Detroit Pistons at Los Angeles Lakers
· National Basketball Association
LeBron James loses on his 41st birthday as Cunningham leads the Pistons past the Lakers, 128-106
James hit three 3-pointers and added four assists and four rebounds in the 1,577th regular-season game of his unprecedented 23rd season, but he spent the final minutes of his birthday game sitting with his arms folded on the bench while watching the conclusion of the Lakers' fourth loss in five games.
The top scorer in league history is the 12th player to appear in an NBA game at 41 or older — just the sixth in this century.
Marcus Sasser scored a season-high 19 points and Isaiah Stewart had 15 for the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons, who snapped their two-game skid to finish 3-2 on their West Coast trip.
Detroit won its third straight meeting with the Lakers despite losing third-leading scorer Tobias Harris to a left hip sprain in the first quarter.
Luka Doncic had 30 points and 11 assists for the Lakers, who have lost four of five for the first time since last season's playoffs. Jaxson Hayes had 13 points, but the Lakers couldn't match up defensively with the hard-nosed Pistons.
Detroit took control early with accurate shooting, consistent drives to the rim and a re-establishment of its defensive prowess after Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers two days ago. The Pistons weathered a tying rally led by James in the third quarter before surging ahead with a 16-6 run extending into the fourth.
Detroit scored 74 points in the paint, repeatedly beating Deandre Ayton and the Lakers' undersized frontline down low.
The Lakers fell to 20-11, and they still haven't taken a single-digit loss all season.
Lakers: Host the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday.
Regular Season Series
DET leads series 1-0
Recent Plays
| 4th 0.0 |  |
End of Game | 128 - 106 |
| 4th 0.0 | |
End of the 4th Quarter | 128 - 106 |
| 4th 20.0 |  |
shot clock turnover | 128 - 106 |
| 4th 32.3 | |
Ronald Holland II offensive rebound | 128 - 106 |
| 4th 35.6 | |
Adou Thiero blocks Ronald Holland II 's 4-foot running layup | 128 - 106 |
Statistics
 DET |
 LAL |
|
|---|---|---|
| 48-76 | FG | 37-82 |
| 63 | Field Goal % | 45 |
| 11-24 | 3PT | 11-39 |
| 46 | Three Point % | 28 |
| 21-29 | FT | 21-31 |
| 72 | Free Throw % | 68 |
| 37 | Rebounds | 33 |
| 6 | Offensive Rebounds | 11 |
| 31 | Defensive Rebounds | 22 |
| 30 | Assists | 28 |
| 12 | Steals | 10 |
| 4 | Blocks | 3 |
| 18 | Turnovers | 20 |
| 2 | Team Turnovers | 1 |
| 20 | Total Turnovers | 21 |
| 1 | Technical Fouls | 2 |
| 1 | Total Technical Fouls | 2 |
| 1 | Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| 19 | Points Conceded Off Turnovers | 30 |
| 31 | Fast Break Points | 12 |
| 74 | Points in Paint | 44 |
| 26 | Fouls | 24 |
| 26 | Largest Lead | 1 |
| 4 | Lead Changes | 4 |
| 96 | Percent Led | 1 |
Los Angeles Lakers Injuries
| NAME, POS | STATUS | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Rui Hachimura, F | Out | Jan 9 |
| Adou Thiero, F | Out | Dec 31 |
| Austin Reaves, G | Out | Dec 26 |
Detroit Pistons Injuries
| NAME, POS | STATUS | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Jalen Duren, C | Out | Jan 9 |
| Cade Cunningham, G | Day-To-Day | Jan 9 |
| Wendell Moore Jr., F | Out | Jan 6 |
| Tobias Harris, F | Out | Jan 3 |
Game Information
Location: Los Angeles, CA
Attendance: 18,997 · Capacity:
Cleveland
Chicago
Milwaukee
Indiana2025-26 Pacific Standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 LA Lakers |
23 | 12 | .657 | - | L1 |
 Phoenix |
22 | 15 | .595 | 2 | W1 |
 Golden State |
20 | 18 | .526 | 4.5 | W1 |
 LA Clippers |
13 | 23 | .361 | 10.5 | L1 |
 Sacramento |
8 | 29 | .216 | 16 | L6 |
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