Lakers at Pistons
The Los Angeles Lakers just snapped a 12-game road losing streak and get the chance to pull even at 2-2 on their five-game trip when they visit the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday. The Lakers gave the Washington Wizards and the Boston Celtics tough battles before breaking through with a dominant performance at the New York Knicks on Monday.
Los Angeles held a 27-point lead in the first half and breezed to a 121-107 triumph while seven players, including four off the bench, scored in double figures. "I don’t know if it was the new lineup but we got a great team effort," Lakers coach Luke Walton told reporters after shaking up the starting lineup on Monday. "We’re starting to play consistent defense, which is the first step in kind of building that side of the identity." Making the prospect of back-to-back wins difficult for Los Angeles is the play of the Pistons in their own building of late, and they secured their third straight home triumph with a 113-96 drubbing of Philadelphia on Monday. "We came out with energy from the beginning," Detroit center Andre Drummond told reporters. "We came out with a defensive mindset first. On both sides of the floor, we played as hard as we could and got ourselves out to a good lead."
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Spectrum SportsNet (Los Angeles), FSN Detroit
ABOUT THE LAKERS (18-36): Walton's changes to the starting lineup on Monday involved sending a combined $136 million in contracts to the bench as small forward Luol Deng and center Timofey Mozgov surrendered their spots to Brandon Ingram and Tarik Black. "For me, the whole year I knew it’s about the young guys," Deng told reporters. "I think everybody knew that. We’ve got a lot of talent in this locker room and we want to develop the young guys. But whether it happens now or if it happens 10 games before or 10 games later, that’s a decision they’re in position to make." Black and Ingram combined for 23 points and 17 rebounds in the win while Deng scored seven points in 24 minutes and Mozgov did not get off the bench.
ABOUT THE PISTONS (24-28): Detroit was looking for more aggressiveness and fewer turnovers Monday after getting trounced 105-84 in Indiana on Saturday and achieved both goals while committing 13 turnovers and scoring 66 points in the paint. "We just kept attacking with force, not putting up soft shots," Drummond told reporters. "When we go in there, we have to go in tough and not look for fouls and try to finish the play. We did a good job of really attacking the basket and trying to finish everything." Drummond collected 16 points and 17 rebounds in 26 minutes to lead the way - the fourth time in the last six games that he hauled in at least 17 boards.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Pistons PG Reggie Jackson is averaging 9.8 points on 30.9 percent shooting, including 3-of-18 from 3-point range, in the last five games.
2. Lakers reserve SG Lou Williams scored at least 20 points in eight of the last 10 games.
3. Detroit took the last two meetings, including a 102-97 triumph in Los Angeles on Jan. 15, after dropping the previous seven.