Luka Doncic returned from All-Star weekend with a short reset and a clear focus as the Los Angeles Lakers prepare for the final stretch of the 2025-26 season.
“It was good, very short, two days, but it was good to be off the mic,” Doncic said after Thursday’s practice.
The six-time All-Star logged limited minutes during the exhibition. “Five minutes,” he said. “Yeah, I was a minute to six.”
Los Angeles enters Friday’s game against the LA Clippers at 33-21, fifth in the Western Conference.
Doncic believes the defensive shift has produced results.
“It was definitely getting better,” he said. “The numbers are getting up. So we just got to continue to work like that.”
When asked about the viability of zone defense in the postseason, he added: “I think it definitely could be. I think it slows down the game a little bit especially against first teams, so it kind of slows the game down, but I think it’s been going great for us.”
The 26-year-old guard is averaging 32.8 points, 8.6 assists and 7.8 rebounds while shooting 47.3% from the field across 42 games. His usage drives the offense, but he kept the formula simple when discussing the closing months.
“You’ve got to play good,” Doncic said. “You’ve got to score some buckets, play defense, and win games.”
The Lakers are 18-11 on the road and 15-10 at home. Their remaining schedule includes matchups against Boston, Denver and Oklahoma City, all currently above them in the standings.
Practice time has been limited due to the condensed calendar.
“I’ve only got one practice, so you’re not gonna get a lot out of one practice,” Doncic said. “But we’re definitely good, you know, like to get up and down a little bit after what, one week off, so we’re good.”
He also addressed the re-integration of Austin Reaves, who missed time due to an injury.
“He’s been great in practice today,” Doncic said. “He’s finding himself, you know, he only played four games with us. So, obviously, he’s not going to fit in right, right away. Obviously, he needs some time. But, you know, I think practice, one, two, three, you know, I always think he goes in. So, it’s kind of great to see that.”
Doncic was asked directly about his availability for Friday.
“Probably, we’ll see,” he said. “I’ve got to talk to people.”
He also touched on All-Star fan engagement events.
“It was fun,” Doncic said. “Got a lot of people to come out, you know, fans can be together. So it was a lot of fun to bring the fans together.”
As the Lakers chase positioning in a competitive West, their lead playmaker framed the objective in direct terms.
“You’ve got to score some buckets, play defense, and win games.”
