The Los Angeles Lakers’ nine-game win streak came to a halt in a 113-110 loss to the Detroit Pistons, a game played without the Pistons’ Cade Cunningham. The absence of Lakers’ defenders Marcus Smart and Rui Hachimura proved costly, prompting coach JJ Redick to declare that the team is only at its best when fully healthy.
The Los Angeles Lakers saw their nine-game win streak end with a 113-110 loss to the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons were without their leading scorer Cade Cunningham. During the streak, the Lakers defeated several top contenders, including the Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Houston Rockets.
The Lakers were without guard Marcus Smart and forward Rui Hachimura in this contest, having enjoyed relative health during the streak aside from LeBron James’ early absence.
Head coach JJ Redick did not mince words after the game, stating, “We’re a good basketball team. I believe we are a good basketball team. I think we could’ve been a good basketball team all season. We saw flashes of it and short stretches of it, but we’re a good basketball team. We have to continue to play together. It is remarkable to me that our winning streak has coincided with us being healthy.”. He added, “Not having Smart tonight killed us. It’s important for us that we can get healthy and we can play our rotation. Post-Luka trade, when all nine guys have played, we’ve been a good team. Vando did a great job tonight when he had minutes. The way our team works, you need Smart for ball-handling and defense, you need Rui for shooting, those pieces are important to complement everybody. We need to finish the season strong, but we also need to finish the season healthy.”
Marcus Smart leads the Lakers in plus/minus this season with a +238, averaging 9.5 points, 2.8 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. Rui Hachimura is averaging 11.1 points on 43.8% shooting from three-point range, providing crucial floor spacing.
The Lakers’ record without Smart is 7-5, and without Hachimura, it drops to 5-8. This contrast highlights the team’s dependence on these role players, unlike other championship contenders who can withstand the absence of key rotation pieces.
The Lakers will next face the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night.
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