Lakers have work to do after flop
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Lakers superstar LeBron James driving to the basket against the Pistons' Mason Plumlee on Thursday in Detroit, Michigan. The NBA champions were shocked 107-92 for a second straight road loss.
PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
DETROIT • At 5-14, the Detroit Pistons are the third-worst team in the National Basketball Association (NBA), with only the Washington Wizards (3-11) and Minnesota Timberwolves (4-13) having poorer records.
But after NBA champions Los Angeles Lakers lost 107-92 on Thursday to a team who no one expects to make the play-offs, Finals Most Valuable Player LeBron James refused to make any excuses.
The visitors were without All-Star Anthony Davis because of injury. But his fellow forward admitted his absence was no reason for the team to go scoreless for nearly seven minutes in the fourth quarter. Detroit forward Blake Griffin contributed a game-high 23 points.
On losing their second straight road game for the first time this season after a franchise record 10-0 start on their travels, James, who had a joint team-high of 22 points, said: "I mean, we still have games to be played, work to be done.
"We got to continue to get better, and you can't really get your mind into the grasp of how many days you are on the road or whatever the case may be. Every team does it... We're professionals.
"We got to keep our minds fresh, keep our bodies fresh as much as we can to go out there and put together a complete 48-minute game, or close to 48 minutes."
Kyle Kuzma, who also had 22 points on the night, claimed the Lakers - third in the West with a 14-6 record - were still trying to mesh with their off-season recruits, notably Marc Gasol, who went point-less, Montrezl Harrell, Dennis Schroder and Wesley Matthews.
"We're a brand-new team," the forward said. "We're playing like 14 people. It's a tough situation. Obviously, we're working through things.
"The coaching staff is trying to figure out rotations and figure out what works with what best, what players can play certain line-ups. And that's just the point of the season we're in."
The Lakers still have two more games out of a seven-game road trip - after Boston today, they head to Atlanta on Monday - before returning home to the Staples Centre for next Thursday's match-up with the Denver Nuggets.
Lakers coach Frank Vogel feels the championship favourites "will be fine".
"You have nights like this in a long season," he said. "We'll bounce back. Not happy, none of us are happy with how we played tonight but we'll bounce back."
REUTERS