How Pistons’ Unlikely Heroes Snapped Lakers’ Nine-Game Winning Streak

The Lakers can lose after all.

LeBron James and Luka Dončić react to the first Lakers loss since March 6. | Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images

It turns out the Lakers can lose.

The Pistons have the receipts after they snapped Los Angeles's nine-game win streak on Monday night. Detroit, without Cade Cunningham, beat the Lakers 113–110 to win its fourth straight game. All the Pistons had to do was tip LeBron James’s inbound pass and survive Luka Dončić throwing up a deep contested three-point attempt over Jalen Duren in the final seconds.

Here's how the final play unfolded with Duren defending Dončić so well he earned two all-caps words in the NBA's social media post.

UNREAL perimeter defense from Jalen Duren seals a THRILLER 🚨

Pistons: 113
Lakers: 110 pic.twitter.com/diXCp6GIbi

— NBA (@NBA) March 24, 2026

Two nights after JJ Redick drew up a brilliant play to spring Luke Kennard free for a game-winner against the Magic, he again appeared to come up with a play that got Dončić open. Watching it live, it looked like LeBron threw a bad pass, but a second angle seems to suggest the pass was tipped by a leaping Tobias Harris.

Tobias Harris deflected the inbounds pass from LeBron James. https://t.co/EvOD68NBD1 pic.twitter.com/dEgVZN073x

— Khobi Price (@khobi_price) March 24, 2026

That's a tremendous effort by Harris, who also scored 14 points for the Pistons, but it's also incredibly unlucky for the Lakers.

Instead of the ball finding a wide-open Dončić across the court, it hit Maxi Kleber, who had just entered the game for the first time all night. Amazingly, Dončić was able to track down the ball, only to get Duren switched onto him again after a Kleber screen. With Duren defending the final shot, it was an airball.

But enough about that good defense. The Pistons also needed some offense to hold on for the win after blowing a 14-point halftime lead.

With Cunningham out, Daniss Jenkins started for the third straight game and played big minutes. The second-year guard out of St. John's, who appeared in just seven games last year, scored a career-high 30 points, including the final six for the Pistons.

DANISS JENKINS CAREER HIGH 30 POINTS + THE DAGGER TO END LAKERS 9-GAME WIN STREAK 🤯

WOW. pic.twitter.com/66ZgVnHra3

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 24, 2026

Jenkins hit the jumper that gave the Pistons the lead with 24.6 seconds remaining and then put them up three with clutch free throws. There's no way the Pistons win this game without Jenkins making 4-of-5 three-pointers and dishing out eight assists with Cunningham out.

The Pistons have now won four straight and are very close to wrapping up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.

Lakers’ winning streak finally ends

Things are not quite as sunny in LA, but they're still pretty good. Dončić struggled, making just 11 of 29 attempts from the field and went 3-of-13 from three for the second straight game. It wasn't the MVP-type performance he's been having lately, which makes sense because the Lakers are finishing up a six-game road trip on Wednesday in Indiana.

LeBron finished with a very Draymond Green-ish 12 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, and Austin Reaves scored 24 points on 15 field-goal attempts. Kennard, the hero from the Orlando game, had six points on 1-of-5 shooting.

This one-game skid should have experts on morning talk shows saying the Lakers aren't true contenders, but they are still the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference with 10 games remaining in the season.

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