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Luka Doncic Gets Honest on Lakers' Chemistry After Pelicans Game

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic spoke about his team's chemistry after defeating the Pelicans
Apr 4, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA;  Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts after he was hit in the face driving past New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi (21) and forward Bruce Brown (00) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
Apr 4, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Doncic (77) reacts after he was hit in the face driving past New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi (21) and forward Bruce Brown (00) in the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Friday night may have been just another game for the New Orleans Pelicans, but it was a must-win game for the Los Angeles Lakers. A statement that sounds surreal but is agreed upon by even Doncic himself.

With how tight the standings are in the Western Conference, the Lakers have zero wiggle room to lose unnecessary games, especially when they have games against the Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets ahead.

After the win, Doncic addressed the must-win game against the Pelicans and how much he had struggled in the first quarter, where he shot 0/7 from the field.

"It was probably the worst quarter in my life," Luka said about the first quarter against the Pelicans. "I just knew that was a must-win game, so I need to get better at that. We need to win, that's all that matters... Win all the games that we can. Win the game. That's it."

While Doncic has played well with the Los Angeles Lakers, he still hasn't really had a proper time to get acclimated with the team. With how much the team has been traveling on the road, there haven't been many opportunities to practice.

"It's still a work in progress," Doncic said about his chemistry with the team. "We haven't had many practices together. But I think we're getting more comfortable."

Doncic ultimately finished the night with 35 points, 6 assists, and 6 rebounds on 48/40/100 shooting from the field.

The Los Angeles Lakers needed Luka Doncic to have a bounce-back performance against the New Orleans Pelicans, and that's exactly what he did.

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Farbod Esnaashari
FARBOD ESNAASHARI

14-Year NBA Veteran covering multiple teams on Sports Illustrated. Throughout the years, Farbod has been featured on ESPN, Bleacher Report, Forbes, and various live television outlets.

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