Doncic: I didn't take the final shot because I felt a bit too far from the basket; I saw LeBron was open so I passed to him.

On February 25th Beijing time, the Lakers lost to the Magic 109-110 by a slim margin. After the game, Doncic spoke about the final possession, focusing on why he didn’t attempt the winning shot. Here is the full interview transcript—

Reporter: Tell us about the last offensive play.

Doncic: I was open then, but I thought I was a little far from the basket, so I tried to dribble closer. Maybe I should have just caught and shot immediately, but I wanted to keep attacking, and it ended up getting crowded.

Reporter: You were once leading by 12 points, but the Magic caught up. What do you think the Magic did, or what went wrong on your side?

Doncic: Clearly, in the last two possessions, they made a three-pointer—I think two of them. They also won the rebound battles. So in the final moments, they executed better than us.

Reporter: This home series had its ups and downs, and you ended up 4-4. What have you learned about the team during this period? What areas need improvement, and what do you think is going well? What’s your overall impression?

Doncic: We need to be more consistent. We should have won more games; being more stable is key.

Reporter: After you passed to LeBron on the last play, did you communicate? Did you think he had a good chance to shoot, or did you know it was a tough opportunity?

Doncic: I just saw he was open and didn’t want to risk a turnover. We still had a timeout, but honestly, I probably shouldn’t have dribbled then—I should have caught and shot right away.

Reporter: You said you felt the distance was a bit far. Given your usual confidence in shooting, I was a bit surprised. Was your three-point rhythm off tonight, causing hesitation on that shot?

Doncic: Maybe a little. I thought there was enough time—six or seven seconds—so I could have found a better chance, like driving. That’s why I chose to do that.

Reporter: Compared to when you played in Dallas, what is the biggest change in your mindset now?

Doncic: The mindset is basically the same. My first year, of course, I was learning how to play in the NBA. But all along, my mindset has been consistent: work hard to win.

Reporter: We talked before about how before the All-Star break, you didn’t have a full roster. How do you think the team should balance “patiently building chemistry” with the “urgency to win and make the playoffs”?

Doncic: Keep working hard. Like I said, there were several games we should have won. We didn’t execute well at the end today, but we could have won.

Reporter: You’re trying to maximize the effect of having Luka, LeBron, and Austin on the court together. Balancing selflessness and maintaining aggression—is it difficult? Are you going through growing pains where you want to make the right plays for teammates but also need to attack yourself?

Doncic: Yes, definitely a bit. I missed a lot of shots today. But in terms of passing and finding opportunities, we need to do more.