Lakers’ rally versus Detroit falls short as nine-game win streak ends

DETROIT — The brush from a fingertip toppled the Lakers’ longest winning streak in six seasons.

The Lakers’ nine-game win streak ended Monday with a 113-110 loss to the Detroit Pistons when Luka Doncic missed a game-tying three-pointer at the buzzer after LeBron James’ inbounds pass was deflected by Tobias Harris.

Doncic had 32 points, seven rebounds and six assists, but was three for 13 from three and missed two big shots in the final seconds.

The superstar guard had been on a historic heater, averaging 40 points over the previous nine games. With nine seconds left, James tried to inbound the ball over Harris and across the court to Doncic, who had to chase down the deflected pass that also went off forward Maxi Kleber’s arm. Doncic collected the ball and danced with Detroit forward Jalen Duren, pump faking, spinning and stepping back before launching a sky-high three.

It didn’t even graze the rim.

Doncic had made those types of circus shots look easy during the Lakers’ winning streak, their longest since the championship-winning 2019-20 campaign. Though the dramatic run ended, it reintroduced the Lakers (46-26) as a legitimate playoff threat as they rose from sixth in the Western Conference to third. Lakers coach JJ Redick believed that all along.

“I thought we could be a good basketball team the entire season,” Redick said. “We saw flashes of it. We saw short stretches of it, but we’re a good basketball team, and I think we have to continue to play together.”

Austin Reaves had 24 points, dueling with Detroit’s Daniss Jenkins in the final moments. Reaves put the Lakers ahead by one with 29.7 seconds left with a driving layup, bullying Jenkins toward the basket. Jenkins got revenge by hitting a midrange baseline jumper over Reaves to put the Pistons back in front with 25 seconds left. In the back-and-forth fourth quarter, the Lakers blinked first as Doncic missed a go-ahead jumper with 12 seconds left.

Without star guard Cade Cunningham, who was out with a collapsed lung, Jenkins led the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons (52-19) with 30 points and eight assists. Forward Jalen Duren had 20 points and 11 rebounds.

The Lakers won five consecutive clutch time games before Monday, three requiring late comebacks. They had to repeat the process after the Pistons built a 14-point advantage in the third quarter.

The Lakers looked disjointed early as James, Doncic and Reaves combined on seven-for-28 shooting in the first half. James was held without a point in the first half for just the third time in his career and for the first time since Dec. 20, 2010.

The 41-year-old didn’t hit his first shot until the 5:54 mark of the third quarter, draining a three from the wing. It sparked a 20-6 Lakers run that James fueled on both ends. He blocked a shot from Paul Reed on the next possession. He then assisted a three-pointer from Reaves. He finished a layup in transition off a steal by Doncic and an assist from Reaves.

James finished with 12 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds.

“I thought he did a good job of not just trying to score, but make the right play like he always does,” Redick said.

The Lakers were without Rui Hachimura and Marcus Smart. Both are day-to-day. Hachimura got imaging on his right calf and it came back clear, Redick said, after he took a hit against Miami on Thursday. Smart injured his right ankle Saturday when an Orlando player fell on his leg. Smart is also dealing with right hip soreness from another fall in that physical game.

Smart leads the Lakers in overall plus-minus, a quiet cog who connects the Lakers’ constellation of stars. Not having him “killed us,” Redick said.

The Lakers’ winning streak coincided with the team’s best run of health this season, Redick said. The Lakers hope that staying healthy and maintaining the level of play they discovered during the stretch can carry them through the final 10 games.

“We were able to stay resilient and come back,” James said. “So we’re a tough-minded [group].”