This Monday night, the Brooklyn Nets secured a valuable 111-108 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at Barclays Center. Luka Doncic was the primary focus of the Nets’ defensive strategy, and head coach Jordi Fernandez elaborated on the plan for containing the Slovenian guard.
“We had energy, we had pressure, we had to put two on the ball, especially with Luka,” Fernandez said during the post-game press conference in New York. “I thought the scramble, the energy, the communication was very good… Sometimes you bring the energy and you’re flying around.”
The Nets coach also explained the risks involved with that strategy. “When you put two on the ball, you’re opening up something else,” he said. “And sometimes you just gotta get lucky that guys like them that can score in bunches, they’re not having the night.”
Fernandez, however, did not hold back in praising his own players for executing the plan to perfection. “It’s a two-way street,” he admitted. “Credit to our guys. Ziaire (Williams) did a great job and everybody else—Tyrese (Martin), Keon (Johnson). I think the whole team did a really good job, and that’s the reason we came up with a win.”
Doncic’s performance
With the absence of LeBron James due to physical issues, it was clear to the Nets that stopping Doncic was their primary objective. With that in mind, they designed their defensive strategy to make him uncomfortable and prevent him from being the decisive force he had been in previous games.
Luka managed to record a triple-double in the 41 minutes he played, posting 22 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists, making him the second-highest scorer of the team behind Gabe Vincent (24). However, the Slovenian guard finished the night with one of the worst shooting performances of his career.
Monday’s game marked Doncic’s second-worst outing in games where he attempted at least 25 shots. He connected on just 8 of 26 attempts, and his three-point shooting was a mere 30%, hitting 3 of 10.
What’s next for the Lakers?
After an impressive eight-game winning streak that helped them climb in the Western Conference standings, the Los Angeles Lakers have now suffered two consecutive defeats. The loss to the Boston Celtics was somewhat expected, given the quality of their opponent. However, the defeat against Brooklyn, a team currently outside of the Play-In picture in the Eastern Conference, is inexcusable.
LeBron James’ absence undoubtedly affected the Lakers’ performance, but it doesn’t fully explain the result. The good news is that they will have a couple of days to rest before facing their next challenge: a matchup with the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night at Fiserv Forum. Just 24 hours later, they will face another tough test against the Denver Nuggets.