Another worrying performance for the Lakers

For their last match in the year 2025 andlebron james birthdayagainst the Pistons, the Lakers he did not offer a memorable performance, but more in line with recent performances, which have been quite disappointing.

After two straight losses, Detroit’s players had desire, they had determination, which was not entirely the case with Los Angeles, who allowed themselves to be overwhelmed from start to finish. We were killed by turnovers, racket points and counterattacks.says the Lakers coach, he’s not very talkative at the press conference.

So let’s take three numbers. Lost Los Angeles Balloons? 20. Points in the Pistons racket? 74. Counterattack? 31. Clearly, in attack, it was too easy for JB Bickerstaff’s troops. Throughout the match, the Californians showed irritation towards the referees. “There’s frustration when we lose balls and feel like we’re not getting the whistle”reacts JJ Redick.

Only one topic: lost balloons

The problem is that the aggression was on the side of Detroit, and the referees then, as often, were in the direction of the team that wanted it the most. “We have to match their physical impact. It’s all there,” noticed Luka Dončić, even less talkative than his coach.

The Slovenian believes that he and his teammates played well for three quarters, before shattering in the last one. The lost balloons are to blame, the topic he will talk about the most in front of journalists, always in short sentences. “There were too many” he said, before later slipping up:“We lost a lot of balls, I lost a lot.

The former Dallas leader actually wasted eight possessions. LeBron James adds five. How to limit them? “I don’t really have the ball. I play a lot away from the ball. If the coaches ask me to have more in my hands, I can do it. This season, most of the time, I play off the ball”analyzes “The King”, who celebrated his 41st birthday.

Having a more creative LeBron may be an avenue to explore. What does Luka Doncic think? “Too many loose balls, we have to stop losing them” he says, visibly determined not to give anything to his colleagues…