JJ Redick's inexperience shows in Game 4 loss

Rookie head coach JJ Redick kept five players — LeBron James, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Dorian Finney-Smith and Rui Hachimura — in the game for all 24 minutes of the second half. He didn't make a single substitution, meaning Luka Doncic and 40-year-old LeBron James each logged 46 minutes in the Lakers' 116-113 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

James didn't sit at all after the 1st quarter, and finished with 27 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists. But in the final quarter, James went scoreless with two assists and a single rebound, though he did block three shots. In the final minute, James clanked a three-point attempt, had his inbounds pass stolen by Jaden McDaniels and fouled Edwards with 10 seconds to go. Earlier, he even got his shot blocked by six-foot 37-year-old Mike Conley.

There's a reason that Redick is the first NBA coach in decades to play the whole second half without subs: It makes a team really tired. It's unbelievable that Redick couldn't find a few minutes for James and Doncic to sit, especially since the Lakers played only 42 hours earlier.

Perhaps Redick thought he could lean hard on his starters to even the series since the teams don't play again until Wednesday. But it's simply unreasonable to expect his players' performance not to drop without rest. Doncic shot 12-for-22 in the first three quarters and went 1-for-6 in the fourth quarter. He was also coming off a bout of severe food poisoning from two days earlier but barely sat.

Now the Lakers have an extra day to rest up before the series goes to L.A. Wednesday night, but they also have a 3-1 deficit. And Redick has learned a painful lesson.