After the worst loss of his career with a difference of 44 points against the Philadelphia 76ers, LeBron James said he and his teammates had a lot of things that needed to change.
It seems that this wake-up call reached the Los Angeles Lakers team in this morning’s match. Knowing that LA’s opponent is quite light is the Detroit Pistons (2-16 record), but the Lakers’ focus and discipline were shown in a 133-107 victory.
Everything started extremely well for the Los Angeles Lakers when Anthony Davis exploded early, followed by the hot hands of D’Angelo Russell.
The Lakers maintained the gap at over 10 points until the end of the second half and reached 30 in the third quarter. Many of the LA team’s points came from free throws (31-38 FT throughout the match) as the Pistons struggled to prevent continuous attacks near the basket.
D’Angelo Russell had the most sublime and dominant game since the beginning of the season with 35 points (13-17 FG, 5-7 3PT, 4-5 FT) along with 9 assists and 2 blocks. LeBron James pocketed 25 points and 8 rebounds.
Anthony Davis did not stay out of the game with 28 points, 16 rebounds, 3 blocks and 4 assists. Christian Wood and rookie Jalen Hood-Schifino are the two names that reached the 10-point mark in this competition.
As for the Detroit Pistons, this team with many young players experienced 14 consecutive defeats before encountering a thirsty Los Angeles Lakers. As a result, Cade Cunningham and his teammates extended their losing streak to 15, setting a sad record in the team’s history.
Despite starting the season with 2 wins in 3 matches, Piston has not had a triumphant song for more than a month, since October 28. This shows that Detroit’s young squad still has a lot to do to improve in the future.
Next time they play, both the Detroit Pistons and the Los Angeles Lakers will play their second match in two days tomorrow morning (Vietnam time). The Lakers will travel to Oklahoma City to face the Thunder, and the Pistons will visit the New York Knicks’ “mecca” Madison Square Garden.
