Lakers’ LeBron James Sends Blunt Message About Luka Doncic

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LeBron James and Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers talk during the third quarter of a game against the Utah Jazz.

The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Orlando Magic 110-109 on Tuesday night.

The game came down to the final possession. LeBron James inbounded the ball to Luka Doncic, who passed up an open three-pointer. The play broke down. James ended up taking an off-balance fadeaway three that missed at the buzzer.

After the game, James addressed what went wrong.

What LeBron Said About the Final Play

GettyLeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers.

James was asked to explain what happened on the final possession.

“Obviously, you have to ask Luka what he saw on that,” James said. “I thought he had a good look. I was kinda off-balance when he gave it to me, I thought he had a great look.”

That statement tells the story of the play. Doncic caught the inbounds pass from James with 6.7 seconds remaining and an open three-point look on the left wing. He chose not to shoot. Once Doncic took a dribble and picked up the ball, the Magic defense collapsed. Paolo Banchero and Anthony Black double-teamed him.

Doncic passed back to James on the wing with 2.9 seconds remaining. James was covered by Jonathan Isaac. He caught the pass, turned away from Isaac, and shot a 27-foot fadeaway three that missed.

James elaborated on what he saw. “I thought he had a good look and it looked like he kind of just lost his balance,” James said. “Didn’t have a rhythm with the ball, whatever the case may be. And it kind of allowed [Orlando’s defense] to get back in front of him. And I was kinda off-balance when he gave it to me. I thought he had a great look. That’s my POV.”

What Doncic Said About His Decision

GettyLuka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers.

“I know I was open, but I just thought I was a little bit far,” Doncic said. “Tried to take one dribble closer. And I probably shouldn’t have picked up the ball and just tried to attack.”

Doncic finished 8-of-24 from the field and 2-of-10 from three-point range. He was asked if his shooting struggles entered his mind when he turned down the shot. “Maybe a little bit,” Doncic said. “I think I thought it was more time. It was, what, 6-7 seconds. It was enough time to get a better look, try to drive the ball, so that’s why I picked [up my dribble].”

Doncic took responsibility for the mistake. “I just saw him open and I didn’t want to lose the ball,” Doncic said. “We didn’t have timeouts. … [But] I shouldn’t have picked up the ball. I should have attacked. … That’s on me.”

Doncic said he did not speak to James about the play after the game.

What Went Wrong for the Lakers

The final play was a microcosm of the Lakers’ collapse.

Los Angeles led by 12 points in the second half. They were 25-0 this season when leading after three quarters. They lost for the first time Tuesday.

James missed a free throw with 44.7 seconds left that would have put the Lakers up by three. Orlando’s Desmond Bane made a three-pointer on the next possession to tie the game. Banchero missed a pullup shot with 10.5 seconds remaining with the Lakers up by one. The Lakers failed to secure the defensive rebound. Wendell Carter Jr. scored on a putback with 6.7 seconds remaining to put Orlando up one.

That set up the botched final play.

The Magic were missing Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner. The Lakers should have won this game. Instead, they finished their eight-game homestand 4-4.

What This Means for the Lakers

The Lakers are 34-23 and hold the sixth seed in the Western Conference.

They face the Phoenix Suns on Thursday and the Golden State Warriors on Saturday. Both are road games. The Lakers need to respond after blowing a 12-point lead at home to an undermanned Magic team.

James’ comments deflected responsibility to Doncic. He said Doncic had a great look. He said he was off-balance when he received the pass. But James also missed a crucial free throw with 44.7 seconds left. The Lakers failed to secure a defensive rebound with 10 seconds remaining. This loss was a team failure.

Keith Watkins Keith Watkins is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. He previously wrote for FanSided, NBA Analysis Network, and Last Word On Sports. Keith is based in Bangkok, Thailand. More about Keith Watkins