The Los Angeles Lakers‘ performance in their final game before the All-Star break lacked the energy and focus characteristic of their recent strong play, which resulted in a six-game winning streak and 12 of their last 14 games. This somewhat predictable dip in intensity is likely attributable to the emotional and physical demands of the first 52 games of the season, with the players understandably looking forward to the upcoming break.
Doncic And Len Struggle For Los Angeles Lakers Vs. Jazz
New addition, Luka Doncic struggled to match his Lakers debut numbers getting into foul trouble early and scoring just 16 points. Doncic, who has played just one game in the last six weeks, noted in his post-game comments that he is looking forward to some downtime;
“We are approaching this break and we gotta rest,” Doncic said. “For me, I think it’s more mental rest than anything else. But I still gotta work. So I’m excited about this break and I can’t wait to go back to play.”
The Lakers’ game against the Utah Jazz was disrupted by an early injury to center Jaxson Hayes, who exited after just eight minutes due to a facial contusion. This forced the Lakers to rely heavily on newly acquired center Alex Len, who struggled to find his footing in his debut, finishing with only four points and two assists. His seven boards were more a product of a combined 51 missed shots than a superb effort. The Lakers were outscored by 19 points during Len’s 14 minutes.
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The Lakers, missing key reserves Dorian Finney-Smith and Gabe Vincent due to injury management, appeared noticeably less energetic and focused in their final game before the All-Star break. This lack of focus was further compounded by a poor performance from the free-throw line, where the team converted only 17 of 30 attempts.
“We weren’t physical, we didn’t talk,” coach JJ Redick said. “Never really got to a place in the game where we were talking and executing the off-ball, curl-switch rules. And you give a team confidence, you let them be comfortable and this is what happens.