In the dying moments of the Lakers’ Game 4 elimination loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, head coach JJ Redick made a baffling decision that has ignited a firestorm of criticism from fans.
With the Lakers trailing 110-115 and the season on the line, Redick called a timeout to draw up a game-tying play. But instead of keeping Rui Hachimura on the floor—who had been the team’s offensive spark—he substituted in Maxi Kleber, a player who had barely seen any action during the entire series. The move left everyone stunned, especially since Hachimura had been phenomenal throughout the playoffs.
Hachimura finished the night with 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting, including 4-of-8 from three-point range. His playoff three-point shooting percentage stood at a scorching 56.8% (33-of-58) entering that game. Despite Kleber not directly impacting the play, Austin Reaves ultimately missed a wide-open triple that could have tied the game, and the blame immediately fell on Redick.
Social media erupted with outrage. Fans mocked the decision, calling it one of the worst coaching moves in recent memory. One user wrote, “We needed a three to tie the game, and you bench Rui? Unbelievable, Redick!” Another added, “In the final minutes, he pulled the best player on the court. The FBI should investigate his thought process.” A recurring theme was the irony of replacing the hottest three-point shooter in the playoffs during a critical moment.
While Redick’s defensive schemes against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were praised earlier in the series, this late-game substitution has cast a shadow over his coaching debut and left Lakers fans questioning his decision-making under pressure. 