The NBA's all-time leading scorer, LeBron James, was limited to just 12 points on Monday against the Detroit Pistons, resulting in a 113-110 loss. With his underwhelming performance, the Los Angeles Lakers' nine-game win streak came to an end at the Little Caesars Arena. James did not shoot enough shots, and he was limited to just 10 attempts.
While he did not score a lot, the four-time champion contributed in other ways. He finished with nine rebounds and 10 assists. In the first two quarters, however, James did not score a point and was 0-for-5 from the field. Fortunately for the Lakers, Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves carried the weight offensively.
Doncic had 32 points, and Reaves added 24 on 46.7% shooting.
LeBron James Reacts to His 0-Point First Half Display
After the loss, James addressed his disappointing first-half performance.
"It's the role that I'm playing for the ball club," the four-time MVP said.
His scoreless first half wasn't much of a factor for the Lakers. Head coach JJ Redick didn't think much about it and admitted that the team missed James in a few plays while crediting his playmaking.
"I feel he played a really unselfish game, ended up with 10 assists," Redick said. "We missed him a couple of times in our early steals in transition in the first half. We ran some plays for him, I thought he did a good job of not just trying to score, but make the right play like he always does."
JJ Redick on the Lakers' fight: "We did a good job of just staying with it and got back in the game." pic.twitter.com/WpST0L6E92
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) March 24, 2026
Despite the loss, the Lakers' star still gave credit to the Pistons. The best team in the Eastern Conference did not have its best player, Cade Cunningham. The two-time All-Star will miss extended time due to a collapsed lung.
"Of course you give credit where credit is due. They're the #1 team in the East and they got a really good team," he said. "Their All-NBA player being out. I give a lot of credit to them. We gave ourselves a chance. That's all you can ask for."
During the team's nine-game win streak, James played a crucial role as the Lakers' third option. Throughout the time, the Lakers star averaged 19.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 5.5 assists in just six games. Following the loss, the NBA star told reporters that he wants the team to build a habit of being mentally tough.
On Wednesday, the Lakers will end their six-game road trip against the Indiana Pacers. Los Angeles will host the Brooklyn Nets on Friday for a brief three-game homestand.
Copyright 2026 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved