James Worthy did not sugarcoat what he saw from Luka Doncic during the Lakers’ 103-88 loss to the Clippers. Watching from his analyst seat, the Lakers legend did not hesitate in calling out Luka for chasing whistles all night, instead of playing through contact.
“From the beginning, he looked a little slow. It looked like he was searching for the calls a lot.”
Worthy’s criticism was straight to the point. He said that Luka looked like he was searching for calls on too many possessions and that it clearly took him out of rhythm. His message was simple and blunt. Do not hunt fouls. Just play basketball. Coming from someone who built a Hall of Fame career on timing, balance, and physical play, the comment carried weight.
Worthy was not alone in his assessment. Robert Horry echoed the same idea, saying sometimes players get in their own way.
“I think the fact that he was off tonight dictated how he played. … Sometimes a player can get in the way of themselves. … Dude, just play basketball…just hoop and go out and play hard.”
The numbers backed up Worthy’s frustration. Doncic finished with 12 points, five rebounds, and two assists while shooting just 4 of 13 from the field and 1 of 6 from three. He missed his first six shots and never found a steady flow. Instead of adjusting after early misses, Luka continued to lean into defenders, hoping for contact that never came. The whistles stayed silent, and his body language told the rest of the story.
You can check out the first half, where Luka was hunting for calls and was complaining to the referees.
Things went from bad to worse when Doncic exited after 20 minutes due to a left leg contusion. By that point in the game, the damage was done. The Lakers fell behind big early, and outside of LeBron James, they did not get consistent production.
The game has reignited the topic about Luka’s behaviour and relationship with the officials. Statistically, he draws more fouls than anyone in the league. He also leads the league in free throw makes (9.8) and attempts per game (12.1).
On most nights, that skill works in his favor and torches defenses. But on a night like this, it becomes a trap.
Against the Clippers, the officials swallowed their whistle and Luka never adjusted. He kept arguing, asking for fouls, but the whistle never came. The result was turnovers, missed shots, and frustration that trickled down to the entire team.
For the Lakers, this loss stung because it came against a Clippers team with a far worse record. It also highlighted how thin the margin becomes when Doncic is not dictating the game the right way. LeBron did everything he could, but basketball does not work when one star is searching for fouls, and the other is forced to carry the load alone.
Worthy’s criticism was not personal. It was instructional. Luka is too skilled to let officials decide his night. When he plays through contact and trusts his game, he controls outcomes. When he waits for whistles, he gives that control away. On Saturday night, James Worthy saw the difference clearly, and he was not afraid to say it out loud.
