The Los Angeles Lakers closed out 2025 with a 128-106 home loss to the Detroit Pistons on Dec. 30 at Crypto.com Arena, a game head coach JJ Redick described as “deflating.”
Los Angeles entered the night coming off a victory that ended a three-game skid, while Detroit arrived on a two-game slide despite holding the Eastern Conference’s best record. The Pistons’ athleticism and physicality consistently disrupted the Lakers’ offense and carved up their defense, piling up points in the paint and at the free-throw line.
“The offensive stretch we had there in the third, start of the fourth, … we had like five turnovers in that stretch,” Redick said postgame. “The turnovers, the fast-break points, points in the paint; that just killed us tonight.”
Redick added that self-inflicted mistakes and defensive lapses made a comeback unlikely. “The intent and effort was there for the most part,” he noted, “but a team shoots 63 percent and most of it’s at the rim or in the paint. It can be deflating.”
The Lakers briefly cut into the deficit during the third quarter, yet turnovers fueled Detroit’s transition attack in the fourth, ending any rally. The loss underscored the gap between Los Angeles and the league’s top contenders despite the presence of stars Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
Earlier in the week, Redick held what he called an “uncomfortable” practice and film session following a Christmas Day defeat to the Houston Rockets, saying afterward he felt more optimistic about the group. The setback against Detroit, however, sends the Lakers back to the drawing board as they prepare to open 2026 by hosting the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.
Source: LakersNation.com
