The Los Angeles Lakers were handed a powerful defeat at the hands of the Orlando Magic. This devastating loss forced the squad to regroup, rethink and refocus. It was a brutal loss for the Lakers, who now find themselves 3-7 in their last ten games. They’ve been bludgeoned on the scoreboard, losing by an average of 15.7 points. Offensively and defensively, the Lakers encountered significant challenges in the third quarter against Orlando. This political burden was the key part in their demise.
As Dorian Finney-Smith noted, the toll that the Lakers’ offensive struggles took on their defensive effort was palpable.
"We let our offense mess with our defensive energy." – Dorian Finney-Smith
Luka Doncic and LeBron James, the two best players on the Lakers’ roster, decided to take blame for the team’s disappointing start. That the 21 points Doncic put up in the first two quarters against the Magic were below normal. His second half performance was especially concerning, as he scored only 11 points during that stretch. Looking back at his Game 1 performance, Doncic admitted that he had to do better.
"That's on me. Obviously, I've got to do better, I've got to talk more. I talked in the first half, then just kind of [let my] voice down and I shouldn't do that." – Luka Doncic
Doncic further commented on the team's mindset, noting a sense of complacency that needs addressing as they prepare for the upcoming challenges.
"I think we just got a little bit satisfied. We can't afford that right now." – Luka Doncic
In all, the Lakers have seven road games left on their schedule. You know, in addition to three straight sets on their schedule, they’re hungry to get things going as the postseason looms. The side is hoping to restore their bad early season magic and get them legs going feeling good ahead of these important upcoming matches.
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