TITLE: Luka Doncic Blames Energy Drop for Lakers’ 135-117 Defeat to Hornets
SLUG: luka-doncic-blames-energy-drop-hornets-defeat
CONTENT:
The Los Angeles Lakers followed a spirited victory over the Atlanta Hawks with a flat performance 24 hours later, falling 135-117 to the Charlotte Hornets on Jan. 15, 2026, at Crypto.com Arena.
Guard Luka Doncic delivered 39 points on 15-for-26 shooting, but his offensive outburst could not offset the Lakers’ defensive struggles. Charlotte erupted in the second half, spearheaded by LaMelo Ball’s 27 points—all from beyond the arc—to hand Los Angeles its latest setback in an up-and-down month.
Doncic: Lakers “told on ourselves” after Atlanta win
Asked whether opponents raise their level against the Lakers, Doncic acknowledged Charlotte’s young talent—citing Ball, Kon Knueppel, Brandon Miller, and Miles Bridges—but focused on his own club’s effort.
“Maybe yes, maybe no,” Doncic said of teams targeting L.A. “Charlotte has a lot of young, great players … but the way we played against Atlanta, it was a back-to-back too, so we told on ourselves. We’ve got to play like that—play fast, move, physicality.”
Los Angeles had beaten the Hawks less than a day earlier while responding to an embarrassing loss to the Sacramento Kings. That urgency vanished against Charlotte, whose barrage of three-pointers buried the Lakers after halftime.
Injuries and defensive lapses compound problems
The Lakers remain without Austin Reaves (calf), increasing Doncic’s workload. The All-Star guard, already nursing a groin issue, admitted the injury “was a little bit worse” following the win in Atlanta but has continued to play.
With Los Angeles unable to generate stops at a league-average rate, head coach Darvin Ham’s group now searches for consistency ahead of Saturday’s meeting with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Source: LakersNation.com
