The Los Angeles Lakers entered their five-game road trip riding high with a 7–3 record and a five-game winning streak, but the momentum flipped instantly as they were handed a lopsided 122–102 loss by the Atlanta Hawks, who were missing several key contributors.

Without LeBron James and Austin Reaves due to injuries, the Lakers struggled on both ends of the court, falling behind 68–54 by halftime before their deficit ballooned to 30 points late in the third quarter.

Atlanta took full advantage of Los Angeles’s sluggish start, showing far more urgency and physicality despite playing on the second night of a back-to-back.​

JJ Redick's Short, Blunt Presser

Head coach JJ Redick made his disappointment apparent, giving a press conference that lasted less than two minutes and featured terse answers that quickly went viral.

When asked when he realized the game was getting out of hand, Redick responded, “I realized that in the first two minutes of the game.” Further pressed about what went wrong, he replied simply, “Nothing.”

His frustration boiled over as he called the defeat “very disappointing,” emphasizing that the Hawks “brought the requisite level of effort and urgency and physicality,” while there was “not a lot to like tonight” about his own team’s performance.​

Lakers Must Respond Quickly

With Austin Reaves still nursing a minor groin strain and LeBron James out, the Lakers will need to regroup quickly, as their road trip continues with matchups against Charlotte, Oklahoma City, New Orleans, and Milwaukee.

The team’s lack of energy against Atlanta was in stark contrast to their strong start to the season, prompting Redick and players like Deandre Ayton to call for better competitiveness and resolve moving forward.

The identity of this Lakers roster is under scrutiny, and their reaction to adversity will set the tone for the rest of the trip. With Redick’s honest leadership style, the Lakers are expected to use this loss as a teaching moment and strive for a quick bounce-back.