.jpg)
1 hour ago
5
New York Jets star running back Breece Hall appears to have taken an indirect shot at Los Angeles Lakers star guard Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
After the Lakers' impressive Game 2 win over the Houston Rockets, Hall took to X to praise Los Angeles while also appearing to take a subtle shot at their star backcourt duo.
"Is it me, or did the Lakers look good when 5 guys actually play defense?," Hall wrote.
Is it me, or did the Lakers look good when 5 guys actually play defense? 😂😂
— Breece Hall (@BreeceH) April 22, 2026The Lakers' defense has been the surprise of the series, outside of their two wins. They have held the Rockets under 100 points in the first two games, which has consisted of high pressure, physical strategy led by former Defensive Player of the Year, Marcus Smart.
Los Angeles held Houston to under 40 percent shooting from the field and 24 percent from beyond the arc on Tuesday. On top of that, the Lakers forced Kevin Durant to a playoff career-high nine turnovers.
Lakers' Defense Improved Despite Criticism Surrounding Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves
At the start of the season, the Lakers' defense was among the worst, being ranked at the bottom. However, since the All-Star break, the team has sustained a high level of effort and significantly improved.
Post All-Star break, the Lakers ranked 14th in defensive rating at 113.4, and that came with the help of Doncic and Reaves. While the two guards are not known for their defense, they did their part not to be what many consider them to be, a "liability."
With the two on the floor, the Lakers' defensive rating has remained in the same range, far from collapsing despite their "liability" narrative. Doncic is far from an elite defender, but advanced stats show that he is neutral-to-solid in matchup defense and not the "automatic target" many claim in every scheme.
As for Reaves, he's also not the best defender, but Los Angeles put him in great spots that improved the team's help and rotation settings.
Doncic and Reaves are currently out due to their respective injuries. The Slovenian native is dealing with a Grade 2 hamstring strain, while Reaves is dealing with a left oblique muscle strain.
English (US)