Luka Doncic Takes Responsibility for Lakers’ Disappointing Loss to Hornets
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers headed into NBA All-Star Weekend as one of the league’s hottest teams, having won 10 of their last 12 games.
However, on Wednesday, the Lakers appeared to still be in vacation mode, suffering a 100-97 defeat to LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets.
Luka Doncic played in his third game with Los Angeles since the significant trade a few weeks ago, leaving his record at 1-2. The Slovenian star is still adjusting to his new team and shaking off rust from a month-long calf injury recovery.
Doncic finished the game with 14 points on 5-of-18 shooting, 11 rebounds, eight assists, and six turnovers, while LeBron added 26 points.
After the game, Doncic addressed the media during a postgame press conference. When asked about the loss, Doncic took responsibility, pointing to his 13 missed shots as a major factor.
“I think it was good,” Doncic said. “Obviously, like I say, I’m going to need a little time just to adjust to everything. But I think it was fine today. We had some good opportunities to make shots, but we didn’t make any, especially me. Just need a little more time to get used to it.”
Through his first three games with the Lakers, Doncic has struggled to find his rhythm, averaging 14.67 points on 35.6% shooting, 5.3 assists, and 6.7 rebounds. However, he was on a minutes restriction during the first two games, limiting him to just 47 total minutes of play.
The Lakers (32-21) will have an opportunity to recover on Thursday, facing another struggling team, the Portland Trail Blazers (23-31). After that, they will finish the weekend with a matchup against the Denver Nuggets on Sunday before beginning a six-game homestand.
