The Los Angeles Lakers had a nightmare outing on Christmas; the Houston Rockets demolished them 119-96. This is the third consecutive loss for LA, and alarm bells are starting to sound. Having dealt with criticism in recent weeks, Luka Doncic accepted blame after the loss while discussing the path forward.
Head Coach JJ Redick promised that players would be uncomfortable when the performance is discussed later. And Doncic echoed his coach’s thoughts, reiterating that the team needs to do better. Luka also addressed the Lakers’ defensive issues while talking to the media.
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“I don’t know what needs to change, but something definitely needs to change. I think we’ve blown out the last two leads. Definitely looks like terrible, but we’ll figure it out,” Doncic said in his press conference.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic shoots against Houston Rockets center Steven Adams. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
“That’s the team we have; we just have to talk about it. Everybody’s got to talk about it, as JJ said it would be uncomfortable, or I hope so, as it should be. As I said, we’re going to talk about it, probably going to be uncomfortable, but everybody has to give better effort, starting with me.”
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The Lakers’ roster is terribly constructed; they have a glut of issues that aren’t limited to Doncic. It’s good that Luka is taking accountability; he can and should be playing better. But if the team is to arrest its decline and genuinely make a deep playoff run, some big changes likely must be made.
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