The Los Angeles Lakers led by 13 points in the second quarter, only to head into halftime, 64-63. The Lakers didn’t score a single point in the last three minutes, while the Dallas Mavericks scored 12. JJ Redick, who coaches a team that defensively struggles in the third quarter, sure has a trick up his sleeve at every halftime break. This time, however, that collapse prompted a significant reaction from Redick, and it could have cost him more than just the game.

Redick skipped the Amazon Prime halftime interview and stormed straight to the locker room. Unlike fines assessed for individuals skipping pregame and postgame media availability, the NBA does not have a specific publicly available guideline requiring coaches to speak to the media at halftime. However, there may be internal agreements with teams that, upon breach, could result in a fine of at least five digits.

Redick hasn’t been one to hide his emotions and diplomatically twist his sentences. He has also not shied away from slamming his own players for a lack of accountability. “Zero intent” and “zero execution” were two terms that the coach candidly mentioned after the blowout San Antonio Spurs loss.

This time, however, the Lakers came out strongly in the third quarter, scoring almost twice as many points as the Mavericks, and went on to record their 33rd win of the season.

During the postgame interview, Redick was asked about what went down in the locker room during the halftime break. The coach revealed that the conversation was more than just talking about defense.

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“The stuff we talked about before the game and partially just the individual pride on the ball, our low man and just our shell principles, they weren’t sharp in the first half,” Redick said.

While the playoffs are coming closer, Redick has more things to worry about. The Lakers didn’t address their defensive issues at the trade deadline. After a few weeks of putting their foot on the gas pedal, winning four out of the last six games, can the Lakers hold their fort in the playoffs?

Is the Lakers’ defense reliable for a deep playoff run?

The fate of any team in the playoffs largely depends on how well it can execute its defensive assignments. While the Lakers have been among the top teams in the West, ranking first in field-goal efficiency, they are 17th in defensive rating over the last 10 games at 114.7. Should this continue, it will hold them back.

Overall, in this season, the Lakers are among the bottom ten teams in the league in defensive rating.

Their trio of LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and Austin Reaves hasn’t played together much in recent weeks. Doncic was the latest one to miss out with a minor hamstring setback, while Reaves remains on a minute restriction (ideally set to change) after the All-Star break.

The real question is about sustainability. The playoffs are high-intensity games, and expecting a 41-year-old player, LeBron James, to efficiently contribute on both ends might be foolish.

The Lakers appear to have genuinely dropped the ball by signing Kobe Bufkin to a two-year deal rather than exploring the buyout market. They were linked to Cam Thomas and Haywood Highsmith, but after Jeremy Sochan became available, you’d think that Redick would leap at a player like that.

Although Sochan’s season with the San Antonio Spurs did not pan out as it should have, last season’s averages of 11.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists, along with solid rim protection, suggest he would’ve surely helped the Lakers.