Luka Dončić and the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t have much luck in their NBA matchup against the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers made it interesting in the closing minutes, but the Warriors came up victorious, winning 123-116.
Among those who struggled was Dončić, who finished with 19 points on 6-for-17 shooting from the field. As LeBron James’ running mate, Dončić was expected to be better than this.
JJ Redick’s Gets Honest on Luka Dončić’s Struggles
While talking with reporters after the game, Redick summarized Dončić’s night in four words.
“It wasn’t his night,” Redick said, per USA Today’s James H. Williams.
Part of the Warriors’ strategy to beat the Lakers was trying to take Dončić out of his rhythm, which they succeeded in doing. While other players like James, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura played well, Dončić didn’t hold up his end.
Needless to say, the Lakers will need better performances from him from here on out. For them to have any chance at a deep playoff run, Dončić has to look like the player who took the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals last season.
Just Not Dončić’s Night
As Redick said, it just wasn’t the Lakers’ star’s night. He is typically capable of doing much more damage, but Dončić will have to figure out how to play better against teams that boast of excellent defense like the Warriors do.
At this point in the season, the Lakers also can’t afford to drop any more games, especially with the Warriors right behind them. The Lakers are exactly one game ahead of the Warriors in the standings, as they rank as the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds in the Western Conference.
However, if that’s where both teams finish when the season is over, that would make for quite an epic first-round series. Not only would it be the sixth round of James vs. Stephen Curry, but it would also feature two teams whose seasons were saved by the mid-season trades they made.
What could ultimately determine a series like that between them is, in fact, how Dončić performs. His playoff resume is already pretty impressive, but teams like the Warriors will try to slow him down, and they will pick on him on defense.
Dončić got the lion’s share of the blame when the Boston Celtics beat the Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals. If he doesn’t show any improvement from the flaws in his game, he might get it again if and when the Lakers are eliminated.