Luka Doncic has been carrying a significant load for the Los Angeles Lakers as several key players remain sidelined due to injuries. In Wednesday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs, both Austin Reaves and LeBron James were unavailable. Reaves is expected to miss at least a month with a calf injury, while James was ruled out because of left foot joint arthritis and sciatica.
Despite keeping pace with the Spurs in the first half, the Lakers struggled after halftime and ultimately lost 107-91. Doncic recorded a triple-double with 38 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. After the game, he expressed pride in his teammates’ effort. “I would say like JJ said after the game, obviously we hate losing but I’m really proud of every guy that stepped on the floor. I thought we fought really hard, obviously we were down LeBron which makes it hard to compete. I think everybody that left the court today should be feeling proud,” Doncic said via Spectrum SportsNet.
Doncic also reflected on areas where he felt improvement was needed: “I still thought I should’ve been way better than this. Missed free throws, turnovers. I thought we had some great looks too, we couldn’t knock them down.” The Spurs’ defense proved challenging for Doncic, who committed seven turnovers during the game. He made 10 of his 16 free throw attempts; as a team, the Lakers shot 14-of-22 from the line.
Given their depleted roster and playing on consecutive nights, observers noted it was difficult to fault the Lakers for dropping this contest against San Antonio. The team will look to regroup ahead of their next matchup when they host the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday.
Doncic also spoke about his experience playing alongside LeBron James this season, noting that he has learned much from his veteran teammate in less than a year together.