Luka Doncic spoke candidly after the Los Angeles Lakers fell 107-91 to the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday, emphasizing pride in his team’s effort despite missing key players.
“Obviously we hate losing, but I’m really proud of every guy to step on the floor. I think we fought very hard,” Doncic said. “We’re down LeBron, which is hard to compete with that. I think everybody that left the court today should be feeling proud.”
On his individual performance, Luka reflected on both successes and mistakes: “I think I still should have done way better than this. Missed free throws, turnovers… We had some great looks too. We could have knocked them down, but we didn’t.”
He acknowledged the team’s resilience in a game where they stayed competitive until the final minutes: “It shows today. We play hard. We’re in the game most of the game away against San Antonio, which is a great team. The process has been great.”
Regarding his growth and global recognition, Doncic addressed leading the All-Star voting: “Honestly, it’s pretty amazing. A kid from Slovenia, you can only dream about being in the NBA. I really appreciate all the votes.”
Luka also commented on his relationship with former draft-night peer Trae Young, traded to Washington: “We came together, we got traded for each other. We have a good relationship, a lot of respect for him. If he’s excited for this new journey, I’m excited for him.”
Discussing leadership on the court, he emphasized communication and team cohesion: “I think every loss we’ve had this year has been by double digits, but tonight we stayed in it. We’re working on ourselves and getting better every game.”
The Lakers relied heavily on Doncic, who finished with 38 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, marking his 86th career regular-season triple-double, seventh all-time in NBA history. Jake LaRavia added 16 points and Jaxson Hayes scored 10 in the absence of LeBron James, Austin Reaves, and Rui Hachimura.
San Antonio dominated despite poor three-point shooting, with Keldon Johnson scoring 27 points and Victor Wembanyama contributing 16 points and 14 rebounds. De’Aaron Fox added 14 points and Stephon Castle 15, helping the Spurs secure second place in the Western Conference.
The Lakers will host Milwaukee on Friday, while the Spurs travel to Boston on Saturday.
