By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
After falling into a 26-point hole, the Los Angeles Lakers reduced the deficit to two points but fell short of completing the comeback en route to a 112-104 defeat by the Los Angeles Clippers in Intuit Dome.
The driving force for the team coached by JJ Redick, Luka Doncic, lasted 39:13, tallying a game-high 32 points on 11/27 from the field, 11 rebounds, eight assists, and three steals.
“We just got to be better in the first half,” pointed out the Slovenian combo guard in a postgame press conference. “In the last two games, I think we played better in the second half. We just have to translate that into the first half.”
“Just a poor job. Just defensive coverage execution, and then just did not trust each other enough. Not enough passing, but that was a lot in the game,” 41-year-old play-caller Redick previously recapped the losing effort.
The Lakers’ play-caller shared more details on the lack of ball movement, focusing on Doncic as the primary ball-handler.
“There’s got to be a trust factor with all of our guys. Trust the pass. It starts with Luka. He’s going to have the ball the most of everyone. He’s got to trust the pass. He gets two on him, he’s playing a crowd, he has to pass the ball,” he explained.
“JJ said at halftime that the ball has to move more. That’s good,” added the Ljubljana native in a following response.
In contrast to the Slovenian superstar, German Maxi Kleber did not play on Thursday.
Croatian starter Ivica Zubac posted an 18-point, 19-rebound double-double plus one steal over 32:03 for the hosts. French reserve Nicolas Batum tallied two rebounds, one steal, and one assist in 16:44, but Swiss Yanic Konan Niederhauser stayed on the bench, and Serbian Bogdan Bogdanovic (left hamstring injury management) remained sidelined.
The Clippers improved to 20-24 in the 2025-26 NBA Regular Season, sitting at the bottom end of the Western Conference’s Play-In zone, and reduced the Lakers to 26-17.