Barcelona player ratings against Celta Vigo: Pedri shines after difficult start
Barcelona edges Celta Vigo 1-0; Pedri shines after tough start
Breece Hall made an indirect comment about Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves after the Lakers' Game 2 victory over the Rockets, praising their defense. He questioned if the Lakers looked better with all five players playing defense.
Mentioned in this story
Breece Hall takes indirect shot at Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves amid Lakers' success originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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.
The Lakers' defense has been the surprise of the series. 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.
At the start of the season, the Lakers' defense was among the worst. However, since the All-Star break, the team has sustained a high level of effort and significantly improved.
Breece Hall praised the Lakers' defense while indirectly suggesting that Doncic and Reaves were not contributing positively.
The Lakers held the Rockets under 100 points, showcasing a strong defensive strategy.
Marcus Smart, a former Defensive Player of the Year, is leading the Lakers' high-pressure defensive strategy.
Barcelona edges Celta Vigo 1-0; Pedri shines after tough start
Don't miss LA Galaxy vs Columbus Crew on April 22, 2026, at 7:30 PM ET on Apple TV!
Dale Earnhardt Jr. warns NASCAR about electric cars in O'Reilly Series

Pittsburg State baseball wins against MSSU with a score of 10-3
Are the Houston Astros the most injured team in MLB right now?

Cooperstown's Miles Nelen is the Class C Player of the Year!
See every story in Sports — including breaking news and analysis.
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.