The Los Angeles Lakers had a very frustrating night on Thursday during their home game against the Charlotte Hornets. Even though the Lakers have some of the best players in the world they struggled to keep up with the younger Hornets team. The final score was a disappointing one hundred and thirty-five to one hundred and seventeen. This loss is especially painful because the Lakers are trying to stay high in the standings to avoid the play-in tournament later this year.
Luka Doncic and LeBron James both put up huge numbers but it was not enough to save the defense. Doncic scored thirty-nine points and James added twenty-nine points while grabbing nine rebounds. Despite these great stats the team could not stop LaMelo Ball who hit a career-high nine three-pointers for Charlotte. The Lakers played well in the first quarter but their energy seemed to fade away as the game went on.
During the game a radio announcer for the Hornets called out Doncic for complaining to the referees too much. This has become a common criticism for the star player who often stops to argue instead of running back to help his teammates. After the game even fellow Laker Marcus Smart seemed to agree with this point. He told reporters that the team needs to stop talking to officials and focus on getting back on defense if they want to win.
Many fans on social media were happy to see a teammate finally speak up about the issue. They feel that constant complaining makes the team look weak and hurts their chances of stopping the other team from scoring. With a record of twenty-four wins and fifteen losses the Lakers are currently sitting in fifth place in the Western Conference. They will need to fix these defensive habits quickly before their next game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday.
