The new-look Los Angeles Lakers got off to a fantastic start earlier this week with a dominant win over the Utah Jazz.
Los Angeles squared off against the Jazz again on Wednesday, and things went much differently.
Luka Dončić, LeBron James and the Lakers were no match for the struggling Jazz as Los Angeles lost 131-119. Dončić, who returned to the court on Monday after missing more than a month of action, is still clearly shaking off the rust as he had just 16 points, four assists and four rebounds while turning the ball over five times.
James finished with 18 points, seven assists and six rebounds.
It didn’t help the Lakers’ case that they lost one of their only big men early in the game. Jaxson Hayes played just seven minutes before exiting with a facial contusion. Los Angeles’ newly-signed center Alex Len had four points and seven rebounds in his debut.
After the loss to the rebuilding squad, fans criticized Dončić and James for their struggles.
While a loss in the second game of the Dončić and James era isn’t a good sign, it’s certainly not the end of the world. The Lakers are still in fifth place in the Western Conference at 32-20 and appear to be on their way to a postseason appearance.
Still, fans will need to see more from Dončić and the Lake Show to declare them championship contenders.
