LeBron and Luka: Navigating the Clutch Moments Together
LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Lakers, a team that has seen its fair share of superstars, now finds itself in a unique position with LeBron James and Luka Doncic sharing the court. It took just three games for the inevitable question to arise: Who takes the last shot when the game is on the line?
On Wednesday night, the answer was LeBron James. Unfortunately for the Lakers, James missed two potential game-tying 3-pointers in the final seconds of their 100-97 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. The first of these attempts came after Doncic inbounded the ball to James with 6.3 seconds left on the clock.
Doncic, reflecting on the play, emphasized the fluidity of their roles. “He had it going, so obviously we’re going to go to him,” Doncic explained. “I think it will go both ways. One time it’s going to be him, one time me. So, I think it depends how the game is going.”
Before those crucial misses, James had been on fire in the fourth quarter, scoring 16 points on 6-for-8 shooting, including 2-for-3 from beyond the arc. Doncic, on the other hand, contributed five points in the fourth, shooting 2-for-5.
Lakers coach JJ Redick expressed his confidence in both players, saying, “As a coach, you’re excited that you have two guys that can be the passer and be the guy who gets the pass. But it felt like LeBron, particularly in the fourth, just found a nice rhythm and I felt really comfortable with that. And we got two good looks.”
James himself felt positive about the play call that set him up for the final shot. “We run the set that JJ draws up,” James said. “You execute it. And we executed it. We just didn’t make it.”
Despite the loss, James delivered a solid performance with 26 points on 10-for-22 shooting, 11 assists, seven rebounds, and two blocks. However, the Lakers as a team struggled against the Hornets.
Doncic was close to a triple-double, recording 14 points, 11 rebounds, and eight assists, but his shooting was off, going 5-for-18 with six turnovers. Austin Reaves had a tough night, shooting 3-for-9 before being ejected late in the third quarter after receiving two quick technical fouls from referee Rodney Mott. Rui Hachimura added 17 points but struggled from the 3-point line, shooting 1-for-8, and missed two crucial free throws with 37.7 seconds left that could have tied the game.
Doncic acknowledged the challenges, saying, “Obviously, it’s going to take a little time. Today, a lot of rustiness for my part. Started the game with like four or five turnovers. That can’t happen. So, just got to play basketball the right way.”
The Lakers attempted a season-high 51 shots from beyond the arc, converting only 15 (29.4%).
Redick commented on the team’s performance, “I thought, our effort and competitive spirit was good enough to win. Just, we were really poor offensively for 90% of the game.”
James, who played despite a left ankle injury that kept him out of the All-Star game, noted that Doncic was only in his third game back since Christmas due to a strained left calf injury. “He still doesn’t know all the plays, he doesn’t know all the defensive coverages, all the signals, and things that we’ve built since September,” James said. “So obviously, we’re trying to fast-track it on the fly. He’s coming back from his injury. He’s getting back into form. So, we’re all working through it together.”
- LeBron James: 26 points, 11 assists, 7 rebounds
- Luka Doncic: 14 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists
- Lakers’ 3-point shooting: 15-for-51 (29.4%)
Originally Written by: Dave McMenamin
