“Rob Pelinka is The Real Criminal” – Lakers Fans Furious After Luka Doncic’s 42-Point Game Goes Down The Drain

Luka Doncic put in a dominant display but to no avail as the Los Angeles Lakers were beaten by the Sacramento Kings.

“Rob Pelinka is The Real Criminal” – Lakers Fans Furious After Luka Doncic’s 42-Point Game Goes Down The Drain

Luka Doncic (Image by FirstSportz)

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The Los Angeles Lakers, led by Luka Doncic, appear to have hit a slump over the last few weeks. They suffered a disappointing 124-112 loss to the Sacramento Kings on the first night of a back-to-back at the Golden 1 Center on Sunday night.

The Lakers were never really in the game as they were down by 12 heading into the fourth quarter. The Kings were extremely efficient from the three-point line and overwhelmed the Lakers.

For the second time in 2025-26 campaign, the Lakers are on a three-match losing streak. It was their seventh loss in their last 11 fixtures. The loss dropped the Lakers to 23-14 and to fifth place in a highly competitive Western Conference standings. It was a big win for the Kings after an impressive win over the Houston Rockets in their previous game. However, they still find themselves at 14th in the standings with a poor 10-30 record.

Ever since Luka Doncic joined the Lakers after the blockbuster trade, the Lakers management have built their roster around the Slovenian as they prepare for life in the post-James era. Doncic is the focal point of this team. He is their primary scorer, ball-handler and decision maker. The guard has shown that he is one of the best players in the league as he leads the league in scoring and is currently averaging 33.6 points, eight rebounds and 8.7 assists.

On Sunday, Doncic put on a show and scored a game-high 42 points to go along with seven rebounds, eight assists and four steals. He got some help from LeBron James who recorded 22 points but to no avail.

Their poor defense especially against young and athletic teams is one of the main reasons why they are not regarded as championship contenders despite their strong start to the season. Doncic and the Lakers will look to get back to winning ways as they take on the Atlanta Hawks on the second night of a back-to-back.

Lakers fans were livid after their loss to the Sacramento Kings

Lakers fans were left furious after their shocking loss to the Kings, who have more or less been a lottery team this season. The fans were quick to take it to the internet to express their disappointment, with some even calling out the president of basketball operations and general manager of the Lakers, Rob Pelinka.

Ups and downs are normal in the regular season, but the Lakers are showing signs that the team are not as strong as their current record suggests.

Rich Paul would trade Austin Reaves

One of the biggest stories of the 2025-26 campaign for the Lakers is the rise of Austin Reaves. During the absence of James for the first 14 games of the season, it was Reaves who joined Doncic and formed a formidable backcourt offense that helped the Lakers to 10-4. His performances earned him a spot in the top-10 candidates for league MVP.

Austin Reaves
Austin Reaves (Credits: MARCA)

James’ longtime friend and agent Rich Paul, via Game Over Podcast, said that if he ran the organization, he would call Memphis Grizzlies to trade for Jaren Jackson Jr. for a package with Austin Reaves.

If I was the Lakers I would be targeting the Memphis Grizzlies as a trade partner for Jaren Jackson. If you’re building around Luka you need that anchor. Jaren doesn’t want to be apart of a rebuild. There’s a world you can do what’s best for your team, and what’s best for Austin. Austin deserves to get paid. Memphis would definitely pay Austin. He would become their leading scorer and PG.

The guard has missed the last eight games for the Lakers due to a calf injury. During that period, the Lakers have gone 4-4, highlighting his absence. However, a move for the former Defensive Player of the Year in Jackson Jr. could do wonders for their struggling defense.

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