The Detroit Pistons continue their six-game road trip Sunday with a visit to Staples Center to face the Los Angeles Lakers. Detroit has three of the first four games on the trip, though it is coming off a win over Golden State. The Lakers have won four in a row and are looking like they’ve recovered from a four-game losing streak around the holidays.
Things look like they are about to from bad to worse to a stage of absolutely no going back for Detroit. The losses and injuries have piled up on the Pistons, and they may be officially hitting the eject button on the playoff contention opportunities.
Andre Drummond trade talks are now making waves, with the team’s last fully consistent star that is still out there grinding possibly on the move. It has been a lost year for Blake Griffin, who was coming off a campaign in which he wowed the league. It is time for the young guys to take control.
Los Angeles, on the other hand, was able to handle its business with the Pelicans on Friday night and move to 28-7 on the year. The Lakers have been able to combat their four-game skid by winning each of their last four contests.
The LeBron James at point guard experiment has continued to work, while Anthony Davis is casually just posting 46 points and 13 rebounds (as he did against New Orleans) to lead them to victories. The Lakers have strong defensive players and shot-makers at all five positions on the floor, leaving them without a real weakness.
They may also be adding veteran Darren Collison in the coming weeks, a move at the end of the roster likely to counter it.
The spread for Sunday night’s game has the Lakers as a 15-point favorite, while the moneyline for Los Angeles is -1300 and +870 for Detroit.
Looking To Stay Afloat
In a game that was a bit close, the Pistons knocked off the Warriors Saturday night. And thanks to the injury to Griffin, rookie Sekou Doumbouya is getting a chance to play. He posted a double-double, showing prowess from beyond the arc and in protecting the rim on the other end.
Svi Mykhailiuk, who the Pistons got from the Lakers at the trade deadline last year, has scored 10-plus points in five of six games, showing the ability to make the three in that time. Luke Kennard being out has allowed him to step up as the main deep-ball shooter on the team.
Drummond is grabbing every rebound in sight, and Derrick Rose continues to score at will off the bench. The Pistons are likely to miss the playoffs, but they can still try to win every night.
Lake Show Rolls On
Wins have piled up, and the Lakers have plenty of guys to thank for it. While Davis and James have continued to dominate, others have stepped up. Against New Orleans, we saw a fantastic performance from Danny Green, who finished with 25 points, five rebounds and five assists on the night and could not miss from deep.
They did most of the heavy-lifting, while JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard were able to protect the rim once again. Troy Daniels picked up some minutes off the bench in the absence of the injured Alex Caruso.
Should they add Collison to the fold, they will likely have to drop a guard from the end of the bench. Look for Quinn Cook or Daniels to be the casualty. Collison would add scoring and defense to the lineup. A more effective Rajon Rondo at this point.
Lakers Steamroll The Competition
It’s not going to be a good day for the Pistons as they go down big. Los Angeles gets another win.
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