The Los Angeles Lakers stormed to another impressive victory, beating the New York Knicks and improving to five wins in their last six games. While the hot streak has energized fans and media alike, head coach JJ Redick says he’s deliberately approaching success differently than he might have earlier in the season.

Rather than riding the emotional highs that come with a winning stretch, Redick says his focus has shifted toward maintaining consistency over the full 82-game grind. Despite improvements in key areas, including strong shooting since the All-Star break and a defensive performance that held New York to just 97 points, Redick insists he won’t let short-term momentum change his outlook.

“Yeah. Again, I mean, I’m not in a position where I can overreact. I let you guys do that. Fans rightfully so should always overreact. It’s what makes fandom so awesome. I know as a kid growing up as a Duke fan, I cried after every single Duke game… I was an overreactor. You know, my job is not to overreact,” the Lakers head coach told reporters.

The former Clippers sharpshooter hasn’t panicked at any point throughout the season. Sure, JJ Redick has worn his frustrations on his sleeve at times. But since the team has started to show consistent flow, the coaching decisions have vastly improved as well. Redick doesn’t want to disturb any of those habits by resting a little. There’s still a long season ahead.

That being said, he’s not oblivious to his team’s jump over the past few games. “We’re 15 and 9 in our last 24. We’re top 10 offense, a top 15 defense. Like that’s what we wanted to be coming into the season with this group and that’s where our group is right now,” he told reporters.

JJ Redick would much rather continue coaching through these scenarios. Good or bad, the aim is to get as close to his vision and maintain a uniform standard.

After all these games, the Lakers can finally say they can compete on both ends of the floor. And this win proved they can win with more than just an offensive punch.

JJ Redick lauds the Lakers’ effort in Knicks win

An uplifting stretch did come at a cost for the Lakers. They have been without LeBron James since the loss to the Nuggets. Furthermore, the schedule’s been demanding. They came into the game against the Knicks having accumulated some fatigue. That’s why JJ Redick planned for this game differently. He knew the game wouldn’t be decided by making many shots.

“To me, this wasn’t an offensive game. Like it wasn’t going to be an offensive game. This was going to be a gritty, tough game that we had to win with effort and we did that,” JJ Redick said about the Lakers’ performance.

This game revealed a different side of the Lakers. Their playmaking wasn’t at its sharpest; they finished with just 20 assists, and Luka Doncic didn’t have an efficient scoring night. Even so, the Lakers consistently applied pressure on the Knicks.

Their defensive intensity forced 18 turnovers from the Jalen Brunson-led Knicks, disrupting their offensive rhythm. At the same time, they prevented Mitchell Robinson from controlling the game with his usual rebounding dominance.

That defensive discipline carried over to the glass. The Knicks managed just nine second-chance points, far below their season average of 16.2, which proved how effectively the Lakers limited extra opportunities. In many ways, that effort proved decisive. The Lakers’ relentless energy compensated for what was otherwise their worst shooting performance in the last eight games.

They are executing their schemes efficiently while putting in an effort that wasn’t visible before. The Purple and Gold are picking up steam at the right time. And a win against the Knicks really solidifies their latest evolution.