The Lakers defeated the Hawks by 20 points. In this game, I completely discovered 7 heart-wrenching facts.

There was a big upset in the NBA regular season - the Lakers, second in the Western Conference, actually lost to the Hawks, who were short of major generals, 102:122. You must know that the Lakers had won 5 consecutive games and were gaining momentum, but the Hawks directly gave up a core lineup. Trae Young, Porzingis, Jaylen Johnson, Nikki Alexander-Walker, Luke Kennard and other main players did not participate in the game, which is equivalent to using half the team to fight. This game laid the foundation for collapse from the first quarter. The Lakers were beaten by the Hawks throughout the entire game. The seven indisputable facts exposed after the game each hit the team's pain points, and the loss was not unfair at all.

Let’s review the specific battle situation in the next four quarters. The Lakers’ defeat has long been foreshadowed. As soon as the first quarter started, the Hawks took the lead in entering the state. Starting small forward Zachary Risashe scored 2 points through a layup. Veteran Rudy Gay followed up with two consecutive three-pointers and scored 2+1. He scored 14 points in a single quarter and directly led the team's offense. For the Lakers, only Rui Hachimura scored 5 points by playing hard inside. The core Doncic received two fouls early and could only hold back and dare not let go. The Hawks substitute Krejic hit another three-pointer, and the point difference widened to 13 points. Although the Lakers were able to catch up a little bit with free throws at the end, they still trailed 29:37 at the end of the first quarter. Gay scored 14 points in a single quarter to lead the Hawks.

In the second quarter, the Lakers wanted to chase points, but the Hawks relied on the 8 assists of starting shooting guard Dyson Daniels to string together the team's offense. Husten and Lisa Xie hit three-pointers one after another, and the point difference once reached 15 points. At the critical moment, Doncic took charge of the offense and hit 3 three-pointers in a single quarter to score 14 points. Laravia also contributed 5 points. However, the Lakers' defensive end was like paper and could not stop the Eagles' breakthrough goals. Gay and Wallace's three-pointers continued to put pressure on them. Before halftime, Wallace hit a three-pointer at the buzzer, giving the Hawks a 14-point lead at 68:54. What's even worse is that the Lakers bench only scored 4 points in the half, and no one could step forward to help.

The third quarter directly became the turning point of the game. The Eagles substitute Newell and Krejic worked together. Newell made 4 steals in a single quarter to drive the fast break. Krejic hit 2 three-pointers. The Eagles launched a 12:2 offensive wave, and the score difference exceeded 20 points. On the Lakers side, Doncic completely lost his rhythm after being double-teamed, and his offensive efficiency plummeted. The team could only rely on Ayton's inside attack to score 4 points. Smart and Rui Hachimura also made consecutive mistakes and sent points. The Eagles won this quarter by 12 points and entered the final quarter with a 26-point advantage at 98:72.

In the fourth quarter, the game was completely reduced to garbage time. The Lakers sent in a substitute lineup. Knect and Browne scored 13 points together. Vanderbilt grabbed 5 rebounds and sent 6 assists. However, the Hawks only used substitute rotation to deal with it. Newell and Huenstein still maintained their scoring efficiency, and the point difference was always maintained at around 20 points. In the end, the Lakers won by 6 points in the fourth quarter (30:24), but they still lost 102:122. The Eagles controlled the rhythm throughout the fourth quarter, and the rest of the team played with everyone's strength. It is worth mentioning that the Hawks' offense was so smooth. The team sent out 37 assists, shot 51% from the field and 41% from the three-point range. They also caused 19 turnovers for the Lakers, which opened up a huge gap inside and outside.

After this game, I discovered 7 heart-wrenching facts. The first indisputable fact is that Doncic’s game was really anticlimactic and disappointing. So far this season, Doncic is in hot form. Not only is he firmly at the forefront of the MVP list, he averages 40 points, 11 rebounds, 9.2 assists and 2 steals per game, shooting 50% from the field. In the past few games, he even had crazy performances of 44 points and 49 points in a single game. Scoring is as easy as drinking water. But this time facing the remnant Hawks, he completely lost his game - in the first half of 20 minutes, he made 4 of 7 three-pointers, scored 22 points and provided 6 assists, almost carrying the Lakers' offense alone. But in the second half, when the Eagles were double-teamed, he completely lost his temper. He only played 26 minutes in the game and did not score a point in the second half. In the end, the total score stopped at 22 points. Although the overall statistics are not too bad, 10 of 17 shots, 4 of 10 three-pointers, 4 of 6 free throws, and 11 assists, but combined with the scene, it is not worthy of the core status. Before the change, Doncic had already broken through this kind of incomplete formation, but this time he was either intercepted in the second half or unable to pass the ball. He was completely different from the previous games when he averaged 40+ per game. Facing an opponent who was missing many main players and playing like this, it is not unfair to say that he was defeated. He had to take a lot of blame for the Lakers' loss.

The second indisputable fact is that Van Der Biao is really still capable of fighting, and he can be called the only fig leaf for the Lakers in this game. He played 28 minutes, making 4 of 9 field goals, 1 of 2 three-pointers, and 3 free throws. He contributed 12 points, 18 rebounds, and 2 assists. His statistics were perfect, and he was a perfect combination of offense and defense. On the defensive end, he tried his best to grab rebounds, and his 18 rebounds almost supported the Lakers' inside line. He did his best whether he was blocking or making up defense; The rest of the Lakers were either in a sluggish state or missing players on defense throughout the game. Only Van Der Biao worked hard from beginning to end without slacking off at all. After the game, the entire Lakers team could not hold their heads up, but Van Der Biao was the only one who could leave the court with a smile.

The third indisputable fact is that rookies Knect and Browne are really getting better, which gives people hope. Especially Bronny, as a late second-round rookie, he showed great tenacity and momentum of improvement. He played 18 minutes, made 4 of 6 field goals, 1 of 2 three-pointers, and scored 9 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal. The statistics are not flashy, but every point is real, and he dares to fight and steal when defending. You must know that a rookie can slowly find playing time in this level of competition and perform stably, which is already quite good. There is really no need to criticize him too much. It will definitely be better to give him some time to grow.. Knecht did not miss a beat in this game. He made 5 of 11 shots, 2 of 5 three-pointers, and 2 of 2 free throws. He scored 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 assist. He shouldered the offensive responsibility well on the bench. The Lakers bench performed sluggishly throughout the game, relying entirely on these two rookies to support the scene. Their growth is too important to the Lakers.

The fourth indisputable fact is that rookie Smith is really embarrassed. His good performance in the last game was purely short-lived. He got 23 minutes of playing time in this game, which was not too short, and he faced the remnant lineup of the Hawks. It was a good opportunity to prove himself, but he played in a mess - 1 of 8 shots, 1 of 4 three-pointers, and only contributed 3 points, 1 rebound and 2 assists. The efficiency was ridiculously low. He couldn't find his touch on the offensive end, and he didn't have a sense of presence on the defensive end. He didn't show his breakthrough ability or shooting advantage, and he didn't have the momentum that a rookie should have at all. It seems that Smith still has a long way to go if he wants to gain a foothold with the Lakers. If he continues in this state, his playing time may become less and less in the future.

The fifth indisputable fact is that Ayton's performance was actually good, but his playing time was too limited and he was not able to fully perform. He made 5 of 5 shots from the field, with a 100% shooting percentage, and contributed 11 points and 5 rebounds. He was very efficient, and he did a good job of eating cakes in the paint and playing hard at the basket. On the contrary, the opposite Hawks starter Risa Shee scored 19 points, 1 rebound and 4 assists. Although the score was high, he did not take much advantage against Ayton's defense. If the Lakers can give Ayton more playing time and let him use his advantages under the basket, they might be able to suppress Rissashe and even drive the team's interior offense.

In addition to Ayton, other Lakers players also performed very average: Hachimura made 3 of 9 shots and contributed 8 points and 2 rebounds, and the offensive efficiency was not high; Smart scored 5 points and 2 assists on 2 of 4 shots, and failed to connect the team as a defender; Hayes on the bench scored 4 points and 3 rebounds, which was quite satisfactory; Kleber only contributed 1 point, 2 rebounds and 1 assist, and had almost no sense of presence.

The sixth indisputable fact is that the Lakers' defensive end in this game is simply rotten to the core and has no effect at all. Seven players from the Eagles scored in double figures, overwhelming the Lakers' defense. No matter whether they were inside or outside, they could not stop their opponents. In the Hawks' starting lineup, Gay had 21 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists, and was very comprehensive on both ends of the offense and defense; Onyeka Okongwu had 12 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists, getting everything he asked for in the paint; Risashe had 19 points, 1 rebound, and 4 assists, and was very sharp in breakthroughs and shooting; Wallace had 14 points, 2 rebounds, and 7 assists, full of firepower from the outside; Daniels even had a quasi-triple-double of 10 points, 8 rebounds, and 13 assists, and the team's offense was in full swing. There was no ambiguity on the bench either. Newell had 17 points and 5 rebounds, and Krejic had 17 points, 3 rebounds and 1 assist. The two teamed up to completely defeat the Lakers in the third quarter. No one on the Lakers can limit the opponent's core scoring points, and no one can help defend. The opponent can easily score with any breakthrough. It is impossible to win with such a defense.

The seventh indisputable fact is that the Lakers lost completely against the remnant Hawks, which is really ugly. You must know that what the Hawks lack in this game is their core strength. Trae Young is the team's offensive engine. He averaged 24.2 points and 11.6 assists per game last season. Porzingis is both offensive and defensive inside, averaging 19.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Without these main players, the Hawks are equivalent to missing half of the country. Although the Lakers are also troubled by injuries, the core players such as Doncic, Ayton, and Smart are all there. They have also won 5 consecutive victories and are in great shape. But in such a game that should have been won, the Lakers played without any fighting spirit. They fell behind from the first quarter and collapsed in the third quarter. They were suppressed by the Hawks throughout the game and ultimately lost by 20 points. This result not only disappointed the fans, but also exposed many problems of the Lakers. Whether it is lineup adjustment, tactical layout or player mentality, there is a lot of room for improvement. If they can't even defeat the remaining team, the Lakers may still have a long way to go if they want to win the championship this season.