Lakers’ Winning Streak Crumbles: Are Injuries Derailing Their Championship Hopes?

Down by a brutal 20 points deep into the third quarter at Atlanta, the Lakers’ bench was eerily quiet—save for the faint, hollow claps from Nick Smith Jr. The rest? Slumped, void of energy, faces shadowed with defeat as they hovered around, waiting for the coaches to step in. It’s one of those moments where words just fall flat. The Lakers’ impressive five-game winning streak came to a gut-punching end Saturday night, with the Hawks roaring to a 122-102 victory at State Farm Arena. Despite Luka Doncic’s valiant 22 points, 11 assists, and five boards, the team simply couldn’t keep pace, especially without Austin Reaves for the third straight game. Jake LaRavia and Jarred Vanderbilt did what they could, but the Hawks’ dominance was undeniable. This wasn’t just a loss—it felt like a wake-up call on a rocky five-game road trip that now demands a swift rebound as the Lakers head to Charlotte. The weight of absence, the mystery of energy—those silent moments on the bench spoke volumes. LEARN MORE

With the Lakers down by 20 in the third quarter at Atlanta, the only sound coming from their bench was Nick Smith Jr.’s hollow claps of encouragement. The rest of the Lakers sat with slumped shoulders on the bench or loitered with blank faces in a semicircle waiting for their coaches to join.

There wasn’t much that could be said.

The Lakers’ five-game winning streak ended in a blowout as the Hawks dominated 122-102 on Saturday at State Farm Arena.

Playing a third consecutive game without Austin Reaves, Luka Doncic tried to keep the Lakers (7-3) in it with 22 points, 11 assists and five rebounds, but all his points came in the first half and he came out after only 27 minutes as the Hawks built a 25-point lead by the middle of the third quarter. Forward Jake LaRavia had 13 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals, and Jarred Vanderbilt had 18 rebounds, one shy of his career high.

“This isn’t the identity of this team,” LaRavia said. “This game was an outlier of the first 10 games that we played. [We have to] just not let it break us and be ready to play the next game.”

The Lakers, who won their first four road games, started their five-game trip on a sour note and now need to bounce back when play Charlotte on Monday.

The Hawks (5-5) were playing the second game of a home back-to-back after losing to the Toronto Raptors on Friday. They had four of five starters sidelined, including Trae Young (knee), Kristaps Porzingis (rest) and Nickeil Alexander-Walker (back).

The Lakers should know the dangers of a desperate, shorthanded team. Only five days ago they ended Portland’s three-game winning streak without Reaves, Doncic or LeBron James. Coach JJ Redick said he would reiterate the lesson before Saturday’s game to avoid a letdown.

Then the Lakers fell behind by 13 in the first quarter. Their deficit ballooned to 26 after three quarters. Redick began sitting his starters by the middle of the third.

“Just not a lot to like tonight,” Redick said matter-of-factly.

Facing a cross-country trip, the Lakers arrived in Atlanta on Thursday and scheduled a practice Friday with a team-bonding activity that night. They held a shootaround in the arena Saturday morning.

Yet even with the extra time to prepare, Redick could tell within the first two minutes that the team didn’t have the necessary energy to win. What did the coach see during that fateful stretch?

“Nothing,” Redick said.

Atlanta Hawks guard Vit Krejci shoots between Lakers center Deandre Ayton and forward Rui Hachimura. — Atlanta Hawks guard Vit Krejci shoots between Lakers center Deandre Ayton and forward Rui Hachimura in the first half Saturday. (Mike Stewart / Associated Press)

It was the final word of his news conference, which lasted 100 seconds.

Doncic helped lead a quick third-quarter surge, assisting on three consecutive baskets in a 7-0 run that cut the lead to nine, but the Hawks responded by scoring seven unanswered points and forcing two turnovers. Center Deandre Ayton subbed out for the last time with 8:49 to go in the third.

“They played phenomenal,” said Ayton, who had 11 points on five-for-five shooting and five rebounds. “But us not even damn near competing in a sense, it looks bad on paper and it looks bad on film. This is one of them games where yeah, food’s going to taste bad tonight.”

Doncic and Marcus Smart, another veteran leader, were not made available to reporters after the game.

Atlanta’s Mouhamed Gueye torched the Lakers for 21 points on eight-for-12 shooting and made four three-pointers. The Lakers, who had credited their connection and chemistry for carrying them through long stints without their stars, suddenly fell silent when faced with a large deficit in front of a rowdy crowd.

With most of Atlanta’s fans streaming toward the exits in the final two minutes, the Hawks’ most dedicated fan group, the “404 Crew,” echoed through the mostly empty arena with a final chant: “Where is LeBron?”

The superstar has yet to play a single minute this season because of a bout with sciatica.

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