Lakers hold off Pistons behind Austin Reaves’ 43 with Luka Dončić out
He hit an off-balance 3-pointer with 46 seconds left, waved toward the courtside seats and closed out a season-high 43-point night at the free-throw line as the Lakers beat the Detroit Pistons 121-116 on Sunday at Little Caesars Arena.
Key points
- The Lakers stretched it to 40-14 early in the second before Detroit’s bench brought the Pistons back.
- “I thought AR’s decision-making, his aggression, his ability to just consistently touch the paint and get downhill was fantastic tonight,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said.
- The Lakers visit the Atlanta Hawks on Monday to close out the back-to-back.
Nov 8, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) passes the ball from under the basket against the Detroit Pistons in the second half at Little Caesars Arena.
Additional details
- The Pistons had a chance to tie it with 9:14 left in the fourth, when Cade Cunningham missed the second of two free throws to leave L.A.
- He finished with 12 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks, while Collin Sexton and Ziaire Williams each scored 17 off the bench.
- “You can get sped up in those types of moments, but we trust what we got on this team.” Walker Kessler helped rebuild the lead with a huge putback and a free throw to give L.A.
- Reaves went 14 of 27 from the field, made four of six 3-pointers and hit all 11 free throws.
- Reaves scored 13 in the third quarter, but Detroit closed within three late in the period.
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