TITLE: Doncic Urges Lakers to Fix Defensive Lapses After Cup Exit
SLUG: doncic-says-lakers-must-fix-defense-quickly
CONTENT:
Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic called for immediate defensive improvements after Wednesday’s 127-113 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinal at Crypto.com Arena.
Facing a Spurs lineup missing its top scorer, the Lakers surrendered 10 three-pointers in the first half and trailed by double digits the rest of the night. “They were just going downhill, drive and kick. They scored,” Doncic said postgame. “Each one of us has gotta guard better and not let your guy drive that way.”
Doncic finished with 35 points and eight assists, but offense was not his focus. He praised the energy of recently returned guard Marcus Smart, who sparked the bench with on-court communication. “When he guards, when he talks to us, we listen,” Doncic explained. “We’ve got to see what he’s doing and try to be better on the defensive end.”
Despite the setback, Los Angeles sits at 17-7. The four-time All-Star stressed the urgency of correcting mistakes before they become a larger issue. “It’s 82 games, so we have time, but we need to figure it out pretty quickly,” he said.
Front-office help may not arrive soon. One rumored target, Herb Jones of the New Orleans Pelicans, is reportedly unavailable, leaving internal improvement as the Lakers’ most immediate path forward.
Source: Lakers Nation
