Reaves Scores 43 to Lead Lakers Past Pistons Without Doncic
The Lakers snapped a four-game losing streak in Detroit, with bench players for the Pistons outscoring the starting unit.
By Rosa Wojcik ·
Austin Reaves scored 43 points on Sunday to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 121-116 victory over the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. The win ended a four-game losing streak for the Lakers against Detroit.
Luka Doncic was ruled out earlier in the day due to lower-back tightness. He had averaged 45 points, nine rebounds, and eight assists in his previous four games. Walker Kessler contributed 12 points and 16 rebounds for the visitors.
The Lakers established an early advantage by outscoring the Pistons by 24 points in the first quarter. They shot 69.6% from the field, making 16 of 23 attempts, and converted five of eight three-point shots.
Detroit mounted a comeback effort in the second quarter. Daniss Jenkins hit a three-pointer at the halftime buzzer to cut the deficit to 61-48. Jenkins finished the game with a career-high 31 points in 32 minutes off the bench.
Kevin Huerter added 24 points for Detroit, also coming off the bench. Together, Huerter and Jenkins outscored the Pistons' starting lineup 44-30. Detroit trailed by seven points entering the fourth quarter despite no starter reaching double figures in scoring.
The Pistons had a chance to tie the game at 90 with 9:14 remaining, but Cade Cunningham missed the second of two free throws. Reaves hit an off-balance three-pointer with 46 seconds left and converted free throws to secure the lead. The Lakers play at Atlanta on Monday night.
