Luka Doncic did not push back against the blunt message delivered by his head coach after the Los Angeles Lakers were routed 119-96 by the Houston Rockets on Christmas night at crypto.com Arena.
After Lakers coach JJ Redick told his team “we don’t care enough right now,” Doncic acknowledged the criticism and said changes are unavoidable. “I don’t know what have to change, but definitely something needs to change,” Doncic said.
The Lakers dropped their third straight game and fell to 4-6 in December, a stretch Doncic described in stark terms. “Definitely looks like terrible,” he said. “But we got to figure out that’s the thing we have.”
Doncic stressed that internal dialogue must happen quickly. “That’s what we just got to talk about it,” he said. “Everybody got to talk about it.”
Asked whether uncomfortable moments are necessary for growth, Doncic leaned into the idea rather than avoiding it. “We’re definitely going through it right now,” he said. “You got to go through bad to became great.”
The loss exposed familiar issues on the defensive end and on the glass, where Houston dominated 48-25. “Everybody got to give better effort,” Doncic said. “Starting with me.”
The All-NBA guard said the current stretch has tested his leadership approach. “I think we just got to challenge everybody,” Doncic said. “There’s no way we should be play like this.”
When discussing defensive lineups that include himself, LeBron James and Austin Reaves, Doncic emphasized collective responsibility. “Five now on the floor needs to be locked in,” he said. “It’s going to take all five to be great.”
Reaves exited at halftime with a sore left calf, and Doncic said he spoke with his teammate after the game. “He just said he don’t know,” Doncic said. “He’ll have an MRI.”
Having dealt with a calf injury himself, Doncic offered a clear message. “Calves are dangerous, so take your time,” he said. “Just be there to support him.”
On the floor, Doncic finished with 25 points, seven assists and six turnovers as Houston’s pressure disrupted Los Angeles throughout the night. The Rockets led wire to wire and opened the third quarter with an 18-5 run that broke the game open.
Amen Thompson scored 26 points for Houston, while Kevin Durant added 25 points and nine assists in the win.
For Doncic, the focus remained inward rather than on the opponent or the calendar. “Everybody got to challenge first each other,” he said. “Then teammates. We just got to be better than that.”
