The Los Angeles Lakers’ promising 3-0 season start has quickly dimmed after a 115-103 loss to the Detroit Pistons, dropping them to 4-3. Adding to their woes, Anthony Davis suffer left foot injury in the fourth quarter, casting doubt on his availability as the Lakers struggle to regain consistency on their challenging road trip.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ early-season optimism from their 3-0 start has taken a hit after a tough 115-103 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Monday. Now 4-3, the Lakers have struggled to maintain their momentum, especially on a grueling five-game road trip where they hold a disappointing 1-3 record.
Monday’s loss wasn’t just about the numbers on the scoreboard—it also raised questions about the health of Anthony Davis, who has been playing through a lingering left foot injury that he re-aggravated late in the game.
Davis, who scored 37 points against the Pistons to boost his league-leading scoring average to 32.6 points per game, spoke after the game about his injury management.
“I’ve been managing it since this summer, honestly,” he said. “My goal for every game is to be on the floor.” With the Lakers down by as many as 20 points early on, Davis kept his team within reach, but after taking a pass from LeBron James and scoring, he landed awkwardly, feeling a sharp discomfort in his foot.
The Lakers are hoping Davis will be available to wrap up the road trip against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, but his status remains day-to-day.
Sources indicate that while he has not been ruled out, the Lakers are cautious, given that his foot injury has troubled him since late last season and through his participation in the Paris Olympics.
The timing of Davis’s injury setback only highlights L.A.’s ongoing struggles. Despite his late-game heroics and James’ season-high 40 minutes on the court, the Lakers couldn’t close the gap, as Detroit went on a 12-5 run to seal the game. James, who finished with 20 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds, was asked how Davis’s potential absence could affect the team.
“I don’t play the ‘if’ game,” James responded, preferring to see how Davis feels in the coming days. Davis himself was quick to interject, asserting, “He’s not out.”
Still, Davis didn’t hold back on his frustration with his team’s uneven play. “We’re just two different teams right now,” he said. “One game, we’re this team who showcased it can be one of the better teams in the league. Then the next, we’re this team who — I don’t even know who we are.”
The Lakers have displayed flashes of elite play, but their inconsistency has been glaring. They were outscored by a combined 141-108 from the second half of their victory against the Toronto Raptors through Monday’s first half in Detroit, both teams that missed the playoffs last season.
In an early loss against the Phoenix Suns, the Lakers gave up an 18-point lead—a performance that prompted several players to declare a season goal of avoiding consecutive losses. Yet, the Lakers followed up with back-to-back defeats against Cleveland and Detroit.
Coach JJ Redick echoed the team’s collective disappointment. “We’re all disappointed,” he said. “We got to put a full 48 [minutes] together, and we can’t continue to do this if we expect to do anything this season.”
The Lakers will need to find consistency—and keep their key players healthy—if they hope to fulfill their lofty goals for the season.
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