Lakers’ Luka Doncic threads the needle for LeBron James birthday layup

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James did not have the birthday game he hoped for on Tuesday night against the Detroit Pistons, but he did manage to showcase his impressive conditioning and physique at 41 years of age.

During a somewhat frenetic sequence in the third quarter, Luka Doncic delivered a perfect bounce pass to James, who glided in the air for the layup. Crypto.com Arena erupted in joy as the home team pulled within three points of the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons. It was only a highlight, however, and by no means indicative of this matchup. James scored 17 points on 6-of-17 shooting and had five turnovers in what was a 128-106 loss.

Luka Doncic threads the needle and LeBron James stretches for the tough finish pic.twitter.com/du1CtE0xeN

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Father Time has humbled the four-time Finals MVP a bit this season, but he is still scoring more than 20 points per contest on 50.7 percent shooting from the field. No player in NBA history has ever had a more graceful decline. The Lakers cannot afford a dip in production right now, however. With Austin Reaves nursing a calf strain, others have to step up offensively. Fair or not, people will look to the aging James to fill that void.

Here is the thing, though. LA does not need the all-time great to turn back the clock a decade. The 40-year-old, All-NBA Second-Team selection version of LeBron James would more than suffice. He did not get to begin the campaign on schedule, however, as sciatica cost him almost a month of action. The NBA’s ultimate scoring king is a man of routine, which is one of the reasons why he has enjoyed unprecedented longevity.

James alone probably cannot ramp up his output to compensate for Reaves’ absence. It will take a collective effort to get the job done on a nightly basis. The Lakers failed to come together versus the Pistons and were completely outclassed in the fourth quarter (outscored 32-18). They allowed Detroit to shoot 63 percent from the field and 46 percent from 3-point range, while also surrendering 31 fast break points and 74 points in the paint.

James’ legacy is already set, but he looked more like his age on Tuesday than he probably cares to admit. He and LA (20-11) will try to bounce back when they welcome in the Memphis Grizzlies (15-18) for a pair of games this weekend.

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