The Los Angeles Lakers faced a challenging night against the Brooklyn Nets, succumbing to a 112-106 defeat, as injuries sidelined key players, including LeBron James. The Lakers, missing three starters, struggled to maintain their early lead at the Barclays Center. This loss marks their second consecutive defeat, leaving them precariously just half a game ahead of Memphis for the third spot in the Western Conference standings.
LeBron James's absence loomed large, with the star player expected to be out for at least one to two weeks due to a groin injury. Despite this setback, the Lakers initially took control of the game, leading by as many as 15 points. However, the Nets quickly clamped down on defense, holding the Lakers to a mere 16 points in the first quarter on 31.6% shooting.
Luka Doncic delivered a noteworthy performance, recording his second triple-double as a Laker with 22 points, 12 assists, and 12 rebounds. Despite these numbers, Doncic struggled with efficiency, shooting just 8-for-26 from the field and committing five turnovers.
"You want to win in the NBA? You got to 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," said Luka Doncic after the game.
Austin Reaves also came close to a triple-double with 17 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds. However, he faced similar shooting woes, hitting only 3-for-14 from the field. Reaves acknowledged the need for improvement in his performance.
"Everybody's got to buy in to helping the team be successful," Reaves stated. "And like I've said two or three times already, I've got to be better. I mean, we'll start there with me. I got to be better."
Gabe Vincent stepped up in the starting lineup, contributing significantly with 24 points on an efficient 8-for-12 shooting and an impressive 6-of-9 from beyond the arc. Dalton Knecht and rookie Jordan Goodwin provided valuable scoring off the bench with 19 and 17 points, respectively.
Despite these individual efforts, Coach JJ Redick expressed his frustration with the team's lack of communication and cohesion on the court.
"I think it was a very low-level communication game for our team," remarked Redick.
Redick's dissatisfaction was palpable as he planned an unusual practice session before their upcoming game against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Lakers face a grueling schedule ahead with six games over eight days, including a back-to-back in Milwaukee and a challenging encounter in Denver later in the week.
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