Watch the calendar: It was nine days into a seven-game road trip before the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers showed any sign of vulnerability this season, in Thursday’s 107-92 loss to the Detroit Pistons.
LA amassed just 34 points in the second half – the least amount the Lakers have scored in a half since LeBron James joined the franchise in 2018 – and was surpassed 25-14 in the fourth quarter by a Pistons team that night in came with the second worst record in the league, 4-14.
The Lakers went scoreless for nearly seven minutes – from 8:40 in the fourth quarter to 1:50 on the clock – as the Pistons’ lead rose from one to 17. LA went on a 0-for-12 drought with two turnovers then Detroit took control.
“I think we just weren’t connected defensively at the level we should have been,” said Kyle Kuzma, whose 22 points and 10 rebounds were ruined by the Lakers’ late collapse. “Individually everyone made mistakes and along with those who did the team defense a little bit.”
That team defense, which ranked No. 1 in the NBA on Thursday, played without Anthony Davis, last season’s second defender of the year, who was out with a bruised right thigh.
Whatever explanation existed for the bad performance, be it Davis’s absence, the accumulation of fatigue on the road, or the challenge of back to back, James didn’t want to hear it.
“I mean, we still have to play games, work to be done,” he said. “We have to keep getting better, and you can’t really think about how many days you’re on the road or whatever. Every team is doing it. Every team is on a long road trip. We are professionals.
“We need to keep our minds fresh, our bodies fresh as much as possible to go out and put together a full 48 minute game, or almost 48 minutes. Obviously we haven’t done it the last few games. , and we just have to get better on Saturday. “
Coach Frank Vogel challenged last year’s Lakers team not to drop consecutive games all season, and it has remained a part of team culture this year. LA made it more than a quarter of the way through the season before the mission failed, losing one night after a Philadelphia fall from Detroit.
The consecutive losses also marred the Lakers’ perfect 10-0 road record to start the season, which had set a franchise record. They are now 10-2, with games in Boston on Saturday and Atlanta on Monday to end the road trip.
While no one raised the alarm, both Kuzma and James lamented that the Lakers are still trying to find a fixed rotation and due to a lack of practice time, they are experimenting with new lineups in the games.
“We are a brand new team,” said Kuzma. “We’re playing with 14 people. It’s a tough situation. Obviously we’re working through things. The coaching staff is trying to figure out rotations and figure out what works best, which players can play certain lineups. the point of the season we are in. “
Kuzma offered a 10,000-foot perspective, saying that losses – even bad ones like Thursday – are “just the beauty of the journey” and that the regular season is meant to be a rehearsal to fix the kinks for the playoffs anyway. . And since the Lakers’ road trip lasts over a week and a half, he recognized the very real challenge of constant travel. “It’s still a pandemic here,” he said.
Bird put the feat on his own, saying he should better position his players to be successful, but in the end he called the evening something that won’t confuse his team.
“It’ll be fine,” said Vogel. “You have nights like this in a long season. It’s gonna be fine. We’ll bounce back. Not happy, none of us are happy with how we played tonight, but we’re bouncing back.”