In their last true road trip of the season, the shorthanded Lakers were unable to pull out a victory in Detroit.
The Lakers — who spent the last eight days on the road — received three double-doubles, but it wasn’t enough against a Pistons squad desperately trying to stay in the playoff race, resulting in a 112-106 loss.
It came down to shot volume and 3-point success. The Pistons (34-40) were able to put up 15 more shots than the Lakers and had an 18-4 advantage in second-chance scoring.
Detroit also shot 13-of-33 from beyond the arc, while L.A. went just 6-of-23.
Despite being eliminated for postseason contention by this loss, it wasn’t all bad for the Lakers (32-41), who saw their forwards force their way to success.
Julius Randle won his individual matchup against Blake Griffin with 23 points and 11 rebounds. Meanwhile, Flint native Kyle Kuzma brought his flashy game to his home state, providing 20 points and 11 rebounds, including a patented hook shot and a transition Eurostep.
“It was fun,” Kuzma said. “Good to see my family, friends and whatnot. It was definitely a plus.”
The Lakers’ also had some of their best ball movement of the season, recording 29 assists on 40 baskets.
Brook Lopez was key in this department, as he tallied a career-high nine assists, constantly making the right decision as Detroit continuously double-teamed him in the first half.
The 7-footer also added 14 points and five blocks.
And Lonzo Ball was once again the pilot of the offense, flirting with a triple-double and finishing with 15 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.
The 20-year-old also changed up his game a bit. In the midst of a shooting slump, Ball attempted only one 3-pointer (which he made) and shot 6-of-7 from inside the arc.
Coach Luke Walton thought Ball passed on a few open looks from deep, but liked how the rookie wasn’t afraid to hit a couple mid-range pull-ups and a floater.
“He was under control all game,” Walton said. “The ones he was hitting were good shots, which I think kind of shows how much he has worked on his game. They were shots he wasn’t even shooting earlier in the year.”
Notes
Eight of the Lakers’ last nine games will be at Staples Center, including a Clippers home game. … Detroit was led by Reggie Jackson (20 points) and Andre Drummond (15 points, 18 rebounds). … Four-year Piston Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 13 points on 5-of-17 shooting in his first game back in Michigan. … A crowd of 18,718 was in attendance at Little Caesars Arena.