The Detroit Pistons beat the Los Angeles Lakers 128-106 on Tuesday night in a nationally televised game on NBC and Peacock. Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff credited soccer and sunshine for the victory, but the Lakers' defense played a part as well. Detroit shot 63% from the field and 46% from three in the win.
Since it was a Lakers loss, the focus had to be on the performance of LeBron James and/or Luka Dončić. Since it was LeBron's birthday, Reggie Miller focused on Luka. After one play which was shown on replay multiple times, the Hall of Famer went in on Dončić for his lack of help defense.
Luka was getting annihilated for his defense last night against the Pistons pic.twitter.com/2WojwGro9K
— Lakers Daily (@LakersDailyCom) December 31, 2025
"I will say one thing," said Miller. "Look at Luka right here. It's O.K. Luka, to move your feet a little bit over and help out. What does he do? He just throws up his hand. This would be frustrating for me."
If you were going to defend Dončić's lack of defense here, you might note that Jalen Duren elbowed Jake LaRavia in the head here and that's why Dončić was throwing his hands up. And the reason they were able to watch so many slow motion replays was that the game was stopped for an official review to confirm a flagrant foul on Duren.
"And I love Luka," Miller continued. "He's great for our game. The leading vote-getter in the early results right now, right? But you've got to be better defensively. I mean, that's the Lakers season right there."
Considering the recent results for the Lakers, it's tough to argue. After a 15-4 start the Lakers went just 5-7 in December and have slid back to the No. 5 seed in the Western Conference.
Until the Lakers' offense reaches the highs of the early season, it's unlikely the defense of the team's superstars stops being a topic of conversation. With Austin Reaves out for the next month, that might be difficult. In the meantime, maybe Luka could just start to move his feet on defense.
More NBA on Sports Illustrated
- Victor Wembanyama Leaves Spurs Game with Limp After Suffering Apparent Leg Injury
- The Best Sports Moments of the Year, According to SI’s Breaking News Team
- J.B. Bickerstaff Credits Soccer and Sunshine for Pistons' Win Over Lakers
- Peter’s Points: NBA Best Bets Today (Predictions, Prop Bets for Giannis, Wemby, Timberwolves, Warriors, Raptors)
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Reggie Miller Rips Luka Doncić‘s Defensive Effort as Teammate Gets Elbowed in Head.
