JJ Redick: Lakers were frustrated about Pistons' physicality

The Los Angeles Lakers were dealt another harsh reality check on Tuesday when the Detroit Pistons bludgeoned them 128-106. They competed well enough with Detroit for two and a half quarters to stay within striking distance, but after that, Detroit pulled away, and the Lakers didn't mount any type of response.

The Pistons have a reputation as a physical, defensive-minded team, and this game was a fairly physical one. Los Angeles has had plenty of problems matching the physicality of opponents, particularly on their defensive end, and Tuesday's contest was no exception.

Advertisement

Coach JJ Redick admitted that his team was frustrated about Detroit's physicality and the fact that the referees let Detroit get away with it.

"I think there's probably a level of frustration when you're turning the ball over and you're feeling like you're getting fouled," Redick said. "There's frustration there, for sure. But I mean, again, I said it even here, we said it this morning: They're going to foul every possession. It's just, you got to play through it."

NBA teams that are successful and have a physical, defensive-minded reputation tend to get the benefit of the doubt from officials, whether one feels it's fair or not. The Pistons, who have the Eastern Conference's best record, have clearly attained that type of respect.

The Lakers committed 21 turnovers, which led to 30 points for Detroit. Detroit's physicality and L.A.'s lack of ball security also allowed Detroit to rack up 31 fast-break points and a 74-44 advantage in points in the paint.

In the third quarter, Luka Doncic and Ronald Holland II got physical with each other, and Holland was called for a foul. Doncic inadvertently hit Holland in the face, but he was called for a technical foul for "flailing" his arms.

Advertisement

As much as L.A. had problems with the Pistons' physicality, its defense has been its biggest problem for a while. It ended its December schedule near the bottom of the NBA in several defensive metrics, and the team needs to rectify these problems as soon as possible in order to avoid falling behind further in the standings.

With a 20-11 record, L.A. is in fifth place in the Western Conference and is half a game ahead of the sixth-place Minnesota Timberwolves.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: JJ Redick: Lakers were frustrated about Pistons' physicality