LeBron James said on May 6 that the Los Angeles Lakers faced significant offensive difficulties in their second-round playoff game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, largely due to the absence of Luka Doncic. The Lakers scored only 90 points on 42% shooting in a 108-90 loss.
The lack of Doncic, who is recovering from a Grade 2 left hamstring strain and not yet participating in full contact workouts, has shifted more responsibility onto James and Austin Reaves. The team struggled to generate offense against what James described as “the No. 1 defensive team in the NBA.” He said after the game, “We have a guy that averaged 37 a game (not in the lineup)… There’s the issues right there.”
James explained how Doncic’s presence typically draws multiple defenders and creates opportunities for others: “When you play against great defenses, you have to have guys that can attract multiple defenders on the floor at all times. I feel like we got some great shots tonight, we missed them.” He added about playing without Doncic: “When you play against the world champions, having a guy that averages 34-8-9, whatever the hell it is, that’s special. So we have to be better at finding ways to get to the blender, finding ways to get to the paint.”
Without Doncic’s ability to create open looks by penetrating defenses, other players such as Reaves struggled; he finished with eight points on three-of-16 shooting and four turnovers. James led with 27 points and six assists but acknowledged more would be needed from both himself and Reaves moving forward.
Both James and head coach JJ Redick believe that while they managed some good shot opportunities during Game 1, improvement will be necessary if they hope to compete effectively until Doncic returns.