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Magic Johnson Questions Lakers’ Odd Game 4 Decision

Originally posted on Ball Exclusives | By James Parker | Last updated Apr 28, 2025 5:25 PM ET

Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson has been very active on social media for years, making mostly unbiased and honest predictions and evaluations about the current state of the NBA. One glance at Johnson’s profile on X makes it very clear that he still has a deep love for the league and still enjoys watching.

As a former Laker, he still roots for the purple and gold. Following L.A.’s Game 4 loss on Sunday, Johnson took to X with confusion about an unexpected coaching decision during the game.

For the entire duration of the second half, Lakers head coach JJ Redick didn’t make a single substitution, leaving the same five players on the court for all 24 minutes.

I dont know if it smart to play LeBron and Luka the entire second half after only having one day of rest between Games 3 and 4. When we needed LeBron to take over in the fourth quarter he couldn’t – he scored 0 points in the fourth.

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) April 27, 2025

“I dont know if it smart to play LeBron and Luka the entire second half after only having one day of rest between Games 3 and 4,” Johnson posted. “When we needed LeBron to take over in the fourth quarter he couldn’t — he scored 0 points in the fourth.”

The Lakers fell to a 1-3 deficit after the loss and Redick’s decision has been under heavy criticism since.

Lakers star LeBron James, who is the oldest player in the NBA at 40, was one of the five players that played the entire second half on Sunday.

He finished with 27 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, but went scoreless in the fourth quarter.

Los Angeles must now win three straight games against Minnesota in order to avoid a first-round elimination.

This article first appeared on Ball Exclusives and was syndicated with permission.

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