The Memphis Grizzlies lost to the Los Angeles Lakers for the second game in a row, and once again, Luka Doncic was the main reason why. The Lakers won 120-114 at Crypto.com Arena on Sunday, with Doncic leading the way with 36 points on 10-of-20 shooting. He also grabbed nine rebounds and dished out eight assists.
Los Angeles came back from being down 16 points to improve their record to 22-11. The Lakers had beaten Memphis 128-121 just two days earlier on Friday. Doncic hit two three-pointers back-to-back in the final minutes of the fourth quarter to seal the win and keep the Grizzlies at bay.
The five-time All-Star has been having trouble with his three-point shot lately, so he felt good about making those big shots. “I’m just smiling, I was happy. I made two threes in a row, I’m just happy. But those are good shots, you know, I gotta keep working on that every day in practice and be confident,” Doncic said, according to ClutchPoints.
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Doncic’s three-point shooting remains a concern despite clutch shots
Doncic finished the game 4-of-10 from three-point range. His three-point shooting percentage this season stands at just 31.7%, which is the second-lowest mark of his entire career. Despite making the clutch shots when it mattered most, the 26-year-old’s struggles from long distance continue to be an issue.
Doncic also praised the team’s defense in the second half and talked about his strong partnership with LeBron James. James put up 26 points, seven rebounds, and 10 assists in the win. The two stars worked together to close out the game after the Lakers trailed by four points in the fourth quarter. In other sports news, Jazz Chisholm celebrated at the NHL Winter Classic with his fiancee.
“That’s how we gotta close games out. We’re down by four, I think, something like that in the fourth quarter, we came back and won by six, that’s what we gotta do, we gotta close out games between me and ‘Bron,” Doncic said. He also gave credit to Memphis player Jake LaRavia, who scored 26 points for the Grizzlies.
The Lakers will play their next game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday. Despite the win and Doncic’s clutch performance, his shooting numbers from beyond the arc remain a problem that needs improvement. Meanwhile, Sean McVay demands NFL clarity after a controversial call affected the Rams.
Published: Jan 5, 2026 05:30 pm