Lakers’ nine-game surge halted by Pistons in 113–110 finish
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DETROIT — The Los Angeles Lakers saw their nine-game winning streak snapped Monday night, falling 113–110 to the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena.
Luka Doncic’s contested three-pointer at the buzzer came up short after a frantic final possession that began with 9.0 seconds remaining. LeBron James’ sideline inbound pass toward Doncic was deflected by Tobias Harris, ricocheted off Maxi Kleber’s hand and wound up back with Doncic, who could not shake 6-foot-10 center Jalen Duren for a clean look.
Los Angeles, playing the fifth game of a six-game road trip, trailed by as many as 16 in the third quarter but briefly moved in front when Deandre Ayton hit two free throws with 39.9 seconds left. Detroit rookie guard Daniss Jenkins answered, scoring six of his career-high 30 points in the closing moments to restore the Pistons’ lead for good.
Slow start, cold shooting
The Lakers struggled from the field against a Detroit defense that entered the night ranked second in the league. Doncic finished with 32 points on 11-for-29 shooting, including 3-for-13 from beyond the arc. James, scoreless in the first half for just the third time in his career, went 4-for-10. Austin Reaves scored 24, 16 of them after intermission, while Luke Kennard was held to 1-for-5.
Los Angeles was without Marcus Smart (right ankle) and Rui Hachimura (right calf). Detroit played minus Cade Cunningham, who remains sidelined with a collapsed lung.
Postgame reaction
“We were down and battled our way back,” Reaves said. “It’s a long trip, and I liked the way we competed.”
James pointed to the group’s resilience developed during the streak that began March 5. “We’re a tough-minded group,” he said. “Even tonight, we got down again versus a very good team on their home floor.”
First-year head coach JJ Redick echoed that sentiment. “We’re a good basketball team,” he said. “We need to finish the season strong, but we also need to finish the season healthy.”
Standings and what’s next
The Lakers, who sat sixth in the Western Conference before their run, are now third with 10 regular-season games remaining. They close the road swing Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers, a team that just ended a 16-game skid by beating Orlando.
“It’s the last game of the road trip,” James said. “I know everybody wants to get home, but we’ve got business to take care of, so we’ll be ready.”
Source: ESPN
