Luka Doncic pulls in the pin for LeBron James’ birthday layup

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James didn’t have the birthday game he was hoping for Tuesday night against the Detroit Pistons, but he was able to show off his impressive fitness and frame on 41 years of age.

During a somewhat frenetic run in the third quarter, Luka Dončić delivered perfect rejection to James, who skated through the air for a layup. Cripto.com Arena erupted in joy as the home team pulled within three points of the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons. It was just a highlight, however, and in no way indicative of this match. James scored 17 points on 6-of-17 shooting and had five turnovers in the 128-106 loss.

Father Time has humbled the four-time Finals MVP a bit this season, but he’s still scoring more than 20 points per contest on 50.7 percent shooting from the field. No player in NBA history has had a more graceful fall. The Lakers, however, cannot afford a drop in production right now. With Austin Reaves is nursing a strain of calvesothers must step up the offensive. Fair or not, people will look to an aging James to fill that void.

Here’s the thing though. LA doesn’t need an all-time great to turn back the clock a decade. A 40-year-old, All-NBA second-team version of LeBron James would be more than enough. However, he did not get to start the campaign as planned, as sciatica cost him almost a month of action. The NBA’s greatest scoring king is a man of routine, which is one of the reasons he has enjoyed unprecedented longevity.

James alone probably can’t step up his performance to make up for Reaves’ absence. It will take a concerted effort to get the job done every night. The Lakers failed to rally against the Pistons and were completely outclassed in the fourth quarter (outrebounded 32-18). They allowed Detroit to shoot 63 percent from the field and 46 percent from 3-point range, while also surrendering 31 fast break points and 74 points in the paint.

James’ legacy has already been set, but he looked more his age on Tuesday than he probably cares to admit. He and LA (20-11) will try to bounce back when they host the Memphis Grizzlies (15-18) in a pair of games this weekend.