Doncic demands renewed focus after a frustrating loss.
The Los Angeles Lakers dropped another frustrating game on Thursday night, falling 135-117 to the Charlotte Hornets at Crypto.com Arena, and star guard Luka Doncic shared his mindset on how the team needs to respond moving forward.
Despite a strong first quarter where Doncic looked dominant, the Lakers collapsed in the second half and watched as LaMelo Ball exploded for 27 of his 30 points after halftime while tying his career high with nine three-pointers.
The loss drops Los Angeles to 24-15 on the season and marks their fourth defeat in the last five games, which has fans and analysts questioning what has gone wrong with a team that looked so promising earlier in the year.
Doncic's Recipe for Bouncing Back
After the game, Doncic made it clear that his approach doesn't change whether the team is coming off a win or a loss.
"I want to win every game! So, that doesn't matter if we come from a loss or a win," Doncic said. "So, I just want to win every game... But obviously, we gotta play like that, playing fast, playing with physicality, and I think Atlanta was a good example for us."
Doncic's comments reference the Lakers' blowout 141-116 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, where the team looked like a completely different squad and played with energy and purpose on both ends of the floor.
That performance showed what Los Angeles is capable of when everyone is locked in, but the effort simply didn't carry over against Charlotte.
How the Hornets Beat the Lakers
The Hornets came into Thursday's matchup with a 14-26 record, and many expected the Lakers to cruise to an easy win at home.
Los Angeles actually led by as many as 13 points in the first quarter and held a nine-point edge heading into the second period, but everything fell apart from there.
Charlotte outscored the Lakers 34-16 in the second quarter to flip the game completely, and Ball caught fire in the second half with eight three-pointers that put the game out of reach.
The Lakers allowed Charlotte to shoot 54.3 percent from the field and 46.5 percent from three-point range for the game, and they were outrebounded 50-35, which highlights the defensive issues that have plagued them during this rough stretch.
Why the Lakers Keep Losing
Los Angeles has now lost four of their last five games after dropping a frustrating loss to the Sacramento Kings earlier in the week.
The defense has been the main problem, as teams with athletic wings and outside shooting have been torching them consistently, and the bench has provided almost no support with just nine points on 4-for-19 shooting against Charlotte.
Doncic did everything he could with 39 points on the night, including six three-pointers, and LeBron James added 29 points with nine rebounds and six assists.
But the Lakers need more help from the rest of their roster, and their injury issues with Austin Reaves still sidelined have made it difficult to find consistent production from the supporting cast.
The Lakers will look to get back on track Saturday when they travel to face the Portland Trail Blazers, and Doncic's message is simple: play fast, play physical, and bring the same energy they showed against Atlanta every single night.