LeBron James’ 41st birthday ends with Pistons reality check

LeBron James turned 41 on Tuesday night, and for a while, it looked like he might give the Lakers a little birthday juice.

Instead, the night ended with James sitting on the bench, arms folded, watching the Pistons cruise past the Lakers, 128-106, in a game that quietly got away from L.A. and then never came back.

James finished with 17 points, three three-pointers, four rebounds and four assists in the 1,577th regular-season game of his 23rd NBA season.

That alone puts him in rare air. He’s now just the 12th player in league history to appear in a game at 41 or older, and only the sixth to do it this century.

But this wasn’t a ceremonial night. It was a Pistons night.

Cade Cunningham was in control from the start, tallying 27 points and 11 assists and setting the tone for a Detroit team that played harder, attacked the paint and defended with purpose.

The Pistons scored 74 points in the paint, repeatedly exposing the Lakers’ lack of size and resistance inside.

Detroit weathered a brief third-quarter push from James, then answered with a 16-6 run that stretched into the fourth and ended any real suspense.

Marcus Sasser added a season-high 19 points, Isaiah Stewart chipped in 15, and the Pistons did all of it despite losing Tobias Harris to a left hip sprain in the first quarter.

For the Lakers, Luka Doncic did what he could, posting 30 points and 11 assists, while Jaxson Hayes finished with 13.

But defense remains the issue. The Lakers couldn’t keep Detroit out of the lane, couldn’t slow the pace, and couldn’t string together stops when the game was still within reach.

Los Angeles fell to 20-11, and here’s a strange stat that says plenty about their season so far: They still haven’t lost a single game by single digits.

As for James, the milestone matters. The longevity matters. But on a night when Detroit looked like the hungrier, more connected team, the birthday candles didn’t change the result.

This one wasn’t about age. It was about edge.