Lakers drop third in a row despite Luka Doncic’s 45 points

Lakers guard Luka Doncic drives past Bucks guard Kevin Porter Jr. during the first half Thursday in Milwaukee.Staff Writer Follow

MILWAUKEE — When the Lakers were playing their best basketball in February, they were fueled by the energizing power of belief, the knowledge that they could win on any night. Even when they weren’t at their best, a mixture of pace, toughness and execution got the Lakers through the finish line.

Now, as they’re slogging through March, the bulk of their frontcourt back in Los Angeles resting and rehabbing injuries, the tank looks much emptier, the joy much more fleeting and the belief, at least temporarily, disappearing in a 126-106 loss.

Even with Luka Doncic…