Lakers Top Pistons, 110-106, One Week After Scuffle Between Two Teams Took Place
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) - The Lakers (11-11) jumped to .500 on the year with their 110-106 win over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday evening.
It was the second meeting between the two teams in the last week, with the Lakers emerging victorious in both contests. Most notably, both teams avoided a second showdown between LeBron James and Isaiah Stewart, who were at the center of a bloody scuffle that occurred in the first matchup on November 21.
Lakers fans did however let Stewart know their thoughts when he went to the free-throw line in the first quarter, as he was showered with a vicious round of boos.
The two teams entered the fourth quarter with the Pistons trailing 83-70, but a gritty showing from Detroit in the final minutes brought things a lot closer than Los Angeles fans were comfortable with - especially with the iffy second-half performance from the Lakers thus far this season.
They were outscored 36-27 in the final quarter, barely hanging on for the win. The Pistons went on a 13-2 scoring run that was responsible for bringing the game as close as it was at the finish.
Despite shooting 50% from the field, the Lakers were just 9-for-32 from three-point range, good enough for a lowly 28%. They also missed 10 free throws, at a 60% clip on the night.
The Lakers finished the game with four players who scored in double digits, led by James who had 33 points to go along with five rebounds and nine assists. Russell Westbrook added 25 points with six rebounds and nine assists. He was followed by Anthony Davis who had 24 points and 10 rebounds. Talen Horton-Tucker scored 12 and grabbed eight rebounds off the bench.
The "big three" for Los Angeles, more commonly referred to as "360" by Lakers fans (this is due to the player's jersey numbers - Anthony Davis, No. 3, LeBron James, No. 6 and Russell Westbrook, No. 0) combined for 82 points, 21 rebounds and 20 assists.
It was the Pistons sixth straight loss, despite getting 32 points from point guard Jerami Grant. They are now 4-16 on the year, tied for the second-least amount of wins in 2021.
Cade Cunningham, the No. 1 Overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, had 15 points and 11 rebounds as well.
Fans at Staples Center this evening were treated to Chick Hearn Night, an homage to longtime Lakers announcer from covered the team from 1965 to 2002 - earning a streak of 3,338 consecutive games broadcast during that time. Hearn is a legend amongst all NBA fans, often credited for coming up with popular terminology like "air ball" and "slam dunk."
Now 11-11, the Lakers will head to Sacramento to face the Kings (8-13) on Tuesday evening at 7:00 p.m. - the two teams met on November 26, with the Kings emerging victorious in overtime, 141-137.
They will then head back to the Staples Center for a showdown with same-town rival Los Angeles Clippers (11-9) on Friday, December 3.
