The Los Angeles Lakers continue to insist that it will take time to assimilate Luka Doncic in the group.
Apparently they can’t beat the evil Charlotte Hornets while trying to find out.
One night after a humble defeat, Lakers will look for a better result as they visit Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday.
Los Angeles comes from a 100-97 home loss against Hornets, which participated in the competition 26 matches below .500.
Lakers let a 13-point second half leader get away. Los Angeles had a chance to force overtime, but LeBron James missed two 3-point attempts in the last five seconds.
“The last two were pretty good,” James said. “The first was obviously better than the second. The second had to be rushed a bit.”
James had 26 points, 11 assists and seven returns while playing on the sore left foot which led to him withdrawing from the All-Star game on Sunday.
“It will be something we will have to handle through the regular season and through the season,” James said. “I was glad I could have some days off and make sure I was available for (Wednesday).”
Doncic played 33 minutes in his third match with Lakers and had 14 points, 11 returns and eight assists. But he shot 5 out of 18 from the field, including 1 of 9 from 3-point intervals, and committed a gaming high six sales.
Doncic is an average of 14.7 points and has missed 19 out of 24 3-point attempts since he was acquired from Dallas Mavericks, with Lakers who run 1-2 in these competitions.
“It will take some time, a lot of rustyness on my part,” Doncic said. “I started the game with four or five sales, it can’t happen. I have to play basketball correctly.”
Lakers has the current back-to-back because the game against Charlotte is a makeup for the January 9 competition that has been postponed because of the Los Angeles fires.
Trail Blazers showed life by winning 10 out of 11 matches before going 0-3 on a drive to play before the break.
“I think we’re in a pretty good place,” said Portland coach Chauncey Billups. “I just want us to be consistent on both sides of the ball. Our cure all the time, our recipe has only monitored at a fairly high level and then tried to get rebound after we guard on a possession and then played quickly and move the ball. So I want us to keep doing it. ”
After the match against Lakers, Portland hosts Hornets on Saturday before going out on a seven-match trip.
Center Deandre Ayton, which distinguished itself during the hot stretch, injured its left calf on February 10 against Denver Nuggets and will miss at least three more weeks.
Rookie Donovan Clingan looked up for the task of staffing the middle by starting the final game before the break and collecting 17 points and a career best 20 returns while he went up to three times MVP Nikola Jokic from Nuggets.
“I’m definitely ready,” said Clingan, the overall election no. 7 from Uconn. “I put a lot of work to get my body and my conditioning right to the point where it is on. I will continue to be better and better.
“So I will challenge myself to go out there and leave everything out there every night.”
Jerami Grant (right knee), Scoot Henderson (right ankle) and Robert Williams III (right knee) are all hesitant for trailblazers.
Lakers is 2-0 against Portland this season and has won the team’s last five meetings.
-Field level media
