The Detroit Pistons snapped the Los Angeles Lakers’ rhythm on Monday with a 113-110 victory. But the loss didn’t crack through the Purple and Gold’s spirit. In fact, the calmness in the locker room, precisely on Austin Reaves’ face (he was considerably upset, though), told a lot about the Lakers’ mindset, and about the certainty they feel at this stage of the competition.

Reaves believed the result would’ve been different if the team had stayed the same—once the Pistons built a double-digit lead, the game already felt decided. “We woulda lost by a hundred,” the 28-year-old guard said. The Lakers lost, plain and simple. Yet that defeat barely dents the glow of a nine-game surge packed with chaos. They’ve endured tough competition in the past few games.

A frighteningly challenging Denver Nuggets. The burst of energy from the Rockets in Houston. Fatigue in Miami and a tough whistle in Orlando. Austin Reaves, LeBron James, Luka Doncic, and the crew have faced it all. Therefore, AR doubled down on his claim with a grin, “Would’ve lost by 100.”

Meanwhile, LeBron James, too, sounded confident after losing to a Cade Cunningham-less Pistons. “There were a couple games (during the streak) where we got down,” the 41-year-old said about their recent game streak. “A couple of games that we got up, teams made a run, took leads, and we were able to stay resilient and come back. So we’re a tough-minded (group).”

He added, “Even with tonight, we got down again versus a very good team on their home floor. Obviously, they had probably been waiting on this matchup. It’s been a long road trip for us, so for us to still be able to have it be a one-possession game coming down the stretch, that’s what you can look forward to.”

The Lakers sit at 46-26, and yes, they handled business in those tough matchups, even flirting with another win in Detroit. Still, with Austin Reaves visibly upset, this group isn’t chasing feel-good takeaways. Instead, that battle against the Pistons sharpened habits they’ve been crafting all season. Consequently, the signs are stacking up—this team carries real postseason bite.

Moreover, that nine-game run featured eight wins over teams above .500, signaling legitimacy. Their last four losses—Orlando (Feb. 24), Phoenix (Feb. 26), Denver (March 5), and Detroit—came by a razor-thin 14 combined points. Meanwhile, they hold key tiebreakers over Denver, Houston, and Minnesota, tightening their grip on the No. 3 seed.

Even amid a fifth road game in eight days, fatigue lingered. Still, the Lakers held firm, refusing to slip into old patterns. And that’s why Austin Reaves didn’t miss out on commending his teammates amidst the loss.

Austin Reaves praises the Lakers’ efforts in 110-113 loss

AR shed light on the team’s response during the road trip. Speaking with the media, he said, “I think we went down what, 16, 18 in third, and then battled our way back… it was a long trip, and I like the way we competed.” Now talking about their physicality and intensity against the Pistons, he said, “Just the physicality of the intensity that we’re playing with… You see them kind of tonight… they played well and hard against you in your building a couple weeks ago.”

The Los Angeles Lakers entered Monday chasing a season-first 10th straight win, riding a nine-game surge. However, adversity hit early as Marcus Smart and Rui Hachimura sat out. Even so, Detroit missed Cade Cunningham. Still, the Pistons proved their edge, sealing a 113-110 win.

Meanwhile, Luka Doncic, fresh off back-to-back Western Conference Player of the Week honors, ignited with the Lakers’ first five points. Offense stalled otherwise, yet he poured in 17 first-quarter points to push L.A. ahead 27-23. Now, LeBron James briefly exited after jamming his finger but returned. Despite defensive sparks from Jaxson Hayes, the Lakers’ offense lagged.

A Flagrant 1 on Deandre Ayton flipped momentum into a five-point Pistons swing. Therefore, Detroit’s pressure tightened, while Daniss Jenkins and Duncan Robinson drilled back-to-back triples to stretch a 65-52 halftime lead.

After the break, Robinson struck twice again, though Austin Reaves and James responded, trimming the gap. Doncic later tied it before Detroit edged ahead 89-87 entering the fourth. Turnovers hurt L.A. early, yet the fight stayed alive. Reaves’ floater briefly reclaimed control, but Jenkins kept answering. Finally, Doncic missed a late look, and Detroit iced it at the line, ending the streak.

Next, the Lakers meet the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday. It will all come down to regrouping and starting a new winning streak to keep the spirits high until the playoffs start. At the same time, it’s safe to say that players like Austin Reaves are keeping their feelings transparent amidst all the wins and losses, and that is shifting the way the locker room functions and how the team is performing on court.