Detroit used a big second quarter to power them past the Lakers in a 113-110 victory. Cade Cunningham missed his third straight game with a collapsed lung, but the Pistons overcame his absence to break up the Lakers’ red-hot win streak. Backup point guard Daniss Jenkins stepped up with a career-high 30 points, tacking on 8 assists while going 4-for-5 from behind the arc.
Jenkins Leads the Charge as Detroit Finds Enough Offense
It was the second straight win for the Pistons without their star player, as they have strengthened their grip on the top seed in the East with less than a dozen games left in the regular season. Jalen Duren posted a 20-point double-double that included a perfect 10-for-10 showing from the free throw line, while Jenkins and Duncan Robinson scored four three-pointers each.
The Pistons overcame 32 points from Luka Doncic, as the Lakers were unable to stretch their win streak to double digits. Doncic was originally suspended for this matchup after he picked up his 16th technical foul of the season against the Orlando Magic, but the NBA rescinded the technical and the suspension that went with it.
Lakers Rally Late, but Detroit Delivers in the Clutch
The Lakers dug themselves into a 16-point first-half deficit that they clawed back, but fell short of completing the comeback in the fourth quarter. Doncic’s game-high 32 points powered the Lakers when they needed it, but his lack of efficiency came back to bite them in the fourth as he finished 11-for-29 from the field and 3-for-13 from behind the arc.
Meanwhile, Austin Reaves tacked on 24 points, while LeBron James fell one rebound short of another triple-double as he finished with a 12-9-10 stat line. Marcus Smart and Rui Hachimura missed the contest with injuries, forcing the Lakers to run an eight-man rotation that eventually ran out of steam down the stretch.
In what was a potential NBA Finals preview, the Pistons took over early with a flurry of threes. After going into the second quarter down four, Detroit tied it at 35 before going on a 30-17 run to close out the half. The Lakers did a good job of shutting down Detroit’s fast break opportunities, but the Pistons were able to carve open their half-court defense consistently.
On the other end of the court, the Lakers struggled from behind the arc, often forced into contested shots late in the shot clock. Los Angeles managed to sneak ahead 110-109 with less than 30 seconds left after Reaves hit a jumper in the lane. Jenkins responded with four points sandwiched between a Doncic miss before Doncic missed a contested three as time expired to seal the victory for Detroit.
Playoff Picture Comes Into Focus for Both Contenders
Both of these teams will already be looking ahead to the postseason, as there is plenty of optimism about potentially deep playoff runs. The Pistons are well on their way to securing the top seed in the East, while the Lakers’ recent hot streak has surged them up to third place in the West. While they were able to do so tonight, overcoming a potential Cunningham absence in the postseason will be a tall task for the Pistons, as the young guard has been playing at an MVP level this year in Detroit.
Up next, the Pistons look to make it three straight home wins when they host the Hawks tomorrow, in a potential first-round playoff preview with the Hawks hanging around the play-in tournament.
For the Lakers, they wrap up a six-game East Coast road trip with a visit to the struggling Indiana Pacers, giving them a real opportunity to get back on track. Los Angeles closes out the year with six of their last nine games at home.
UP NEXT: March Madness Day 1 Roundup
