It took a massive Giannis Antetokoumpo steal on LeBron James and a bad foul by Luka Doncic for this to finally happen https://t.co/lYn8tI9uyI— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) January 10, 2026

FROM ABOVE ARTICLE:

The Lakers’ unbeaten streak of 13 clutch wins finally came to an end with a 105–101 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. The game looked similar to many of those past wins, with the Lakers mounting another comeback push and giving themselves a chance to close it out down the stretch, but this time the ball bounced the other way.

Luka Dončić fouled out on a key possession with the game tied and 16 seconds left after closing out on a Kevin Porter Jr. three-point attempt. After Porter Jr. made two of his three free throws, Giannis Antetokounmpo stripped LeBron James on a final drive attempt to send the game to overtime.

The Lakers were able to mask some of their early season issues with often great, and sometimes lucky, execution down the stretch of close games. But when you find yourself in clutch situations so often, some of those games are eventually going to swing the other way.

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Today’s notes:

LeBron and second-half defense were enough for a win…

…but a terrible day for Luka wasn’t

An unusually terrible from two, good from three night for the Lakers

Sacrificing offense and spacing for defense (VIDEO)

1-LeBron and second-half defense were enough for a win…

The Lakers opened the game fairly well defensively, but a couple of bad first quarter turnovers turned it into another game where their mistakes were punished repeatedly in transition early. They cleaned up the turnovers and battled Antetokounmpo well, but it was the others who punished the Lakers’ switching defense by attacking mismatches in a first half in which Los Angeles gave up 61 points.

However, as they often have this season, the Lakers turned up their defensive intensity and focus in the second half, especially in the fourth quarter. A group led by James, Jarred Vanderbilt, Marcus Smart, and Jaxson Hayes held the Bucks to just 19 points by pressuring the ball, fighting on switches, and showing consistent hustle across the board. Notably, Deandre Ayton was benched again in favor of Hayes, who played the final 17 minutes of the second half, including the entire fourth quarter without a break.

Source: https://www.nba.com/game/mil-vs-lal-0022500541/game-charts

Offensively, it was James who led another inspiring fourth quarter comeback, scoring 13 points in the final period while also making several hustle plays, collecting five rebounds and two steals in the fourth. James eventually ran out of gas, getting blocked and stripped by Antetokounmpo on the final two Lakers possessions.

2-…but a terrible day for Luka wasn’t

The game looked similar to a few recent ones where James led a fourth quarter push, setting the stage for his partner to finish the job. But unlike the recent games against the Grizzlies and Pelicans, when Dončić made two clutch threes, this just wasn’t his day. Dončić called it a terrible one afterward and attributed his struggles to poor finishing inside the arc, an area of the game where he had been so dominant in the previous game against the Spurs and for most of the season. In a way, this was the inverse Dončić game. On a night when he made four of his six three point attempts, he went completely cold inside the arc, making just four of 19 shots inside the three point line.

Source: Luka Dončić shot chart against the Bucks (source NBA dot com)

The problem for Dončić was that the missed shots, and what he felt were plenty of missed calls on contact during his foul seeking attempts, affected the rest of his game.

Just one game after JJ Redick praised his disposition, leadership, and body language for inspiring confidence in his teammates, Dončić had a performance on the other end of the spectrum. It was a spiraling effect we have seen Dončić struggle with in the past, when initial no-calls turn into an emotional uphill battle against the referees and eventually against himself, leading to missed shots, free throws, even layups, and a loss of composure.

Dončić’s unnecessary swipe, which resulted in his fifth foul on Porter Jr. in the closing seconds of the third quarter while the Bucks were in the bonus, sent Milwaukee to the free throw line and made his life much more difficult, as he had to play the key moments of the game one foul away from elimination. That eventually happened on the key play of the game, a moment that summed up a long night of frustrations.

A season of a couple of steps forward, followed by a step back, continues for Luka.

3-An unusually terrible from two, good from three night for the Lakers

The Lakers’ recipe for wins all season has been dominating inside the arc, by being the best team in the NBA in mid-range and at-the-rim accuracy, and by leading the league in getting to the free throw line. None of that happened last night. In fact, this was the Lakers’ lowest output of the season in both free throw rate and mid range accuracy.

Source: Cleaning the Glass

In a game where the Lakers actually won the hustle categories, offensive rebounding and turnovers, and shot the ball better than a strong shooting Bucks team from three, it was their usual strengths that ultimately became their downfall.

Dončić missing shots inside the arc was the main culprit, but not the only one. The two big men, Ayton and Hayes, otherwise elite finishers this season, combined to go just 5 of 12.

4-Sacrificing offense and spacing for defense (VIDEO)

Before getting into this, it’s important to make a few things clear:

Luka missed plenty of shots last night that he usually makes.

Jarred Vanderbilt was a key part of the Lakers’ turnaround, serving as the primary Giannis defender in the fourth quarter.

And many of us have been calling for Redick to lean more into defense-minded lineups, and the defense was good enough last night to win.

But last night was one of those games that showed why Redick values Rui Hachimura’s floor spacing so much. In Hachimura’s absence, Vanderbilt has often been playing minutes in the high 20s, and he logged 27 last night. And as I’ve been pointing out over the last couple of games, the Lakers are essentially playing five on four on offense when Vando is on the floor.

That becomes even more problematic when the opposing team has multiple long defenders like Antetokounmpo or Myles Turner, who can be used as roaming free safeties helping off Vanderbilt.

Again, the Lakers’ defense was solid enough in the second half for them to win if Luka had converted one or two of his looks down the stretch. Lately, though, those looks have been even more contested than usual.

In the bigger picture, the Lakers’ recent offensive struggles have come at the cost of better defense and significantly worse spacing, with Vanderbilt and Smart playing extended minutes.

That lob pass was superb.

“We’ve had so many games like this this season it almost feels normal. I’ll coach that level of spirit, competitiveness and fight…this is how we’re going to have to compete and be in games right now.” – JJ Redick https://t.co/WCzWrAkNB6— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) January 8, 2026

LUKA DONCIC TONIGHT:38 POINTS10 REBOUNDS 10 ASSISTS 2 STEALS13/26 FGM38 MINUTES pic.twitter.com/aaUb78JvAF— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) January 8, 2026

LUKA HALF-COURT ALLEY OOP TO JAXSON HAYES REVERSE SLAM!!!!! 🤯🔥WHAT DID I JUST WITNESS!? 😭😭😭 pic.twitter.com/1XCObKrAS7— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) January 8, 2026

From above article:

A competitive fight, but a game for sober reflection

What looked like a potential schedule loss when doing my quick preview yesterday turned out to be exactly that.

The Lakers, already without Austin Reaves and Rui Hachimura, also decided not to play LeBron James on the second night of a back-to-back as he continues to manage left foot joint arthritis and right sciatica, and fell 107–91 to a much more complete San Antonio Spurs squad, with Victor Wembanyama delivering an impactful 26 minutes off the bench despite being on a back-to-back himself.

And yet, despite lacking most of their top-end talent, this was a surprisingly fun game to watch. It had real throwback vibes, reminiscent of some early Mavericks games, with Luka Dončić and a group of role players just fighting.

Because of that, these observations will be split in two: first, a couple of notes on the fun, throwback Luka game; then, a look at the bigger-picture takeaways. Even undermanned, against what currently looks like a top-three team in the NBA, there are still some meaningful conclusions to draw from this one.

digginbasketball is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Today’s notes:

One-man band Luka throwback game (VIDEO)

Luka’s first-half passing clinic (VIDEO)

Takeaway I.: The Lakers didn’t get run out of the building

Takeaway II.: Roster construction disparity

Takeaway III.: An early playoff stress test for some

1-One-man band Luka throwback game (VIDEO)

Dončić looked noticeably more comfortable against the aggressive San Antonio Spurs defense. With Stephon Castle applying strong on-ball pressure and the Spurs funneling ball-handlers toward Victor Wembanyama inside, this was the familiar mix of aggressive point-of-attack defense and deep drop coverage built around elite length. It’s the same defensive profile that has given Dončić problems in some recent losses against both the Spurs and the Suns—but this time, he looked far more at ease navigating it.

This was probably Dončić’s best game this season in terms of pick-and-roll manipulation—using the screen to gain a half-step advantage, then punishing defenders on his hip with a mix of patience, change of rhythm, strength, and shot-making. That last part can’t be overstated: while the three-ball remains wildly inconsistent, his work inside the arc was elite last night, making 11 of his 17 shots, drawing 12 fouls, and getting to the line for 16 free throws.

Dončić’s composure, aggression, and ability to bend the Spurs’ defense gave the Lakers confidence. Leadership is something JJ Redick mentioned postgame as an area he and Dončić have discussed and worked on since Christmas. Despite being severely outmatched, the Lakers kept fighting, and the game was far more competitive than the final score suggests.

Eventually, the Lakers simply didn’t have enough, or rather anyone, to generate offense beyond Dončić, with their other two-man creators unavailable. They fell apart during Dončić’s first short rest, going scoreless for nearly four minutes.

Dave McMenamin
@mcten
From @StatsWilliams: The Lakers have 16 made field goals at the half. Luka Doncic has scored or assisted on 14 of them.

The Spurs lead 48-43 at the break.
7:49 PM · Jan 7, 2026 · 35K Views
3 Replies · 42 Reposts · 362 Likes

Despite Dončić finishing with a 38/10/10 triple-double, this was the Lakers’ second-worst offensive output of the season. It was another reminder of how difficult it is to score today against teams with paint-patrolling freaks like Wembanyama, or even Kornet, especially with lineups that opposing defenses do not respect as shooting threats. The Lakers had plenty of those minutes last night with Jarred Vanderbilt, Marcus Smart, and Maxi Kleber on the floor.

Source: Cleaning the Glass

2-Luka’s first-half passing clinic (VIDEO)

Despite the shot-making and 38 points, scoring wasn’t even the most impressive part of Dončić’s night. The passing was. Dončić put together a highlight reel of dishes that most players would be happy to call a season mixtape, all in one game.

It included three lob passes, one of them a SportsCenter-worthy cross-court lob to Jaxson Hayes over Wembanyama, a between-the-legs skip pass for an easy Deandre Ayton finish at the rim, a couple of no-look dimes for open corner threes, and a cross-court bounce skip pass in transition.

Dončić also forced a couple of bad passes and finished with seven turnovers, but with none of his teammates recording more than two assists, some of those felt more like desperation attempts to make something happen.

3-Takeaway I.: The Lakers didn’t get run out of the building

If a lack of speed and getting killed in transition was the downfall in the previous disappointing loss to the Spurs, and in other losses against athletic teams like the Thunder, Suns, Rockets, Pistons, and Hawks, last night the Lakers looked far more prepared for both the fight and the sprint.

The level of defensive effort and activity was there for most of the night. You could even say they were too eager early on, committing a couple of unnecessary fouls on three-point closeouts and coughing up a few wild turnovers.

But the starting lineup featuring three high motor players with Smart, LaRavia, and Vanderbilt filling in for James, along with Jaxson Hayes, Maxi Kleber and Gabe Vincent getting minutes off the bench, showed that a defense built around Dončić can hang around with the top teams in the NBA. The Lakers even outscored the Spurs 15–12 in fast-break points.

I guess the Lakers not looking totally athletically overmatched can be called progress, and despite the other limitations, it’s another signal, in a season full of them, for future roster construction around Dončić.

4-Takeaway II.: Roster construction disparity

Now, while Smart, LaRavia, Vanderbilt, Vincent, and Kleber provided defensive focus, effort, and composure, there was still a glaring difference in dynamism and athleticism between the two rosters.

You could see it when Castle blew by LaRavia for an easy dunk or finished over Ayton at the rim. You could see it whenever Keldon Johnson bullied smaller defenders like Vincent or Knecht on his way to the paint. And you could see it on occasions when the Spurs’ two rookies Harper and Bryant were flying downhill.

The Spurs struggled shooting the three even more than the Lakers did, and their two primary scorers didn’t have great scoring nights. They compensated by consistently driving and attacking the paint. The Lakers’ role players, especially their key wing defenders, simply do not have that dimension in their game, with LaRavia being the lone partial exception.

5-Takeaway III.: An early playoff stress test for some

Injuries to key rotation players have expanded the minutes for others, and games like this one offered a look at how competitive, or if you prefer reliable, some of them can be in higher-leverage, playoff-like settings.

Smart and Vanderbilt were two key reasons why the Lakers managed to hold the Spurs in check and why the defense looked respectable for most of the night. On the other end, though, their limitations in decision-making, and at times out-of-control play, hurt the Lakers. Together, they scored six points, went 0-for-6 from three, and committed five turnovers, including botching both half-opening ATOs by failing to execute the basic initial set entry pass. Smart has shown this season that he can follow up low-scoring, poor-shooting nights with performances on the other end of the spectrum. However, a 30-plus-minute-per-game role, no matter how much the team may need it, is not ideal for him. Vanderbilt, on the other hand, as much as it hurts to say, probably remains unplayable in high-stakes games where the opposing team features a roaming big like Wembanyama or Jaren Jackson Jr., as the Lakers have seen in the last couple of games.

Vincent returned after a prolonged injury absence, but once again showed how difficult it is to play a small-guard archetype that is a constant mismatch in today’s NBA, unless you’re a defender like Davion Mitchell or an elite shooter like Stephen Curry.

Ayton had another underwhelming game against quality opposition, one where the pace and physicality again seemed to overwhelm him. After a strong start to the season, he’s now stacking up too many games where his impact is barely felt, or where the Lakers simply look better with Hayes, a career backup, on the floor. Speaking of Hayes, he’s showing progress as a defender and decision-maker, becoming more than just a lob catcher, and he was one of the two players, along with LaRavia, that Redick highlighted postgame as having made a real impact in recent games.

And to end on a positive note, LaRavia had another game where he paired his hustle with a high-volume, high-efficiency night from three, a much-needed skill set for any future wing partner next to Dončić. I’ve been writing about LaRavia and his growing comfort playing both with and off Dončić in recent games, and he’s showing he has the motor and versatility to make an impact as a rotation player in an eight- or nine-man rotation on a good playoff team.

LeBron James moving primarily to the dunker spot was the story of this game. This is the adjustment that could send this @Lakers team over the top. Luka Doncic draws the blitz, Ayton reacts, and finds LeBron James in the dunker spot along the baseline. This is the vertical… pic.twitter.com/R0Wt8m9eDk— NBAFilm (@NBAFilmSessions) January 7, 2026