The Los Angeles Lakers organized a pickleball tournament during a four-day break in their schedule. Players, coaches, and staff competed in the event at their El Segundo facility, with bracket-style matchups that turned surprisingly competitive for a squad that's been building strong chemistry early this season.

Luka Doncic faced off against head coach JJ Redick in the semifinals. Speaking to reporters after the Lakers' win over Utah, Doncic didn't hide his satisfaction with the result.

“That was easy. He was so pissed. I loved it, every second of it,” Doncic said.

The Slovenian star's team eliminated Redick's squad, which featured Marcus Smart, before losing to Jake LaRavia and assistant coach Beau Levesque in the finals. But beating his own coach clearly meant more to Doncic than winning the whole thing.

He admitted the semifinal felt comfortable, and watching Redick get worked up over a pickleball game made it even better. The 26-year-old was laughing as he recounted the story to the media.

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Redick fired back with his own complaints about the bracket. He joked that his team's draw was unfair and claimed he had to carry his group to the semis. The former Duke star even called out one teammate for focusing more on snacks than the game.

The back-and-forth showed a different side of their relationship. Doncic gets bragging rights over his coach, while Redick proved he's just as intense off the court as he was during his playing days.

When asked about losing in the finals, Doncic had no problem throwing his own partner under the bus. He said his teammate needs serious work on his game, calling him a player with all power but no finesse or touch.

The tournament happened at the right time for Los Angeles. Sitting at 12-4 with Doncic averaging 34.6 points per game to lead the league, the team is finding its rhythm both on and off the court this season.