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The Clippers were in control for the majority of the game against the Lakers on Thursday night. They jumped out to a double-digit lead early and had everything going their way. By halftime, the trio of Kawhi Leonard, Ivica Zubac, and James Harden were all in double figures. Kobe Sanders was also dominating, shooting a perfect 3-3 from the bench. Each of his shots was a 3-pointer, and the other LA team led by 17 points after two quarters. Sure, the Lakers came back and the contest went down to the wire, but they still lost to the Clippers. Considering how well they played in the second half, it’s clear that their poor defensive play in the opening quarters cost them the game. During his postgame media availability, Luka Dončić acknowledged this. “We just got to be better in the first half,” Luka said. “The last three games, I think our defense was excellent in the second half. We just have to translate that to the first half.” Luka is right about the poor starts in recent losses. In two of their last three games, they’ve been down by 13 or more points entering the third quarter. That’s not a recipe for success. While Luka mentioned a poor first half defense as an issue to address, Lakers head coach JJ Redick mentioned the team needed to pass the ball more and trust each other offensively. Had the Lakers done more of that against the Clippers, they likely wouldn’t have had such a big hole to dig out of in the second half. A team can’t win a game during the opening quarters, but it can certainly lose one. Being down by so much means not only do you have to go on multiple runs to win, but all the breaks have to go your way. The opposing team has to go cold, no major calls can go against you and clutch time execution has to be perfection. That’s a lot to ask a team to do expecially on the road. The Lakers accomplished this in their victory over the Nuggets, but again, that’s not how a good team consistenlty wins games. Playing a full 48 at a high standard is how you create a winnning culture and dominate in a very comeptitve Western Conference. This loss against the Clippers is a reminder that the Lakers have work to do to become the team they want to be come playoff time. You can follow Edwin on Twitter at @ECreates88 or on Bluesky at @ecreates88.bsky.social.

The Arkansas swim and dive team dropped Friday’s matchup with Kansas by a score of 163-137.

Early on, against the Clippers, the Lakers’ offense was humming. This was largely due to Luka Dončić. He was aggressive, like he typically is at the start of games, which helped LA jump out to a four-point lead midway through the opening quarter. However, LA’s offense quickly stalled. While Luka’s shot diet consisted of double-digit attempts, no other Laker took more than four shots in the opening quarter. With the Lakers struggling to stop Kawhi Leonard, who returned to the court, and scoring becoming a challenge, the Clippers took control of the game before the second quarter even began. The Clippers led by as many as 26 points, but the Lakers didn’t go away quietly. They went on multiple runs in the second half and got to within two points of their rival. However, the rally failed, and they lost to the Clippers 112-104. After the loss, Lakers head coach JJ Redick broke down why his team couldn’t complete the comeback. “Just a poor job of just defensive coverage execution and then just didn’t trust each other on the offensive end,” Redick said. “Not enough passing. That was a lot of the game, not enough passing. I think that’s a consistent thing when we don’t play well. We don’t pass to each other and we don’t execute defensively.” Not a lot of passing from the Lakers? That sounds like something the team’s point guard, Luka, would be responsible for. While it’s true that Dončić is the best player on the Lakers and is averaging the most points in the league, as the primary ball handler, he has to help keep the ball moving. “There’s got to be a trust factor with all our guys just to trust the pass,” Redick said. “That starts with Luka. He’s going to have the ball the most of everyone. He’s got to trust the pass. He gets two on him and he’s playing in a crowd, he’s got to pass the ball. I think as much as we can talk about being connected on defense, you got to be connected on offense.” It’s great to hear Redick calling out Luka needing to trust the pass and making the right play. This is almost certainly something he has told him privately, and making it public only hammers home the fact that this is a top priority. Luka can do it all, but he can’t do it alone. He needs the role players to do their job, and that happens when they get looks at the basket and knock them down. Also, when players don’t get the ball for long stretches, then when they do they might get a bit ansy and feel they have to take a shot even if it’s not a good look. Afterall, it’s been a while since they’ve gotten the ball, who knows when they’ll get it again. This isn’t a new problem for the Lakers. Rui Hachimura discussed this after a loss against the Suns back in December. “I think it just goes back to the human element of everything,” Redick said. “Guys are worried about their futures and that’s what happens when you have a team full of free agents and player options. I think it’s just natural you’re going to worry about the offense. I’ve been there. You can get in your head a little bit. ‘I played five minutes. I haven’t got a shot yet.’ That’s a human thing. It’s not anybody’s fault.” The Lakers are in a unique situation where the majority of their team is not under contract for next year. So, things can go sideways for them if players start getting frustrated with a lack of ball distribution, start thinking about their numbers and begin looking out for themselves more than the team. This is where LA benefits from Redick being a former player. He understands this situation and is sensitive to it. He should be able to navigate these potential issues and work through them. More than anything, though, the ball needs to move. No one can move faster than the ball. If Luka and the Lakers focus on getting the best shot possible, that should lead to a faster pace, a better offense, more points and ultimately more wins. Now that it’s been called out, it’s up to Luka to step up as the leader, trust his teammates and make that extra pass. You can follow Edwin…