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THE SHOCKING REASON JJ REDICK BENCHED DEANDRE AYTON FOR JAXSON HAYES
Jaxson Hayes shines as the Lakers stay perfect in the clutch! Discover how JJ Redick’s defensive tactics crushed the Grizzlies.
Lakers center Jaxson Hayes (11) and guard Luka Doncic (77) were all smiles after beating the Memphis Grizzlies. Hayes had a big role late, stepping in for Deandre Ayton in the fourth quarter.
With just over six minutes left, Lakers coach JJ Redick put Ayton back in at center, subbing out Hayes, who’d started the fourth. But that move didn’t last long. Less than a minute later, Redick swapped Hayes back in and left him out there the rest of the way.
Good call. When Hayes checked back in, the Lakers led by just one, 111-110. From there, they ripped off a 10-2 run, shutting down the Grizzlies—Memphis shot just 1-for-5 and coughed up the ball three times in that stretch. Game over.
Afterwards, Redick got asked why he stuck with Hayes, who played 23 minutes off the bench—his second-longest stint this season. Redick didn’t overthink it: “He was playing better.”
Lakers’ Defense Closes the Door
This win bumped the Lakers to 21-11, and, honestly, it couldn’t have come at a better time. They’d just lost four of their last five, so this could be the start of something better. The real story? The Lakers are now 11-0 in clutch games this season. That’s the secret sauce behind why they keep finding ways to win, and Redick, who doesn’t usually gush about defense, gave the credit there.
He said, “I don’t know what the updated numbers are, but our defense has been really good in the clutch. Down the stretch, once we got Jaxson back in, we executed a couple blitzes and got some turnovers.”
Numbers back it up. The Lakers rank No. 1 in clutch field-goal percentage allowed (just 34.1%), and they’re sixth in three-point percentage allowed (23.8%). They also lead the league in clutch defensive rating at 89.8. Redick pointed out how important it was to get the defense set in the halfcourt.
He said, “Just getting multiple stops in a row. I know they scored a bunch—20 fast-break points and 27 off our turnovers. In their early offense, they probably had 70 points. But when we set our defense, it was one of our better half-court games in a long time.”
Role Players Step Up Big
Redick also talked about the spark they got from Jake LaRavia and Marcus Smart, who started with Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura out. LaRavia dropped 21 points and grabbed nine boards. Smart added 13 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists. With those guys playing so well, the Lakers have some decisions to make at the trade deadline about Reaves and Hachimura.
The energy just felt better with those guys out there.
“It’s massive. It can’t just be one guy,” Redick said. “When guys like Smart, Vando, Jake, and Jaxson really embrace their roles and play with that energy, it’s huge for us.
“It might sound weird, but them playing like that actually takes pressure off LeBron, Luka, and AR when he’s back. It’s not like we’re telling those guys not to work hard on defense, but when that group is crashing, running, and playing tough, it means everything.”
REVIEW: WHY MATT LAFLEUR IS COUNTING ON VETERANS TO SAVE THE SEASON
Matt LaFleur rested starters in a 16-3 loss to the Vikings. We analyse the Packers' slump and life without Micah Parsons.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur stood on the sideline, watching as his team slogged through a rough second quarter against the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. It was January 4, 2026, and honestly, this game didn’t mean much for Green Bay. They’d already locked up their playoff spot, so LaFleur kept Jordan Love and several other starters on the bench. Instead, Clayton Tune got the nod at quarterback—a guy who’d been hanging out on the practice squad most of the year and only took a few snaps in Week 17.
Tune threw just 11 passes all game, completing six for 34 yards. Not exactly electric. The Vikings sacked him four times, so the Packers actually finished with negative passing yards. Yeah, minus 7. That pretty much sums up the afternoon.
The final score was 16-3, and the only reason Green Bay even got on the board was a late field goal they set up with a timeout. The run game looked a little better—they managed 128 yards on 35 carries, and that was without Josh Jacobs, who sat out too. Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs didn’t play either, whether because of injuries or just getting some rest. So, the Packers were missing a lot of firepower.
Here’s the bigger problem: for the second year in a row, the Packers are stumbling into the playoffs on a losing streak. Just a few weeks ago, after beating the Bears in Week 14, they were leading the NFC North and looking sharp. But then things unravelled—four straight losses, injuries piling up, and the worst of it was losing Micah Parsons to a torn ACL. He’s done till next season.
LaFleur isn’t pretending it’s all fine. He says the team has taken their lumps, but now it’s time to move on. “We’re in the dance,” he told reporters. “We’ve got to go on the road and play our best football from here.”
Nobody knows exactly who they’ll face in the first round, but LaFleur is counting on his veterans to remember what playoff football feels like. He wants them to step up when it matters most.
“You stick with what you believe in,” he said. “But everyone’s got to understand—the playoffs are different. There’s no next week if you lose. We need to play our best.”
Green Bay’s hoping that resting its stars will pay off. Whether it does, well, we’ll see soon enough.
“ LaFleur said, “Everything’s pretty fluid as we prep this week. It depends on when we actually play. But I thought practice went well—the guys who rested still got solid reps, first team offence versus first team defence. Physically, we’re in a good place.”
HOW MYLES GARRETT SURPASSED STRAHAN AND WATT FOR THE SACK RECORD
Myles Garrett makes history with his 23rd sack as Andre Szmyt’s 49-yard field goal lifts the Browns over the Bengals 20-18.
Myles Garrett waited until the last possible moment to break the NFL sack record, but it was Cleveland’s kicker who stole the show at the end. As the clock hit zero, Andre Szmyt nailed a 49-yard field goal to give the Browns a 20-18 win over the Bengals—a little redemption for Szmyt, who missed a short field goal and an extra point against Cincinnati way back in the season opener. This time, he delivered. On the other side, Bengals kicker Evan McPherson missed two extra points, which ended up costing his team the game.
Garrett’s big moment came with just over five minutes left. He burst up the middle, and Joe Burrow just slid to the ground—sack number 23 for Garrett. That put him past Michael Strahan and T.J. Watt for the single-season record. The Browns' bench cleared to celebrate with him, and the game paused while everyone soaked it in.
Cincinnati wasn’t done, though. Down 17-12 late, Burrow led the Bengals on a 61-yard drive and hit Ja’Marr Chase for a 4-yard touchdown, giving Cincinnati an 18-17 lead with 90 seconds left. Chase was his usual self—eight catches, 96 yards, and a score.
For Cleveland, rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders didn’t light up the stat sheet—just 111 yards on 11-of-22 passing—but he picked up his third win as a starter. The Browns closed out the season with back-to-back victories over AFC North rivals, even though their offense sputtered most of the day and they lost center Luke Wypler to a knee injury.
Burrow finished with 236 yards, three touchdowns, and an interception on 29-of-39 passing. Running back Chase Brown crossed the 1,000-yard mark for the first time and grabbed a touchdown as well, wrapping up a strong season with 72 yards on 13 carries.
Early on, it looked like Cincinnati would cruise. Burrow hit a wide-open Brown for a 4-yard touchdown after Cam Sample strip-sacked Sanders and Howard Cross recovered at the Cleveland 29. But the extra point got blocked, and that missed point loomed large later.
Cleveland’s defense made some noise, too. Devin Bush picked off Burrow and ran it back 97 yards for a score in the first quarter. Just a minute later, Sam Webb scooped up a fumble and sprinted 47 yards to the end zone. That gave the Browns a 14-6 lead.
Tee Higgins caught a 13-yard touchdown from Burrow just before halftime, and again, McPherson missed the extra point. It was that kind of day for Cincinnati.
The Browns lost their top corner, Denzel Ward, to a neck injury early on. He didn’t return.
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