Guilty Luka Doncic Sends Strong Message to Lakers After Realising What He Shouldn’t Do With LeBron James

LeBron James was back in action after missing seven games, teaming up with Luka Doncic for the second straight matchup on Monday. But the Lakers still couldn’t turn things around, suffering yet another loss—just like they did in their previous game. It seems like yesterday they had that 8 game win streak going on. But with only 11 games remaining the Lakers look far from what they were before an injury bug run rampant.

The Orlando Magic finally ended their home-court struggles, snapping a six-game losing streak at the Kia Center with a 118-106 win. Doncic and LeBron both put up 24-plus points, but it didn’t change the Lakers’ recent trend of disappointment. They’ve now dropped seven of their last 10, and this one had real consequences. The loss knocked them down to 43-28, dropping them into a fourth-place tie with Memphis while falling a half-game behind Denver in the West standings.

The problem? Defensive intensity. Doncic in the post game conference emphasized the need for his team to rediscover their defensive intensity. When asked about the team’s recent struggles on that end of the floor, the 5x All-Star pointed to their previous success as a blueprint for getting back on track.

“I think we just got to look back at the way we played during that eight-game winning streak,” Doncic said post-game. “You know, we were physical, we played a hell of a hell of a defense. I think we just got a little bit satisfied, so we can’t—we can’t afford that right now.”

The Slovenian’s comments reflect the team’s urgency to tighten up defensively as they fight for positioning in a crowded Western Conference playoff race. But Doncic didn’t shy away from accountability, admitting he needs to be more vocal alongside the 21x All-Star. Recognizing a key issue during the game, Doncic acknowledged that stepping back in leadership isn’t an option when sharing the floor with a player of the 4x MVP’s caliber.

“Honestly, I think it shouldn’t be just one person, it should be everybody,” Doncic said when asked who should take charge in shifting momentum. “Obviously now, it’s going to be everybody, but I think me and Bron, I think we should be the guys, you know, to do that. And, uh, that’s on me.”

Feeling the weight of responsibility, Doncic admitted he fell short in keeping his voice active throughout the game. “Obviously, I got to do better. I got to talk more. I think I talked in the first half, uh, then just kind of voiced down. And I shouldn’t do that,” he said.

His admission of guilt makes it clear—Dončić knows that when playing next to LeBron, he can’t afford to go quiet.

This is a developing story…

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