Luka Doncic was unhappy with the officiating in the Los Angeles Lakers‘ 111-108 loss to the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on Monday. Doncic was complaining a lot to the officials during the game, and he certainly had a good reason to be upset on one occasion. A clip went viral on social media in which Nic Claxton got away with a shove on the five-time All-Star right in front of referee John Goble in the second quarter.
The ref looking straight at it lmfaoooo pic.twitter.com/hRNowvs4HX
— Lakers Empire (@LakersEmpire) March 11, 2025
You’d have a hard time believing that Goble didn’t see the incident. It took place right in front of him, and his view wasn’t obstructed either. Only Goble knows why he chose not to call a foul there, and Lakers fans have a right to be upset with him about this.
This decision, along with some others, led to Doncic being unable to hide his frustration with the officials after the game.
“Yeah, I mean in the end… It was a lot. I think it wasn’t fair. But you just gotta play the game. I gotta keep playing the game, but it was a lot man, I ain’t gonna lie.”
“I’m not gonna say anything. You know? I think everybody saw the game, so they know what happened.”
The Lakers also only shot two free throws in the first half compared to 16 for the Nets and didn’t think they were getting a fair whistle. The fact that they lost only added to the frustration.
While some calls didn’t go in the Lakers’ favor, that wasn’t the biggest reason they failed to win. They only had themselves to blame for that, as they played some sloppy basketball to lose what was a very winnable game, despite whatever the officials did or didn’t do.
Lakers head coach JJ Redick knew that too, as he ripped his players following this defeat. He thought the communication wasn’t up to the mark and reckoned his players were taking shortcuts on the night.
Redick also pointed out that his players allowed 16 offensive rebounds and gave the Nets six or seven wide-open three-pointers. He was critical of the kind of offense his players were running, too. Redick called them out for requesting ball screens near half court, which resulted in turnovers.
Doncic certainly was guilty of doing that a few times, as he ended up with five turnovers on the night. The 26-year-old wasn’t all too efficient either, finishing with 22 points (8-26 FG), 12 rebounds, 12 assists, and two steals.
Austin Reaves struggled, too, as he put up 17 points (3-14 FG), eight rebounds, 10 assists, and a block. With LeBron James out for at least one or two weeks, the Lakers will need these two to play better if they are to avoid tumbling down the standings.
This loss to the Nets was the second in a row for the Lakers, and they have now dropped to 40-23 this season. There is a good chance that this losing streak will extend, too, as the Lakers take on the 36-28 Milwaukee Bucks next at Fiserv Forum on Thursday at 7:30 PM ET.
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