Luka Doncic’s triple-double not enough to save LeBron-less Lakers in loss to Nets
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NEW YORK — The frustration was evident early. And it was hard to tell what was bothering the Lakers more — the missed shots or the perceived missed calls? Was it execution or exhaustion?
If it wasn’t one thing, it was the other, the Lakers losing 111-108 to the lottery-bound Brooklyn Nets, with tougher days over the next four weeks headed their way.
Playing without four of their regular rotation players because of injuries Monday night, the Lakers weren’t anywhere close to their best, shorthanded and disengaged mentally over the last three quarters.
“It was just an overall mentality just to take shortcuts tonight. We just wanted to take shortcuts,” coach JJ Redick said. “Too many. They scored 20 points on us gambling. They had 16 offensive rebounds. We ball-watched all night. We said no dare shots. ... they probably made six, seven uncontested threes. Just shortcuts.
“Want to be a good team? You want to win in the NBA? You gotta do the hard stuff. We couldn’t even pass to each other. We couldn’t enter our offense, running ball screens literally at half-court. Yeah, that’s going to end up in a turnover. I don’t know what we’re doing.”
Austin Reaves, counted on to take on more of an offensive role with LeBron James missing his first game because of a strained groin, never got it going. Alex Len and Trey Jemison III, the big men the Lakers have available while Jaxson Hayes deals with a bone bruise and swelling in his right knee, combined for only two points and five rebounds.
Video seems to show Lakers star LeBron James telling ex-Cavaliers teammate Richard Jefferson why he was upset with ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith over his Bronny comments.
And Luka Doncic, the engine the Lakers will need to push them through this brutal stretch of schedule, missed shots and looked toward the referees for whistles that never came. When he finally got his first one midway through the third quarter, he threw his hands into the air in celebration. When a later foul was ruled on the floor, wiping out a basket, he dismissively waved his hands in disbelief.
“It was a lot. It wasn’t fair,” Doncic said, acknowledging frustration with the officiating. “But we still got to still play the game. I got to keep playing the game.
“But it was a lot.”
Needing a stop deep in the fourth quarter, the Lakers forced D’Angelo Russell into a miss, but the possession ended with Jarred Vanderbilt pushed to the floor and Ziaire Williams grabbing the rebound and scoring.
Doncic needed 26 shots for his 22 points to go with 12 rebounds and 12 assists. Reaves missed 11 of 14 shots in scoring 17 points with 10 assists and eight rebounds.
“I’ve gotta be better,” Reaves said. “Yeah, I mean, we’ll start there with me.”
Gabe Vincent and Dalton Knecht, filling in with the starters, scored 24 and 19 points respectively, and Jordan Goodwin had 17 off the bench, but the Lakers never executed well enough on either end.
Brooklyn shot five more threes and 11 more free throws, the Lakers (40-23) attempting only two free throws in the first half.
It was one of the few games the Lakers have this month against a team out of the playoff picture. They finish their four-game trip against Milwaukee and Denver on Thursday and Friday before coming back to Los Angeles for five games in seven nights.
Before the game, Redick said James’ injured groin still was being evaluated and the team didn’t have a clear sense of the severity. Hayes is considered day to day, though he likely could miss more games. Rui Hachimura, who is working toward a return from his knee injury, isn’t set for a reevaluation until the Lakers return to L.A. And Dorian Finney-Smith wasn’t available because of issues with his left ankle.
It meant the Lakers started Len at center alongside Knecht, Vincent, Reaves and Doncic — hardly a group with real on-court chemistry.
The Lakers turned the ball over 15 times, leading to 19 Brooklyn points. They stayed in the game because of Vincent and Goodwin, who made 11 of the Lakers’ 19 threes.
The turnovers came in all varieties but often stemmed from Brooklyn flying two defenders at Doncic and Reaves. Redick said it’s a simple fix: The Lakers simply must pass to the open man and play “advantage basketball,” but a lack of communication kept that from happening.
“That was important,” Doncic said. “That’s my fault and we should have done better at that.”
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