The Los Angeles Lakers were in desperate need of a Game 4 win on Sunday afternoon against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Despite holding a double-digit lead in the second half, they ultimately fell short after a fourth-quarter collapse, with Anthony Edwards leading the charge for Minnesota’s comeback.
With the Timberwolves now holding a commanding 3–1 series lead, Lakers fans have begun raising serious concerns—particularly about superstar point guard Luka Doncic. While Doncic continues to shine offensively, his struggles on the defensive end have become increasingly noticeable and, at times, costly.
His conditioning and late-game energy have also come into question, especially as 40-year-old LeBron James looked like a defensive juggernaut down the stretch—while Doncic appeared to be running on fumes.
“My first impression rooting for Luka has been that he pretty consistently runs out of gas at the end of games,” Jason Timpf of ‘The Volume’ said. “It’s no secret, but the next step for him is conditioning. It was wild watching 40 year old LeBron go defensive demon down the stretch while Luka looked lifeless.”
My first impression rooting for Luka has been that he pretty consistently runs out of gas at the end of games.
It’s no secret, but the next step for him is conditioning.
It was wild watching 40 year old LeBron go defensive demon down the stretch while Luka looked lifeless.
— Jason Timpf (@_JasonLT) April 27, 2025
Other Lakers fans also chimed in on the growing criticism of Doncic—especially considering he was coming off a stomach illness and played the entire second half. Many pointed out that head coach JJ Redick made zero substitutions during that stretch, raising questions about fatigue and rotation management.
“Thing is that’s been the next step for him for like 4 years now,” a fan said.
“Very true, but a little to his defense today…he wasn’t 100% healthy because of an illness. But he does need to condition better for sure,” someone else added.
“He made the Finals last year,” Another fan posted.
One more fan commented, “LeBron is 40 and played better than Luka. Zero excuses it doesn’t matter if the wolves are better, Luka’s turnovers and late game execution was horrible on both sides.”
Despite the backlash directed at Doncic, he still finished with 38 points and has now scored 30-plus in three of the four games this series.
While his offensive skillset has never been in question, his defensive presence has been noticeably inconsistent. The Lakers’ team defense, particularly in the closing minutes, allowed the Timberwolves to claw their way back and ultimately steal the win.
Related: Magic Johnson Sends Strong Message to Anthony Edwards After Handing Lakers Game 4 Loss