Phoenix, Ariz. — Luka Doncic said the Los Angeles Lakers must approach the rest of the schedule “game by game” after a last-second 114-111 defeat to the short-handed Phoenix Suns on Thursday night, the club’s third consecutive loss and fifth in the last seven games.
Doncic delivered 41 points on 12-for-21 shooting, adding eight rebounds and eight assists at Mortgage Matchup Center, but the Lakers could not overcome a Suns lineup missing Dillon Brooks and Devin Booker. Phoenix pulled ahead when forward Royce O’Neale sank a corner three-pointer in the closing seconds.
The loss dropped Los Angeles to 34-24, solidly sixth in the Western Conference and one game ahead of Phoenix. The Lakers are 1-3 since play resumed after the All-Star break and sit three games behind the third-place Houston Rockets.
“Just go game by game, try to win every game,” Doncic told reporters, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “Obviously we didn’t start good out of the All-Star break, but nothing is over. We just got to keep bringing the mindset of trying to win every game.”
Late-game execution, once a strength, has faltered for Los Angeles. Thursday marked the second straight contest decided in the final moments, both ending in defeats.
The schedule offers little respite. The Lakers visit the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night to close out February.
Head coach JJ Redick noted that the franchise’s profile amplifies each setback. “Our losses are louder because we’re the Lakers,” he said, while commending the roster’s ability to rebound after rough nights.
Source: LakersNation.com
