In the first night of their back-to-back, the Lakers hosted Detroit and took them down handedly, 125-111.
Los Angeles controlled the game from the tip, with the Pistons only going up by one and the Lakers going up by as much as 24.
The team was up 71-48 at halftime largely on behalf of Anthony Davis and his ability to hold down the paint on both sides of the floor. After 24 minutes, Davis had 18 points, three assists, and four blocks in his 20 minutes played. He went 6-for-10 from the field and was perfect from the charity stripe for five. The big fella ended the night with 20 points, a team-high14 rebounds, and six blocks. “A’s been our anchor,” Head Coach Darvin Ham said, “...He’s the captain of our defense.”
And where Davis tipped things off, LeBron James closed things out in the final frame. LBJ was eager from the arc, he hit three of six while leading his team in points and assists with 25, eight, and one steal.
LeBron commented that the team is finding success by forcing turnovers and acknowledging that the “defense is on a string.” He continued, “and if anything breaks down, the defensive player of the year cleans it up for us.”
James was referencing the point in the game when the Pistons had a 3-on-1 fastbreak and AD didn’t flinch; he attacked the ball and stopped Detroit in their tracks.
D’Angelo Russell carried on with his firepower that he’s been bringing the last two months. “He set a good tone from the perimeter,” Coach Ham said after the game. Russell effective from all over the floor, went 44.4% from the field and 4-for-9 from three, he even cashed in on a block.
And the Lake Show’s newest member, Spencer Dinwiddie, entered the game at just around the five-minute mark. He got his first point in the third quarter, an and-1 and then a triple closely after. He ended the night with six points, seven assists, and two steals.
The Purple and Gold now stand three games above .500. The vibes are good. Bron and AD stood by the scorer’s table dancing as the final minutes ticked down. The team has one more game against Utah tomorrow before the All-Star Break.
And looking ahead at the next few months, LeBron explained how the team must, “Play good basketball, and stay true to the game, and control what you can control.”