DETROIT — Coach J.B. Bickerstaff revealed one of the most important lessons the Detroit Pistons took following their embarrassing defeat to the New York Knicks Friday night. For a team with a sub .500 record, Bickerstaff said the Pistons must have the mentality of throwing the first jab at their opponents while making them uncomfortable early in the game.

The Pistons applied Bickerstaff’s teachings Monday night during an interconference contest against the Los Angeles Lakers, which resulted in a 115-103 victory at Little Caesars Arena. By defeating the Lakers, the Pistons recorded their first home victory for the 2024-25 season. The win against their Western Conference rival also marked the Pistons’ second consecutive victory following a successful outing against the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.

Cade Cunningham led the way with a triple-double performance of 17 points, 11 assists, and 11 rebounds. Anthony Davis led the Lakers with a game-high 37 points and nine rebounds.

Jalen Duren’s block on LeBron James early in the first quarter led to the Pistons having their best half of any game so far this season. Detroit jumped out to a 33-22 lead due to its high production on both ends. On the offensive end, Tobias Harris and Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 13 first-half points, respectively, while accounting for three of the Pistons' five-made triples.

Jaden Ivey scored 10 of a team-best 26 points during the second quarter, and his contributions led to Detroit holding a 67-53 lead at the half. In addition to his scoring, Ivey also added four assists, three rebounds and a block in the win.

While shooting 54.0% from the field, the Pistons' offense was clicking on all cylinders, but their dominance stemmed from a successful showing on the defensive end, which included four rejections. Outside of the LeBron-Davis tandem, no one else on the Lakers' roster had more than five points by halftime.

The Pistons led by as many as 20 points following Hardaway’s mid-range jumper with 2:57 left in the second period. With his Hall-of-Fame father, Tim Hardaway Sr., in attendance, Hardaway finished the game with 19 points on 7-of-12 shooting, 4-of-8 from behind the arc. Harris added 15 points and seven rebounds in the win.

Detroit held a 19-point lead with seven minutes left into the third quarter when the Lakers embarked on a comeback attempt. They outscored the Pistons 24-16 during the period and carried their momentum into the fourth quarter. Los Angeles cut its deficit to single digits on a handful of occasions during the final period, but the Pistons avoided a collapse. James finished with 20 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds in the loss. Austin Reaves added 17 points.

Up next

The Pistons will hit the road for one game Wednesday night to take on the Charlotte Hornets at the Spectrum Center. The Pistons will then return to the Little Caesars Arena to begin a three-game homestand, which starts Friday night against the Atlanta Hawks. Tipoff between the Hornets and Pistons is slated for 7 p.m. ET.

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