The Lakers bounced back from a humiliating blowout loss in Philadelphia with a dominant performance in Detroit. D’Angelo Russell racked up 35 points and nine assists, while Anthony Davis powered for 28 points and 16 rebounds to help Los Angeles romp past the host Detroit Pistons 133-107 on Wednesday night. The win improved the Lakers to 11-8 on the season while allowing the Pistons to establish a franchise record for futility at 2-16.
After a sluggish start, the Lakers took control with a fast-paced game and a relentless attack. Los Angeles had the better offensive numbers throughout and a pair of breakout performers in Davis and Russell. With Davis rolling into the paint and running the floor in transition and Russell probing the defense with his shooting ability, the Lakers posed a tough matchup for the Pistons.
Detroit struggled to keep pace with the Lakers and trailed by double digits after about 15 minutes of play. But a big run by the Lakers put the game out of reach in the second quarter. After trading baskets with the Pistons, Los Angeles exploded for an 8-0 burst with Russell hitting a 3-pointer to cap the spree.
The lead grew to 19 points before halftime, and the Lakers continued their dominance in the third quarter. The team’s top scorers — James and Russell — hit 3-pointers to help the Lakers extend their lead to 24 points.
By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, Los Angeles had pulled away from a scrappy Pistons team that couldn’t play stingy defense. The Lakers racked up 36 points in the final period to put the game out of reach and cruise to a comfortable victory.
With the win, the Lakers are back in the playoff hunt at 9-9 and now sit three games behind the eighth-place Minnesota Timberwolves. LeBron James finished with 25 points as the Lakers improved to 2-1 on their road trip. The superstar forward was in vintage form. He dunked on folks, hit impossible fadeaways, and glided through the lane for gorgeous layups.
LeBron’s performance was the highlight of the game, but the emergence of two young teammates made this win possible.
The young guards, who are in their second seasons with the team, stepped up to the challenge of matching the playmaking skills of Davis and James. They are the future of this organization, and if they continue to improve at their current rate, the Lakers will have an excellent team down the road. The only question that remains is how many more games these youngsters can contribute to the cause of winning. They need to stay healthy and continue developing in their roles. The Lakers must find consistency in their rotations if they want to challenge for a spot in the Western Conference playoffs.
