Reaves’ 43 points lift Lakers past Pistons

Reaves made 14 of 27 shots and added a season-best scoring performance as Los Angeles opened a road trip with a win at Little Caesars Arena. Doncic was ruled out with lower-back tightness. He had posted averages of 45 points, nine boards and eight assists across his previous four games.

The Lakers surged to a 38-14 lead, forcing eight Detroit turnovers and scoring 17 points off them. Detroit cut the gap to 61-48 by halftime, then mounted a comeback after trailing by as many as 26 points. Reaves scored 13 in the third quarter, helping Los Angeles hold off the push.

The Pistons closed within three points late in the third and got to within one in the fourth. Reaves made a difficult three-pointer with 46 seconds remaining and then secured the result with free throws. Walker Kessler contributed 12 points and 16 rebounds, while Collin Sexton scored 17 and Ziaire Williams added 17.

Detroit’s Daniss Jenkins scored a career-high 31 points off the bench, and Kevin Huerter added 24. The Pistons have lost two straight after starting the season 6-1; the Lakers ended a four-game losing streak against Detroit. Los Angeles visits Atlanta and Detroit hosts Washington on November 9.