Lakers takeaways: Pistons dominate paint as Lakers close out a sub-.500 December

The Lakers started the day by singing “Happy Birthday” to LeBron James as the superstar forward turned 41 on Tuesday. They ended by singing another familiar, but more somber tune.

The Lakers got blown out again Tuesday, letting a close game devolve into a 128-106 loss to the Detroit Pistons. James scored 17 points with four assists and five turnovers while the Lakers (20-11) lost by 20 points for the sixth time this year. They are tied for the third-most 20-point losses in the league, yet somehow are still clinging to fifth in the Western Conference standings.

“The intent and the, like, effort was there for the most part tonight,” coach JJ Redick said. “… The turnovers and the fast break points, they kill you.”

Here are three takeaways from the loss:

Read more: Lakers still searching for their identity after late implosion vs. Pistons

Detroit executes its plan

The scouting report was clear. The Pistons (25-8) were second in the league in points in the paint. They were third in points off turnovers and third in turnovers forced.

The Lakers played directly into Detroit’s hands.

Detroit scored 74 points in the paint, the most allowed by the Lakers all season, and capitalized on 21 Lakers turnovers for 30 points. Entering the game, the Pistons’ 58.1 points in the paint per game were only narrowly behind Oklahoma City’s league-leading 58.2.

“We’ve got to definitely match their physicality,” said Luka Doncic, who led the Lakers with 30 points and 11 assists, but had eight turnovers, which is tied for his second-most in a game this season. “That’s the whole point. We got to match how they play.”

Last week, the Lakers faced Phoenix and Houston, two teams with similar styles to Detroit. The Suns averaged 59 paint points in their two wins over the Lakers in December compared to 44 in the Lakers’ Dec. 14 win. The Rockets poured in 68 paint points on Christmas Day.

The Pistons made more shots in the paint (37) than the Lakers attempted (34) and kept their shooting percentage sky-high when three-pointers started to fall. Detroit, which had been shooting 34.7% from three this season, made 11 of 24 (45.8%) from beyond the arc Tuesday.

“We had a game plan,” James said as the Lakers allowed a season-high 63.2% shooting from the field. “We understand that they’re probably No. 1 in points in the paint in the NBA. They get a lot of their points off fast breaks and in the paint. So we knew we’d try to make them miss from the outside and they made some tonight and that’s OK.”

Marcus Sasser hit four of six from three, all in the second half, to finish with 19 points off the bench. Cade Cunningham starred for the Pistons with 27 points and 11 assists.

Jaxson Hayes’ return sparks bench

As the Lakers’ revolving door of injuries turned, Jaxson Hayes returned Tuesday while forward Rui Hachimura was sidelined. After missing two games because of an ankle injury, Hayes came off the bench for 13 points with two rebounds, two assists and one steal, giving the team a jolt of energy behind starting center Deandre Ayton.

Ayton finished with 10 points but only two rebounds, which equaled his fewest for a full game this season.

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Ayton commended Hayes earlier this season, calling the high-flying Hayes “the best big man I’ve played alongside when it comes to holding your own.” Ayton pointed out how Hayes thrives when he’s throwing down thunderous dunks that amp up the crowd or making second-effort plays that magnify the athletic 7-footer’s true talents. Ayton’s strengths lie in his work in the pocket, but their complementary skill sets have been critical for the Lakers frontcourt.

“Both those guys, throughout the season, when there has been two on the ball with Luka, have done a really good job of making pocket decisions, and making the right play, whether that’s to the corner, the slot, cutter from the corner,” Redick said before the game. “… Both those guys have been really good for us.”

The Lakers got Hayes back, but Hachimura will be out for at least one week after he missed Tuesday’s game with left calf soreness. Jake LaRavia started in his place and had nine points with four rebounds and four steals.

Lakers could use a new year reset

The Lakers can’t wait to turn the calendar on this month. They went 5-7 during December, endured their longest losing streak of the season and got exposed by potential playoff teams such as San Antonio, Phoenix and Houston.

After non-competitive losses to other Western Conference contenders, the Lakers provided hope against the Pistons by keeping pace with the No. 1 team in the East for three quarters. The Lakers fought back from a 14-point second-quarter deficit to tie the score midway through the third.

Then they scored just eight points in the first eight minutes of the fourth quarter and emptied the bench down 26 with 4:09 left.

“I think we played good basketball for three quarters, physical basketball,” Doncic said. “We just kind of let go of the rope.”

Read more: Lakers takeaways: Nick Smith Jr. shines in win over Kings with Austin Reaves sidelined

The Lakers begin 2026 with home games against the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday and Sunday. Still without Austin Reaves (calf) for a month, the Lakers have eight of their next nine games against teams with losing records. The Lakers are 13-3 against teams below .500.

But even some seemingly lopsided matchups have gone awry for the Lakers. They lost to the Clippers on Dec. 20 in a game that ended with four starters on the bench because of injuries.

The Lakers’ defensive rating of 122.4 points allowed per 100 possessions is 29th in the NBA during December.

“We just got to dig deep down and everyone has got to bring effort every time, all the time,” Hayes said, “and that’s all we have to care about is defense.”

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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