that we’re about to face and how good they are and the problems that they can create for 48 minutes. So, we’ll have to lock in every single day, film, whatever it could be, to continue to get better and and pay attention to all the little details like they do.”