As the Los Angeles Lakers prepare for a tough Western Conference semifinals matchup against the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder, head coach JJ Redick is making a key strategic shift. Redick, who has led the Lakers to back-to-back 50-win seasons and a first-round playoff victory over the Houston Rockets, knows that to compete with the Thunder, he must change his timeout philosophy.

"They're really good at runs," Redick said during a Monday media session. "Part of that is how good their defense is, their ability to create turnovers. The live-ball turnovers really kill you."

Redick admitted that he typically likes to hoard his timeouts, often saving them for the final moments of the game. "I like going into the fourth quarter with four timeouts, I like having two in the last 30 seconds," he explained. "I don't think you have the luxury of worrying about that because the games get away from you so quick."

It's a lesson learned the hard way. The Lakers lost all four regular-season meetings with the Thunder, three of them by at least 29 points. Oklahoma City dominated on both ends, finishing first in defensive rating and points off turnovers per game, while also boasting an incredible 11.1 net rating.

For Los Angeles to have a chance, Redick must be quick to call timeouts when the Thunder go on a scoring spurt, limit live-ball turnovers, and score immediately out of those breaks. It's a small adjustment, but in a series against a juggernaut, every second counts.