Why didn't Lakers make a second half substitution? JJ Redick makes dubious history in Game 4 loss to Timberwolves

Yet another Lakers-Timberwolves postseason matchup came down to the wire. 

Game 4 of Los Angeles and Minnesota's first-round clash proved an epic duel, with both prizefighters landing punishing haymakers beneath the glint Target Center spotlight. The Timberwolves held on in the end, fueled by standout showings by Anthony Edwards, Julius Randle and a host of Minnesota's role players.

Meanwhile, the Lakers struggled to maintain the pace it set for itself in an impressive third quarter, appearing felled by ill-timed fatigue that swept over their close-out unit like a show.

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The result of such a phenomenon? A 116-113 loss, one that puts LeBron James, Luka Doncic and Co. in a 3-1 series hole. Head coach JJ Redick made the curious decision to not make a single substitution in the game's final 24 minutes. The choice appeared to backfire, with the Timberwolves appearing the fresher side during crunch time.

So, why did Redick opt for such an unconventional strategy? Here's what you need to know.

Lakers don't substitute in second half 

The Lakers and Timberwolves displayed different tactical ideologies in the final frame of Sunday's affair, with Los Angeles entrusting James, Doncic, Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and Dorian Finney-Smith with finishing off Minnesota. They did a good job up to that point; fueled by James, Doncic and Co.'s contributions in the third quarter, the Lakers built up a 12-point advantage.

Chris Finch's side, meanwhile, employed a more holistic approach to its rotations in the final few quarters. The Timberwolves enlisted an amalgam of bench options to relieve pressure from their starting corps, with Naz Reid and Donte DiVincenzo logging heavy minutes as the match dwindled to its conclusion.

Finch's substitutions seemed to win out in the end; Edwards led the way with a masterful fourth-quarter outburst adorned by stepback triples and no-look dimes. But Reid and DiVincenzo were impactful in their own right, combining for 20 points, six rebounds and four assists between them while splashing decisive baskets in crunch time.

Minnesota was rewarded for its faith in its bench mob; Reid set up Jaden McDaniels for his go-ahead and-one with 39.1 seconds left. Meanwhile, Los Angeles limped through the final frame, surrendering 32 points in the fourth while only tallying 19.

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Redick's decision to not make ascend-half substitution was a historic one; he became the first coach in the play-by-play era (since 1996-97) to keep a lineup on the floor for an entire half, per NBA stats guru Keerthika Ulthayakumar.

James alone played the last 37:46 of Sunday's match. Doncic played the final 33:49.

Redick's decision to spurn the bench had the basketball world talking.

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.

Doncic was firm that fatigue wasn't a factor in Los Angeles' fourth-quarter meltdown.

"This is the playoffs," Doncic said. "Fatigue shouldn't play any role."

Redick explained his move to keep his starters on the floor during his post-game presser. He told reporters that he didn't intend to play that five-man unit for the whole of the second-half. But James, Doncic, Reaves, Hachimura and Finney-Smith didn't express any desire to come out of the contest.

"We certainly played well enough to win, and we gave the effort to win," Redick said. "[I] asked them at the beginning of the fourth quarter, told them we had two extra timeouts, if you need a sub let us know. Those guys gave a lot."

Lakers second half lineup

The Lakers' five-man second-half unit consisted of James, Doncic, Reaves, Hachimura and Finney-Smith. The lineup proved effective at creating gaps for its creators — namely James and Doncic — to operate. But that didn't necessarily result in baskets; James and Doncic got theirs, combining for a healthy 65 points across the 48-minute affair. But Finney-Smith's three-pointer wasn't firing. And Reaves was largely relegated to a three-point shooting role — 12 of his 14 shots attempts came from beyond the arc.

Lakers vs. Timberwolves stats

The final line told the story of the Lakers and Timberwolves' Game 4 duel. James, Doncic, Reaves, Hachimura and Finney-Smith combined for 111 of Los Angeles' 113 points, 21 points more than what Minnesota's staring lineup produced. But the Lakers' five did so across 209 combined minutes — an average of nearly 42 a player.

Minnesota, meanwhile, recouped 25 bench points, 19 more than L.A. DiVincenzo logged 29 minutes, while Reid tallied 20. Nickeil Alexander-Walker even got 12 minutes of game time, scoring five points in that span.

Lakers vs. Timberwolves fourth quarter stats

LeBron James most playoff minutes played

James has his fair share of 40+ minute postseason games. Since his playoff debut in 2006, James has tallied 205 such outings. Still, his 46-minute display on Sunday was out of the ordinary, even by his standards; it's the joint-sixth most minutes he's played in a playoff game. If we take out overtime games, it's the joint-third highest-minutes tally he's posted in the postseason, two minutes short of his regulation-high 48, which he's recorded on nine separate occasion.

It'll take some serious doing to surpass his career-high in playoff minutes; he netted 53 minutes in a Game 6 overtime win against the Wizards back in 2006.

Oldest players to play 46+ minutes in playoff game

Unsurprisingly, James is one of the oldest players to play 46+ minutes in a postseason game. In fact, he ranks second on the list, trailing only Karl Malone, who tallied 47 minutes in a 92-88 win over the Rockets back in 2004.