LeBron James praised his team’s resilience following Monday’s 113-110 loss to the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena.
He acknowledged Detroit’s performance: “Of course you give credit. They’re the number one team in the East and they got a really good team even with… all NBA player being out. So give a lot of credit to them.”
James reflected on his own role: “It’s the road… I’m playing for the ball club to win ball games… just the role that I’m playing and how the game is going.”
He credited unselfish play for the team’s late-game competitiveness: “Take what the game gives you and see where you can make an impact.”
Mental toughness was a central theme: “Just our mental toughness… a couple games where we got down, couple games where we got up… we was able to stay resilient and come back. So we tough mind about it.”
James also discussed defensive anticipation: “Just anticipation and knowing the rules of our defense, understanding when you’re the low man… put yourself in a position to protect your teammate in case of anything… I’ve been around the block quite a while.”
He addressed a minor injury sustained during the game: “Yeah, it got jammed on the ball… I was able to finish the game, so I’ll be fine.”
Looking ahead to the next matchup, James emphasized preparation: “They play extremely hard, extremely fast, and they’re super well coached. So we got to be ready for that… we got business to take care of.”
Despite trailing by 16 points early in the third quarter, the Lakers briefly took a 108-107 lead late, fueled by 32 points from Luka Doncic and 24 from Austin Reaves. Daniss Jenkins scored 30 points, including six in the final 34 seconds, to secure Detroit’s fourth straight win.
James finished with 12 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds, while LeBron’s leadership helped the Lakers stay competitive in the closing moments.
Los Angeles will face the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, aiming to rebound from the loss and maintain momentum heading into the playoffs.
