Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

Lakers fans knew when they acquired him that Luka Dončić has a rep for complaining to/at/around the officials. A simple YouTube search yields a treasure trove of clips of Luka laying into the refs, cursing at them in multiple languages, throwing his hands around and more. 

Now, Dončić is hardly the first superstar to make a habit of carping on the shortcomings of officials—it's hard to find an elite player who doesn't—but even with that caveat Luka is still considered a top-tier kvetcher, to the point that many (including his former employers in Dallas) believe it has a genuinely negative impact on his play. For the Lakers, there have been a few times where it's clearly had an effect, including during Monday's loss to the Nets in Brooklyn. 

The bigger question is what to do about it, if anything. 

There is no question, it could benefit Dončić not whine as much. Not only does it take him out of plays too frequently, it doesn't exactly endear him to referees, who eventually just tune him out (if he's lucky) or T him up (if he's not). And like many teams, the Lakers, who already have a tendency to complain too much as a group, take their cues from the guy at the top. Especially while LeBron James is on the shelf, that means Dončić. If he tightened things up, it's likely the rest of the team would, too. 

On the other hand, some of this is just how the guy is wired. He is insanely competitive. His game is arrogant, in the way you want it to be for your superstars. It would be great if Luka bitched less, but what would consciously trying to fix it on the court do to how he plays? Is there a chance trying to moderate that part of his personality while he plays could actually impact other things, negatively? Hard to say. Overall, it's likely something that he'll either start to change as he gets more mature (in the same way the Lakers hope he pays more attention to his fitness). Maybe he will, maybe he won't. 

But no star is perfect. Sometimes if you love 90% of what a guy does, you have to tolerate the 10% you don't. Because it's clearly worth the trade off. 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky 

SEGMENT 1: Luka complains. A lot. 

SEGMENT 2: The value of Markieff Morris. 

SEGMENT 3: What would happen if Luka moderated it a little? 

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In this episode of the NBA Squad Show West, hosts dive into the Western Conference landscape. They discuss the Oklahoma City Thunder's dominance and their potential to win the NBA championship. The conversation shifts to the Denver Nuggets' defensive struggles and their chances against the Los Angeles Lakers in a potential playoff matchup. The hosts also explore the Phoenix Suns' recent performances and the Minnesota Timberwolves' intriguing playoff potential. The episode concludes with a debate on the Golden State Warriors' playoff prospects and speculation about future trades and team dynamics in the Western Conference.

0:00 Intro: Thunder-Nuggets crossover in Western Conference

5:49 Thunder's path to NBA championship success

12:14 Lakers vs Nuggets: Who wins playoff series?

18:59 Suns' struggles and potential playoff push

23:28 Timberwolves as threatening playoff matchup

28:28 Warriors' playoff potential and Steph's renaissance

32:37 Outro: Speculation on future NBA trades

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The Lakers were, of course, without LeBron James and Rui Hachimura Monday in Brooklyn, but they were also without Dorian Finney-Smith and Jaxson Hayes as well. 

That's a lot of rotation and size in street clothes, and even with Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves in uniform for the Lakers, it's easy to see how the Lakers could lose even to a lousy team like the Nets, which is exactly what they did, 111-108. 

There are times when a coach will look at the context—so many missing players, coming off a tough loss in Boston, generally playing well, important games coming up—and downplay the loss. Basically call it an aberration, give the team the ol' attaboy, and move on. JJ Redick didn't do that. Instead, he was as critical of his Lakers as he's been all year. He accused them all game of trying to take shortcuts, and not doing as a team what is required to win. He slammed the team's lack of communication, and generally gave them no space to wallow in their current state. (Which, it should be noted, includes a clearly-not-100-percent Luka.) 

Big picture, the game was lost because Reaves and Dončić were wildly inefficient from the field (11-40 combined from the floor). Halfway decent shooting from either/both is probably enough to win. And then the Lakers turned the ball 15 times, and allowed 16 offensive rebounds. Again, clean up one of those and it's probably enough to win the game. 

But Redick was really talking about much more than this game. He was reminding the Lakers that the bar has been raised. Winning as much as they have has elevated what's possible for this season, and with it, the acceptable standard of performance as a team, no matter who is available to play. He's reminding them that with players out, they need to control the stuff they can control. Sometimes shots fall, sometimes they don't. Sometimes players make the wrong read, or dribble the ball off their foot. But communication? That's easy to control, and isn't the provenance of any single player on the roster. 

Redick's reaction is a great sign for measuring how much he believes in the potential of the season, and how far things have come over the course of the year. 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky 

SEGMENT 1: Reaves and Luka shoot poorly as the Lakers lose in Brooklyn. 

SEGMENT 2: Why Redick reacted the way he did. 

SEGMENT 3: Why no Koloko? 

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Introducing LeBron’s Injury Fallout | Thunder Dominate Nuggets | Are the Wolves the Biggest Potential Playoff Spoiler? from Locked On NBA – Daily Podcast On The National Basketball Association.

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It was a weekend full of defining moments across the NBA, from major matchups to crucial injuries that could shake up the playoff picture. The Lakers nearly pulled off an epic comeback against the Celtics, but LeBron James went down with a groin injury—should Lakers fans be more worried about his health or the team’s dependence on Luka Doncic in crunch time? Meanwhile, the Oklahoma City Thunder made a massive statement with a dominant win over the Denver Nuggets, putting MVP voters in a tough spot as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic continue to battle for the league’s most coveted individual award.

Elsewhere, the Timberwolves welcomed back Rudy Gobert and didn’t miss a beat, dropping 141 points en route to another impressive victory. Could Minnesota be the biggest playoff disruptor this season? And in Boston, the Celtics keep proving that they’re built for a deep postseason run, but do they have an actual challenge in the East?

Plus, the Mavericks’ injury nightmare may have them on the verge of a shocking forfeit, and Matt Moore has had enough of March basketball. Is the NBA’s final stretch completely unnecessary? We’re breaking it all down with insights from Locked On’s top NBA experts.

Make sure to subscribe and hit the comments with your take—who had the best weekend, and should the Lakers regret backing out on Mark Williams? Tune in now!

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Early reports from ESPN's Dave McMenamin following Saturday's loss in Boston indicated that LeBron James, who left in the fourth quarter with a groin injury, would miss time measured in weeks, not days. 

Sunday, we learned that was true... but the the news was still about as good as it could be. James is expected to miss 1-2 weeks, though there's an "at least" thrown in to keep everyone honest (and slightly concerned). But while there's still enough uncertainty in the timeline to keep everyone from getting comfortable, that estimates begin on the shorter end is unquestionably positive. Plenty of Lakers fans were concerned that "at least" might come before a three or four week estimate, or even longer. James missed nearly 20 games in his first season with the Lakers after hurting that same groin, and it basically undid LA's season. 

Something like that again would have basically erased the rest of the regular season. 

Instead, the Lakers appear, for now, to have dodged a bullet. 

That said, the injury news still isn't great. The Lakers are banged up, to say the least. Rui Hachimura is still out and won't play on the road trip. Dorian Finney-Smith is out for tonight's game against the Nets with an ankle injury. Jaxson Hayes is questionable, and — here's the headliner — so is Luka Dončić. LA's newest star is nursing a sore back, one that was clearly bugging him against the C's over the weekend. 

Needless to say, the Lakers have to play things safe with Luka and LeBron, in the short term (sit Luka, even if it means losing an otherwise winnable game against a bad Brooklyn team) and long term as well. The Lakers have made a remarkable run up the Western Conference standings. But as cool as it would be to finish 2nd (and the Lakers are again the two-seed after Denver lost to OKC Sunday), what really matters isn't the 2, or even the 3, 4, 5, and 6. It's avoiding the 7th seed, which puts the Lakers back in the play in. 

They have a large enough cushion to keep that from happening, so until their status in the top 6 is truly threatened, health has to be the priority. That's likely how the Lakers will play it. 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

SEGMENT 1: The Lakers could be without LeBron for a couple weeks. 

SEGMENT 2: What changes with James out of the lineup? 

SEGMENT 3: Health is what matters. 

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Introducing Game Night: Did Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Clinch the MVP?! | Cavs Dominate Bucks for 14th Straight Win from Locked On NBA – Daily Podcast On The National Basketball Association.

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On this episode of Locked On NBA Game Night, Danny Cunningham (Locked On Cavs) and Swipa (Locked On Nuggets) provide a comprehensive recap of Sunday's NBA games, focusing on key performances, game outcomes, and playoff implications. The episode kicks off with a discussion on the Oklahoma City Thunder's dominant 127-103 victory over the Denver Nuggets, highlighting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's impressive 40-point game and the impact of Nikola Jokić's elbow injury. The conversation then shifts to the Cleveland Cavaliers' 112-100 win over the Milwaukee Bucks, extending their winning streak to 14 games, with an emphasis on the Cavs' balanced team performance. The hosts also cover the Dallas Mavericks' struggles with injuries in their loss to the Phoenix Suns, featuring Najee Marshall's standout performance. As the episode progresses, the tight Western Conference playoff race is analyzed, with insights into the schedules and performances of teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves and Golden State Warriors. The show concludes with a recap of the LA Clippers' thrilling 111-110 overtime victory against the Sacramento Kings, spotlighting James Harden's clutch performance and Kawhi Leonard's game-winning shot. 

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms… 🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/podcasts/locked-on-nba Locked On NBA League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft, WNBA & More 🎧 https://lockedonpodcasts.com/leagues/nba Find a Daily Locked On NBA Newsletter covering your favorite team: 📲 https://newsletters.lockedonpodcasts.com/nba Follow the Locked On Podcast Network Twitter 📲 https://twitter.com/LockedOnNetwork TikTok 📲 https://www.tiktok.com/@lockedonsports Subscribe to the Locked On NBA YouTube Channel: Locked On NBA Follow/Subscribe/Listen Anywhere: linktr.ee/LockedOnNBA Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! | Offers: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/offers/ Turbo Tax Ready for stress-free taxes and the most money back, guaranteed? Head over to TurboTax.com today and get matched with your Expert. Only available with TurboTax Live Full Service. Real-time updates only in the iOS mobile app. See guarantee details at TurboTax.com/guarantees. WayFair After the holiday hustle, there’s nothing like giving your home a little TLC. Give your home the refresh it needs with Wayfair. Head to Wayfair.com right now. Wayfair. Every style. Every home. SKIMS Shop SKIMS Mens at SKIMS.com/lockedonnba. Let them know we sent you! After you place your order, select "podcast" in the survey and select our show in the dropdown menu that follows.OpenPhone The #1 business phone system designed to help you keep your work and personal life separate. Right now, OpenPhone is offering 20% off your first 6 months when you go to OpenPhone.com/LOCKEDONNBA. and if you have existing numbers with another service, OpenPhone will port them over at no extra charge! Door Dash They Swoosh, You Save: when any player scores 50 or more points in a game during the 24/25 NBA regular season, DashPass members save 50% on an order, up to $10 off with promo code NBA50. 50% Off 1 Order (Up to $10 Off) Offer valid from 9:00 AM PT through 11:59 PM PT after a 50 point performance in any game during the NBA season on orders placed at participating merchant locations. Valid only in the United States. Maximum value of discount is $10.00. Discount applies to subtotal only; does not apply to fees, taxes, and gratuity. Not valid for pickup. Limit one per person. Not valid for the purchase of alcohol. Fees, taxes, and gratuity still apply. Must have an active DashPass account. Use promo code NBA50 to redeem. See further terms and conditions at https://drd.sh/8ONpZP/. Monarch Money Take control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNBA at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year. FanDuel Right now, new customers can get TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in BONUS BETS when your first FIVE DOLLAR BET WINS! Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN) #NBA #Basketball #Podcast #NBAPodcast #Sports #SportsPodcast

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The Lakers finally hit the wall, losing to the Celtics Saturday in Boston, 111-101. The offense grew stagnant in the second and third quarters before LA started making shots and made a game of things. But the big news was LeBron James, who left with about six minutes remaining, and didn't return. While JJ Redick had no immediate update following the game, he looked like a very concerned head coach, and early reporting from ESPN's Dave McMenamin indicated LeBron's absence could be measured "for a matter of weeks, not a matter of days."

Plus, Luka Doncic appeared to be bothered by a back issue throughout the game, Rui Hachimura is at least a week away from another reevaluation of his knee strain, and Jaxson Hayes also missed the game because of a knee contusion (which was downgraded on Saturday) suffered during the Knicks win.

Not good.

Hosts: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

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Jayson Tatum had a game-high 40 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists, and Jaylen Brown added 31 points as the Boston Celtics snapped the Lakers' 8-game winning streak, beating the visiting Los Angeles Lakers 111-101. Luka Doncic had a team-high 34 points, and LeBron James added 22 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 assists before leaving for the locker room early in the 4th quarter with a groin injury.

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For a few minutes, at least, it looked like Thursday's 113-109 OT win over the visiting New York Knicks would look like most of the team's wins of late—a strong early run helps the Lakers play from ahead. 

Not so fast. 

Instead, the Lakers were oustscored by 13 in the second quarter, and found themselves down by as much as 13 in the third. Nothing was coming easily for them, but the Lakers, to their credit, didn't stop grinding. In the fourth, LA cranked up the defense, holding the Knicks to 15 points while managing to conjure just enough offense to push the game into OT. 

In summary, it was a great comeback against a high quality team in a game that had a playoff-like intensity and atmosphere. It's a sense memory thing the Lakers can file away for the spring when they (inevitably, because every team does at one point or another) fall behind and need to summon a rally. Especially since the number of winning plays and players up and down the roster was significant. Luka Dončić (32/7/12) and LeBron James (31/12/8) did their thing, but two huge fourth quarter triples from Gabe Vincent were critical. Jaxson Hayes kicked in not only with his typical energy, but a great pass off the roll to set up Vincent for one of those 3's. Dalton Knecht hit a pair of big 3's, including one to end the third quarter and pull LA to within eight. 

But overall, it was not a game they necessarily deserved to win. Austin Reaves said as much after the game. But they never let the Knicks pull too far ahead, and didn't quit on it. And given how well they've played over the last month or two, if the Lakers are within six or seven points with a few minutes to play, they believe they can win, whether by getting the stops, a crucial bucket, or both. 

There have been a lot of confidence-building wins of late, but this one ranks highly precisely because the Lakers managed to win despite having an off night in a lot of important ways. 

That's something good teams do. 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky 

SEGMENT 1: LA's stars help the Lakers grind out a comeback win. 

SEGMENT 2: Stealing a win? 

SEGMENT 3: Clutch shooting. 

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Introducing SGA’s MVP Case Locked? | Did AD Talk His Way Out of L.A. Lakers? | Celtics Make History from Locked On NBA – Daily Podcast On The National Basketball Association.

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Did Shai Gilgeous-Alexander just slam the door on the MVP race, or can Nikola Jokic still flip the narrative? We break down OKC’s dominant win over Memphis, SGA’s fourth-quarter takeover, and why the head-to-head matchups with Denver could decide everything. Meanwhile, the Celtics pulled off a franchise-first with Derrick White and Payton Pritchard making history—but does it actually matter for Boston’s title hopes?

Then, we take a closer look at Jeanie Buss’ eyebrow-raising comments on Anthony Davis and how his desire to avoid playing center may have pushed him out of Los Angeles. Over in Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo reached the 20,000-point mark, and we discuss whether he’s still underrated as a pure scorer. Plus, James Harden turned back the clock with a 50-point explosion—just as the Clippers started to slip.

Finally, we debate a fascinating question: which NBA team with a losing record right now has the best shot at making the Finals? Are the Pacers quietly dangerous? Could a Warriors run still be on the table? And what about the Heat or the Hawks? Don’t miss this loaded episode of Locked On NBA!

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DISCLAIMER: Please note, this is an independent podcast episode not affiliated with, endorsed by, or produced in conjunction with the host podcast feed or any of its media entities. The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the creators and guests. For any concerns, please reach out to [email protected].