Lakers beat Pistons 121-116 as Reaves scores 43 without Doncic

Austin Reaves scored 43 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers past the Detroit Pistons 121-116 on Sunday at Little Caesars Arena. The win ended a four-game losing streak against Detroit and came without star guard Luka Doncic.

Doncic sat out 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 Lakers.

The Lakers built a large early lead, outscoring the Pistons by 24 points in the first quarter. They shot 69.6% from the field in that period, including 62.5% from beyond the arc. The lead shrank to 61-48 at halftime after Daniss Jenkins hit a buzzer-beater three-pointer.

Detroit mounted a comeback in the third quarter, cutting the deficit to three points. Reaves scored 13 points during that stretch to keep the Lakers in control. The Pistons finished a 13-2 run with four consecutive layups to make the score 84-81 late in the third.

The Lakers retook the lead by six points with 3:32 remaining in the fourth quarter. Kessler added a three-point play to extend the margin to 107-99 with 2:15 left. Reaves hit an off-balance three-pointer with 46 seconds remaining and secured the win with free throws.

Jenkins recorded a career-high 31 points in 32 minutes off the bench for Detroit. Kevin Huerter added 24 points from the bench. The two bench players outscored the starting lineup 44-30. Detroit has lost two straight games after starting the season 6-1. The Lakers play at Atlanta on Monday night.