The Los Angeles Lakers couldn’t protect their home court on Thursday against the Golden State Warriors. They were outplayed by the visiting team and suffered a 123-116 loss. Still, they held a 3-1 season series advantage against their Western Conference rival. After the game, head coach JJ Redick claimed that Luka Doncic didn’t have his rhythm.
Doncic struggled because of the tight defense the Warriors displayed. The Slovenian star only had 19 points on 35.3% shooting on the field. Additionally, he tried to do damage from beyond the arc and had six attempts. However, he couldn’t get one to fall the entire game. The five-time All-NBA player contributed in other areas of the game with his eight rebounds and seven assists.
The Warriors attacked Redick the whole game, and he was questioned about his star player’s poor performance after the game. In response to Doncic, the coach replied simply that it “wasn’t his night.”
JJ Redick on the Warriors targeting Luka: "Wasn't his night"
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) April 4, 2025
As a result of Doncic’s struggles, LeBron James had to do most of the scoring work. He finished with 33 points, five rebounds and nine assists. Lakers’ guard Austin Reaves also had a significant scoring night with 31 points. Reaves shot 56.3% from deep.
Redick also talked about the mentality that the Los Angeles Lakers need moving forward. As the regular season is close to ending, the team needs to change how they approach each game in the postseason.
Los Angeles Lakers star comments on the Warriors having Butler
The Lakers-Warriors game is the first time the two rival teams got to play against each other since they updated their roster. During the trade deadline, Los Angeles added Doncic via a blockbuster trade. Golden State, on the other hand, had a five-team deal that allowed them to acquire Jimmy Butler.
With Butler, the Warriors have started showing signs of improvement heading into the postseason. Their game plan on both ends has started clicking. After the game, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James gave his feedback about playing against the California team with the two-way forward.
“I’ve been a part of them making big acquisitions to change the dynamic of their team before. … They always add somebody that [changes] the dynamic,” James said.
LeBron the Warriors adding Butler: "I've been a part of them making big acquisitions to change the dynamic of their team before. … They always add somebody that [changes] the dynamic."
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) April 4, 2025
James knows what Butler can bring to a team. In 2020, he played against the six-time All-Star in the NBA Finals, who led the Miami Heat to their first appearance since 2014. Although the Lakers eventually won the series, the 6-foot-7 forward did not make it easy for the four-time champion and his team.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
