LeBron James, Lakers Fall to Pistons with Anthony Davis out Due to Quad Injury
The Los Angeles Lakers came into Thursday's game against the Detroit Pistons without consecutive losses this season. The streak is over.
Without Anthony Davis, ruled out with a bruised quad, the Lakers lost to the Pistons 107-92. It was just the second game this season that L.A. failed to reach 100 points.
It was a tough assignment for the Lakers, playing a back-to-back without Davis after losing to the Philadelphia 76ers Wednesday night on a Tobias Harris game-winning shot. LeBron James did what he could to make up for Davis' absence in the first half with 20 points, just one night removed from playing 39 minutes against Philly.
But he went ice cold in the second frame, scoring just two points, and the Pistons went on a 16-0 run at one point late in the fourth quarter to hand the Lakers a second straight loss.
Key Stats
Blake Griffin, DET: 23 points, six assists
Derrick Rose, DET: 14 points
Wayne Ellington, DET: 20 points, 6-of-9 from three
LeBron James, LAL: 22 points, 10 assists, seven rebounds
Kyle Kuzma, LAL: 22 points, 10 rebounds
Talen Horton-Tucker, LAL: 13 points
Blake Griffin Finally Looked Like Blake Griffin
Coming into Thursday's game, Griffin had exactly one game this season with 20 or more points in 13 overall contests. He was averaging just 12.3 points per game. That isn't the biggest surprise—the 31-year-old was coming off knee surgery last year and played just 18 games in the 2019-20 season, with no appearances since December 2019.
Even with Griffin in star form, the Pistons probably aren't a playoff team. A core of Griffin, Jerami Grant, Derrick Rose, a few intriguing young players and some journeyman veterans isn't really moving the needle—let's be honest, Wayne Ellington probably can't shoot like Steph Curry for the entire season—especially in a deep Eastern Conference.
But it does make the Pistons a tougher team to beat. That was evidenced on Thursday, with Griffin leading the offense. If he can get back to being the player who averaged 20 or more points in eight different seasons, the Pistons might force opponents to think twice about benching their best players against them.
LeBron and Kuz Didn't Do Enough Without AD
It's no surprise that James had a solid game—that's what he does just about every time he steps on the court. Still, it remains impressive that the 36-year-old didn't miss a beat on the second half of a back-to-back, finishing with a double-double.
His scoring woes in the second half were costly, however. While he tried to make it up for it by involving his teammates, the Lakers needed James to take over in the fourth quarter. That late surge never came.
The Lakers really needed one of their role players to step up, and Kuzma—starting for Davis—did provide a spark. Like James, however, he seemed to lose his rhythm in the fourth quarter as the Pistons pulled away.
What's Next?
The Lakers continue their road trip, heading to Boston for a matchup with the Celtics on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET. Detroit will head west for the first contest in a five-game road trip, facing the Golden State Warriors on Saturday at 10 p.m. ET.
