Lakers End Four-Game Skid Against Detroit With 43-Point Reaves Performance
Austin Reaves carried the scoring load in the absence of Luka Doncic, while the Pistons relied on bench production to keep the contest close until the final minutes.
By Adrian Kovalenko ·
The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Detroit Pistons 121-116 on Sunday at Little Caesars Arena. Austin Reaves led the Lakers with 43 points in the win, which snapped a four-game losing streak against Detroit. The victory came despite the absence of star guard Luka Doncic.
Doncic was ruled out earlier on Sunday with lower-back tightness. He had averaged 45 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists over his previous four games. The Lakers had fallen to the Pistons in their last four matchups before Sunday's result.
The Lakers established a large lead early in the game. They outscored the Pistons by 24 points in the first quarter. The team shot 16 of 23 from the field, a 69.6% clip, including five of eight attempts from beyond the arc. The Pistons trailed 40-14 early in the second quarter before mounting a comeback.
Daniss Jenkins scored a career-high 31 points off the bench for Detroit in 32 minutes. Kevin Huerter added 24 points from the bench. The two players combined for 55 points, outscoring the starting lineup 44-30. Jenkins hit a three-pointer at the halftime buzzer to pull Detroit within 61-48.
Detroit cut the deficit to three points with 9:14 remaining in the fourth quarter. Cade Cunningham missed the second of two free throws that would have tied the game at 90. Walker Kessler, who finished with 12 points and 16 rebounds, added a three-point play with 2:15 left to extend the lead to 107-99. Reaves secured the win with a free throw after hitting an off-balance three-pointer with 46 seconds remaining.
The Lakers travel to Atlanta on Monday night for their next contest. Detroit hosts the Washington Wizards on Monday night. The Pistons have lost two consecutive games after a 6-1 start to the season.
