The Lakers had a big opportunity Thursday to put themselves in prime position for (at worst) a 3rd seed in the Western Conference with a win over the visiting Golden State Warriors. Lose, and things would get a lot more interesting. Well, things are a lot more interesting. Golden State punished the Lakers on the glass, racking up second chance points to fuel a 123-116 win over the purple and gold. As a result, the Lakers are now packed into a group of six teams separated by 2.5 games, ranging from the 3rd to the 8th seed. Given their tough closing schedule (two games in OKC, one in Dallas, one vs. Houston) it's reasonable to be nervous. One thing that would help the Lakers finish strong? Luka Dončić needs to break out of his shooting slump, and fast. Luka finished without a triple in Thursday's loss (0-6). Over his last three games, Luka is 3-22 from 3-point range. Overall, he's 22-56, inefficiency that's putting a drag on the offense, both because of the empty possessions, and because there are definitely trips where Luka is (understandably) trying to get him self untracked. It's no secret that the Lakers, for a variety of reasons, haven't been able to get the best Dončić has to offer. Over his last 10 games, Luka has two where he's been over 50% from the floor. In five, he's been under 40%. He's also produced over eight rebounds and eight assists over that stretch, so it's not like Luka's just failing left and right. But at a time when you hope to see the team rounding into form, a significant part of Luka's game is still offline. It's easy enough to speculate as to why (he's banged up) but regardless, the fully realized version of the Lakers includes a fully realized Dončić, and also includes the Lakers staying out of the play-in... an effort that would certainly benefit from Luka playing better. He said after the game Thursday that his performance was unacceptable, so it's not like Luka isn't aware, or is playing it casual. It would have been helpful to beat the Warriors for a variety of reasons, but one of the sneaky ones is it would've given the Lakers a little more wiggle room to rest guys (Luka included) Friday against the Pelicans. Instead, everyone who can play likely will. At least a run against a bad New Orleans team gives Luka a chance to find a groove. HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky SEGMENT 1: LeBron and Steph put on a show... but a show with a sad ending. SEGMENT 2: Luka is slumping. SEGMENT 3: No bench play, bad rebounding do the Lakers in. Your favorite podcast now has a newsletter! In One-stop for ultimate team and league coverage delivered right to your in box. Sign up for free now, at lockedondaily.com. Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors! OpenPhoneStreamline and scale your customer communications with OpenPhone. Get 20% off your first 6 months at www.openphone.com/lockedonnba 5-Hour ENERGYHead to 5-hourENERGY.com to find over 15 flavors to choose from, including Watermelon, Blue Raspberry, and Peach-Mango. Need one now? Grab a 5-hour ENERGY shot at your local grocery or convenience store—they’re everywhere! Stock up today and stay energized. WayFairAfter the holiday hustle, there’s nothing like giving your home a little TLC. Give your home the refresh it needs with Wayfair. Head to Wayfair.com right now. Wayfair. Every style. Every home. PrizepicksNow’s the perfect time to join. Download the app todayand use codeLOCKEDONNBA to get $50 instantly when you play your first $5 lineup! That’s right—no need to win to get the bonus, it’s guaranteed. PrizePicks—Run Your Game!Click Here: https://prizepicks.onelink.me/LME0/LOCKEDONNBA Monarch MoneyTake control of your finances with Monarch Money. Use code LOCKEDONNBA at monarchmoney.com for 50% off your first year. GametimeDownload the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDONNBA for $20 off your first purchase. Terms apply. Download Gametime today. What time is it? Gametime. FanDuelRight now, new customers can get TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS in BONUS BETS when your first FIVE DOLLAR BET WINS! Download the app or head to FANDUEL.COM to get started. Bet with FanDuel—Official Partner of the NBA. FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)