The Los Angeles Lakers were on a three-game losing streak and looked to end their East Coast road trip on a high note when they took on the Detroit Pistons.
The Pistons owned the worst record in the league, but despite that gave the Lakers a run for their money in what ended up being a much closer affair. However, LeBron James and Anthony Davis showed up when it matted most and gave Los Angeles the much-needed win.
James led the Lakers in scoring with 35 points and did it in an efficient manner as he was an impressive 14-of-24 from the field. The King did it from all over the floor, scoring on well-timed cuts and dives to the rim as well as his fallaway jumper. Even with the Pistons draped all over him, James got several tough jumpers to go in the second half that kept Detroit at bay.
Not to be outdone, Davis had his own dominant showing by dropping a 35-point, 15-rebounds double-double. Davis got off to a relatively slow start in the first quarter but immediately picked up afterward.
The big man was aggressive in the paint, asserting himself over the inexperienced Pistons’ front line. His physicality also earned him 12 attempts from the free throw line, nailing 10 of them.
For what has been the case for most of the 2022-23 season, Lonnie Walker IV served as the Lakers’ third scorer as he recorded 18 points in 30 minutes of action. Like the stars, Walker was efficient with his attempts and made the Piston defense pay whenever he was left open.
As for Russell Westbrook, he struggled defensively and with his decision-making which led to his benching in the fourth quarter. Westbrook wound up playing 21 minutes and still managed to score 11 points to go along with nine assists.
On the other side of the floor, Bojan Bogdanovic set a season-high in points with 38 points. The sharpshooting forward torched the Lakers in the third quarter, nailing five 3-pointers and pulling Detroit within one possession.
What’s next for Lakers
The Lakers finally return home to Crypto.com Arena for a three-game homestand that starts on Tuesday against their bitter rivals the Boston Celtics. They then draw the Denver Nuggets on Friday, followed up by the Washington Wizards on Sunday.
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