Even though it could have been his last birthday in action, LeBron James took a beating as a gift. The crypto.com Arena had a special welcome for the idol, who turned 41 years old. He is the 12th player to appear in an NBA game at that age and the sixth to do so in the 21st century. It was a festive atmosphere despite the fact that the Lakers are not up to it. And this was demonstrated in a new display of impotence. The Pistons, leaders of the East, ran over them (106-128).
LeBron finished with 17 points (3/10 on three-pointers), four rebounds and four assists. Not bad for a player who is having the longest career in NBA history. Insufficient, by far, to sustain a Lakers team that is falling apart. And he, one of the two greatest players of all time, is also part of the problem. His second half was dreadful, losing balls, missing what he never missed, throwing a three-pointer to the top of the board… With 6:45 to go, with 94-109 on the scoreboard, he was substituted. His bitter birthday party was over.
Luka Doncic was also not at his best despite his 30 points, achieved with a poor 3/11 in three-pointers and eight turnovers. Between him and LeBron, they sent 13 of the Lakers’ 20 turnovers into the limbo. It’s been a long time since he’s looked comfortable. Against a defense as physical as the Pistons’, even less so. He, also touched on the left shoulder, watched the last four minutes of the game from the bench. He sat down when the scoreboard showed a painful maximum disadvantage of 26 points (96-122). His replacement was Bronny James.
The Los Angeles Lakers have lost four of their last five games, but the feeling is worse than the results. The absence of important players such as Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura and Gabe Vincent does not justify everything. It feels as if something broke inside. Only some movement in the winter market can help improve things, but it is another thing to get the season back on track
The Pistons, far superior in every way
Against the Pistons, they were almost always behind. They were outplayed physically, especially in the paint, where Detroit scored 74 points. They were also more accurate from outside, reaching 46% on three-pointers. And they added 31 points on the counterattack. They were better in every aspect, led by a Cade Cunningham who was the master of the game with 27 points and 11 assists.
The 79-79 tie in the third quarter was a mirage for the Lakers. A 6-16 run opened the floor under the feet of the Angelenos, who keep falling. They are fifth in the West and dropping. Counting the last 10 games, only the Kings are worse in their Conference. The overall record is 20-11 and all losses were by 13 points or more
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