Luka Doncic addressed the Lakers’ 135-117 loss to the Charlotte Hornets at Crypto.com Arena on Thursday, highlighting the impact of Charlotte’s hot shooting. “They made a lot of shots. We gave up a lot of offensive rebounds. They just hit what we call daggers. I think that was the game there,” Doncic said.
The star guard reflected on the team’s strong start and the abrupt shift. “We had a great start and then we just kind of fell off. I want to win every game. That doesn’t matter if we come from a loss or a win. I just want to win every game,” he said.
Doncic acknowledged the challenge of facing Charlotte’s young talent. “Charlotte has a lot of young great players. We saw them win some big games. LaMelo, Kon, Brandon, Bridges… they have a good young group. It’s hard to play against them. Obviously, the record isn’t the best, but they have some good wins,” he explained.
He also addressed the Lakers’ recent stretch. “Injuries happen, but we’ve lost eight out of our last 13 as a group. I’d say the way we play against Atlanta was a good example. We were playing fast and with physicality. That’s how we need to play,” Doncic said.
On LaMelo Ball’s second-half surge, which included 27 points and nine 3-pointers, Doncic noted, “Yeah, he hit some crazy shots. That’s what he does. We just couldn’t stop him when he got going in the second half.”
Doncic emphasized the balance Charlotte brought to the game. “They’re a team that can score in a lot of ways. Ball, Miller, Bridges… they all contributed. When they get hot like that, it’s tough to catch up,” he said.
Despite the loss, Doncic maintained focus on the bigger picture. “I just want to win every game. That’s the mentality we have to bring every night. Sometimes teams make shots, sometimes we don’t create enough advantages,” he said.
The Lakers struggled to match Charlotte’s shooting and depth, with Doncic leading the team with 39 points and six 3-pointers, while LeBron James added 29 points and nine rebounds. Los Angeles received just nine points from its bench and finished 4-for-19 from three-point range.
