Luka Doncic’s 4-word reaction to Los Angeles turnovers in Pistons loss

LOS ANGELES – Good vibes after Los Angeles LakersA win against the Sacramento Kings earlier this week was lost after an ugly 128-106 loss loss to the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday. Big problem during The Lakers’ loss to the Pistons was a reversal, with Luka Dončić committing eight of the team’s 20 turnovers.

After the game, Luka Doncic took responsibility for the Lakers’ turnover problems.

“Too much from me,” Doncic said after the game, “too many loose balls. We have to stop losing the ball.”

The Lakers were tied at 79 with 5:47 left in the third quarter and trailed by just eight going into the fourth quarter. But they were outscored 17-7 in the first six minutes of the final period, essentially ending the game at that point.

During that early part of the fourth quarter, the Lakers committed five turnovers, with Doncic and James each having two. Three of those four turnovers by the Lakers’ star duo came as a result of bad passes. All told, the Lakers turned the ball over 20 times, and the Pistons scored 30 points off those turnovers.

Lakers coach JJ Redick admitted that some of that may have to do with the way the Pistons are playing.

“The offensive stretch we had in the third, the beginning of the fourth … five turnovers in that stretch. Turnovers, fast break points, paint points, it just killed us,” Redick said. “They’re a really good, physical basketball team. It’s part of their DNA.”

While it is Clips have seemingly found their identity in the first few months of the regular season, the Lakers are still looking for theirs. Redick admitted that last season the Lakers didn’t really find that identity until January, then found it again after the Doncic trade.

“I’m still trying to figure it out. And I know maybe it’s a cop out, it probably is, but I know we’ve had a lot of stops and starts … we’ve really tried to play the right way every night and have the right intent,” Redick said. “The flow of the lineup and the rotation and all that was a challenge for everyone, not just for the coaches. It’s just a challenge for the players, and building an identity is difficult.”

“We didn’t get that identity until the end of January, it seemed like then we had to change again. So I don’t think it’s unnatural,” Redick said. “I think it’s difficult to understand now with this team.