The new-look Los Angeles Lakers faced off against the new-look Golden State Warriors for the first time ever on Thursday night and it wasn’t the showdown Lakers fans were hoping for—especially when it came to Luka Doncic. Despite all the hype surrounding his debut against the Warriors, Doncic couldn’t get going and left many Lakers fans disappointed.
Luka Doncic’s Struggles Against the Warriors
Doncic finished with 19 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists , shooting 35% from the field (0-for-4 from three). He did make all his free throws but overall it was a subpar performance.
When asked about Doncic’s night, Lakers coach JJ Redick said:
“Wasn’t his night,” Redick said.
This wasn’t one of Doncic’s worst games of the season but it was far from the performance Lakers fans are used to. He needs to be on fire as the team tries to make a push for playoff positioning in the West.
Building a Playoff Mentality: Lakers’ Uphill Battle
The kind that gets you through the tough times and comes out on top—is still a work in progress for the Lakers. And that was Redick’s honest assessment after their latest loss.
“We’re still building that,” he said. “We haven’t gotten there yet.” That’s the reality the Lakers face as they head into the playoffs. To make a deep postseason run—they really want that—they need to find that consistency. Not just from their stars, but from every single player on that roster.
With the playoffs just around the corner, the Lakers must find that consistency—and keep it—across the board if they hope to make a real run.
Warriors Avoid Sweep, Stay in Playoff Hunt
The Warriors dodged a 4-0 bullet against the Lakers—and gave themselves a serious shot at the fourth seed in the West. That puts them just one game behind the Lakers for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. You could say their season was on life support after the Jimmy Butler trade. But what’s been remarkable about this team is how quickly they’ve turned things around.
Now they’re just 1.5 games from third place—and still within sniffing distance of that play-in tournament.
That resurgence has been a testament to the Warriors’ resilience. And right now, they’re sitting pretty. They’ve got the momentum, and they’ve got the schedule to make a real push for that fourth seed. If they can keep that up, they’ll be right where they want to be.
What’s Next for the Warriors?
Warriors don’t get to celebrate for long. They’ve got a back-to-back against the Denver Nuggets on Friday. Win and they’ll solidify their position in the standings. Lose and teams behind them will get closer.
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