Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23).
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23)
The Los Angeles Lakers’ recent slide continued Saturday night with a 103-88 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, a result that dropped them to 19-8 on the season and marked their fourth loss in the last eight games. Short-handed and forced to adjust early, Los Angeles struggled to generate consistent offense against its city rival in a game.
LeBron James led the Lakers with 36 points on 15-of-28 shooting, adding four rebounds, three assists, and two steals, but his performance was not enough to compensate for multiple absences. Los Angeles played without Rui Hachimura, who was ruled out with right groin soreness, and Austin Reaves, who missed his third consecutive game due to a mild left calf strain.
The Lakers’ situation worsened in the first half when Luka Doncic exited after suffering a left leg contusion. The team announced at halftime that Doncic had been ruled out for the remainder of the game. He finished with 12 points, five rebounds, and two assists in 20 minutes.
Los Angeles Lakers forward Lebron James (23). — Source: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Following the loss, head coach JJ Redick was asked about the game’s officiating and expressed frustration with what he described as inconsistent officiating and a lack of feedback when the team attempts to communicate with referees.
“The consistency needs to be addressed,” Redick said. “I keep asking the league to please reach out to me and respond. I don’t get any response from the league. Nobody reaches out to me. The definitions just get changed every single night.”
James echoed those sentiments when asked about the officiating, offering a brief assessment of his own. “There isn’t any consistency,” James said. “It is what it is.”
The Lakers now turn their attention to Tuesday’s matchup against the Phoenix Suns and will be forced to rely on James if Doncic remains sidelined. James, who turns 41 on Dec. 30, is averaging 18.6 points, 7.5 assists, and 5.8 rebounds in 10 games.