The Los Angeles Lakers’ three-game losing streak is over, as they claimed a 124-117 win over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday.
It wasn’t impressive, but L.A. ends its six-game road trip with an acceptable 3-3 record, not to mention a bit of momentum as they prepare to host the Boston Celtics, who have the NBA’s best record, on Tuesday.
The Lakers built a 61-49 lead at halftime and appeared to be cruising to an easy victory. But as they have done so often this season, they came out somewhat flat in the third quarter, as Detroit got back into the game with the 3-point shot.
It scored 41 points in the period, and more than anyone else, Bojan Bogdanović killed them by hitting multiple contested 3-pointers. He finished the game with 38 points and a 6-of-12 mark from downtown.
Down the stretch, L.A. look to extend its lead, but the Pistons were stubborn, and they hung around until the very end.
Anthony Davis: A+
The Lakers got yet another dominant game from Davis, as he scored 34 points on 12-of-18 shooting and 10-of-12 from the free throw line. The superstar big man also added 15 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and one blocked shot.
Right now, one can make a strong argument that he’s the best player in the world, especially given his excellence defensively and on the boards.
LeBron James: A
After a somewhat poor game versus the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday, James bounced back nicely. He made 14-of-24 from the field to score 35 points while adding five rebounds and five assists.
Lately, James has been working without the ball more often in the Lakers’ halfcourt offense, and when he does so, his efficiency seems to go through the roof. James doing so will be a big key to preserving him and keeping him fresh for what the team hopes is an extended playoff run.
Patrick Beverley: C/C+
There were times on Sunday when Beverley was a pest defensively. But he found himself guarding Bogdanovic at times, and he was unable to do much to slow him down.
The veteran guard went 1-of-5 from the field and finished with five points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Dennis Schroder: C
Since returning from a thumb injury a few weeks ago, Schroder hasn’t looked to score much, and his efficiency has been lower than it has been in previous seasons. On Sunday, he was 2-of-6 from the floor and scored just five points, but he did have five assists and two rebounds while going 1-of-2 from beyond the arc.
Lonnie Walker IV: A
Walker continued his fine play this season with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting. He did his damage both from the outside, as he went 4-of-6 from downtown, and in the paint.
Troy Brown Jr.: D+
Brown went scoreless in 15 minutes, but he did grab four rebounds and add one steal.
Thomas Bryant: B
As usual, Bryant gave the Lakers some good energy when he was on the floor. In 12 minutes he scored five points on 2-of-4 shooting, got two rebounds and blocked two shots.
Russell Westbrook: B+
Westbrook turned the ball over a bit too much (he had four turnovers in just 21 minutes), but the rest of his game was on point. He scored 11 points on 5-of-9 shooting, and he did a good job of attacking the paint and making layups, especially in the second half.
Westbrook also dished off nine assists and took four rebounds while adding one steal.
Austin Reaves: B
Reaves was quiet for most of the game, especially offensively, but with 12.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter and L.A. clinging to a two-point lead, he hit a 3-pointer from the corner to bury the Pistons.
Overall, he went 3-of-5 from downtown and nine points, to go along with three rebounds and two assists in 29 minutes.
Kendrick Nunn: Incomplete
Nunn played just three minutes and made no contributions on the stat sheet.
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