The Los Angeles Lakers lost a hard-fought game against the Detroit Pistons, and it was due to their lack of defense on the night
The Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Detroit Pistons in what was an intense game between the two sides. The Pistons took the lead early on and never let it go.
The Lakers were playing on LeBron James’ 41st birthday, but couldn’t win a game to mark the occasion for the legend.
Where will LeBron James play next season?
No matter how many times the LA Lakers made the game close, the Pistons were able to hold them off and gain another advantage.
In the end, it took the Lakers everything they had to make the game close, meaning they had very little in the tank come closing time.
LA Lakers can’t stop Detroit Pistons in the paint
One of the biggest observations for the LA Lakers was their absolute lack of defense in the interior. The Lakers allowed the Pistons to get any and all looks in the paint.
The Pistons shot 37-52 from inside the perimeter, converting 71.1% of their looks, and many of them came from inside the paint.
A large part of this came due to Deandre Ayton getting into foul trouble early. Jaxson Hayes’ issues as a defender have been well chronicled, so the Lakers’ lack of interior defense makes sense.
Luka Doncic has a shoulder injury scare in loss
Luka Doncic was having a stellar game against the Detroit Pistons before heading to the locker room at the end of the fourth quarter.
After scoring 30 points, Luka Doncic came back with an ice pack strapped to his shoulder. Doncic would return to the game, but his shot-making and passing did take somewhat of a hit.
Doncic had already suffered another injury just last week against the LA Clippers, so another injury scare was never going to be good.
The EXACT moment when Luka Doncic injured his leg… 💔
Hopefully, Luka Doncic returns soon…
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Hopefully, this injury isn’t too severe, especially considering Doncic was able to return to the game. But the Lakers will be careful about putting him on the court in their next game.
Detroit Pistons put LA Lakers in defensive lockdown
Coming into the game, the Detroit Pistons had earned themselves a reputation for being one of the best defensive teams in the NBA this season.
And against the Los Angeles Lakers, they showed just why they’ve earned that reputation. Everyone in the Pistons rotation brought a level of energy and hustle that the Lakers just couldn’t cope with.
In particular, players like Ron Holland and Jalen Duren were excellent on the defensive end, helping to contain Luka Doncic and LeBron James with their relentless effort.
This game should be yet another lesson for the Lakers, as they just got to see first-hand how important it is to have the right defensive energy on a nightly basis.
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