After the Los Angeles Lakers won their first game for the 2025-26 regular season — 128-110 — against the Minnesota Timberwolves, head coach JJ Redick addressed the “angst” among fans. Coming off three consecutive first-round playoff exits, Lakers fans watched Luka Doncic surpass Jerry West's record of 81 points for most points combined through the first two games of a regular season as Doncic's 49-point performance stole the show in Friday's win.
After the game, Redick addressed the Lakers' fan base, expressing his appreciation for their passion, per ESPN's Dave McMenamin.
“I have great respect for fan bases that care. I've already been warned by the NBA I'm not allowed to use cuss words in here, but I like fan bases that give a ****. They care. And so I appreciate it. Got the chance to play in Philly. It's like an honor to coach this team and be a part of this organization and try to lead this group and represent the fan base. I'm well aware the angst exists, and there's an overreaction to everything.
“I've been in the NBA long enough to know that exists with fanbases that care as much as the Lakers fanbase do. But it didn't change or affect, I don't think, me or the group at all in terms of our preparation for this game. And we have a really tough stretch coming up over the next week with these four games coming up. So we gotta continue to build. Continue to work,” Redick concluded.
Luka Doncic surpasses Jerry West's Lakers all-time record
Lakers guard Luka Doncic looked forward to facing the Timberwolves, who sent the Lakers home in the first round of last year's playoffs. As head coach, JJ Redick, Doncic, and the Lakers look to make a deep run in a competitive Western Conference, they didn't disappoint against All-Star Anthony Edwards and the Timberwolves, who made their second consecutive appearance in the Western Conference Finals last season.
Doncic is off to a sizzling hot start, scoring a combined 92 points in his first two outings of the season. Doncic followed up a 43-point performance in a 119-109 loss to the Warriors on Opening Night with a masterful scoring performance. He went 14-of-23 from the floor, including 5-of-12 from deep, as Luka is shooting at a 62.0% clip while averaging 46.0 points, 11.5 rebounds, 8.5 assists, and 1.0 steals in his first two games of the regular season.
