Stars stall in the clutch as Lakers hit rare speed bump

Doncic shoots poorly and James turns ball over as NBA's best late-game club falls.

- BY BRODERICK TURNER

Photographs by GINA FERAZZI Los Angeles Times

MYLES TURNER (3) goes for a block on Luka Doncic, who shot eight for 25 and fouled out of a 105-101 loss.

The Lakers have two of the best clutch players in the NBA in LeBron James and Luka Doncic. They have been the best clutch team in the NBA because their stars have led the way in crunch time. They have won a league-leading 13 games in the clutch this season.

But when the game hung in the balance Friday night, when the Lakers needed James and Doncic to be clutch, neither was able to deliver, their inability to do so leading to L.A.'s 105-101 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks at Crypto.​com Arena.

For as much as James did in keeping the Lakers in the game by scoring 13 of his 26 points in the final quarter and by nearly collecting a triple-double with 10 assists and nine rebounds, it was his last-second turnover that doomed them to their first loss in a close game.

For as much as Doncic did in nearly producing a triple-double with 24 points, nine assists and nine rebounds, his poor shooting and foul trouble was costly in the end.

GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO puts up a shot during his 21-point performance on Friday night.