Luka Doncic dismisses 'fatigue' talk after playing entire 2nd half in Lakers' tough loss

Luka Doncic's LA Lakers lost Game 4 of their first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday. Doncic shared his thoughts about the crucial 116-113 loss that brought the Lakers down 3-1 in the series.

The 26-year-old star logged a little under 46 minutes on Sunday, including playing the whole second half. In the postgame press conference, a reporter asked Doncic if fatigue played a factor down the stretch for LA.

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"This is the playoffs. Fatigue shouldn't play any role in this," Doncic said. "I played a lot of minutes but it shouldn't play a role. I think they just executed better on the defensive end during the last minutes."

Luka Doncic's co-star, 40-year-old LeBron James, also played heavy minutes for coach JJ Redick. The 22-year NBA veteran logged 46 minutes.

Two other Lakers played more than 40 minutes: forward Rui Hachimura played 41 minutes, while Dorian Finney-Smith logged 40 minutes off the bench. Austin Reaves, who was in foul trouble most of the game, played 35 minutes.

Doncic scored 38 points on 13-for-28 shooting, including 5-for-12 from the 3-point line. James added 27 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists on 5-for-9 shooting (2-for-4 on 3-pointers). The superstar duo was the only players for the Lakers who went to the charity stripe. James was 15-for-18 on free throws, while Doncic went perfect on seven attempts.

"Just gotta still believe" - Luka Doncic shares optimism as Lakers face elimination

Despite being down 3-1 in the best-of-seven series, Luka Doncic said they haven't lost and shared optimism that the LA Lakers could extend the series.

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"It's definitely disappointing, but nothing is lost," Doncic said postgame Sunday. "We haven't lost nothing yet. It's first to four wins and just gotta still believe."

Luka Doncic brushed off other excuses, including his reported stomach illness during the Game 3 loss. He played 40 minutes on Friday but scored just 17 points and committed five turnovers.

Game 5 is scheduled on Wednesday at Crypto.com Arena. Should the Lakers win, a Game 6 will be on Friday in Minneapolis, while a possible Game 7 will be played on May 4 in Los Angeles.

Read more: 3 pitfalls Lakers must avoid to close out Game 5 vs Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena

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