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When the Detroit Pistons met the Los Angeles Lakers it was a battle

By Stuart London

LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 05: Bruce Brown #6 passes the ball to Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk #19 of the Detroit Pistons while playing the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on January 5, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Lakers won 106-99. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - JANUARY 05: Bruce Brown #6 passes the ball to Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk #19 of the Detroit Pistons while playing the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on January 5, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Lakers won 106-99. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by John McCoy/Getty Images) /
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How far are the Detroit Pistons away from being a No. 1 seed and favorite to win the NBA championship, like the Los Angeles Lakers? The two teams met once this season, and it was a heck of a game.

"“Obviously, this is not the way we wanted to win,” said Lakers center Anthony Davis after facing the Pistons to Spectrum Sportsnet. “They are a good team, they play hard. They play together. So we know it was going to be tough…”"

On the surface, it should have been an easy victory for Davis, LeBron James and Co. as the Detroit Pistons arrived at the Staples Center on January 5, 2020 tired and ravaged by injury.

Instead, it was a knock-down, drag-out fight to the end. It was a one-point game with one minute, 28 seconds remaining even though several times the Lakers thought they had put away the Pistons for good.

The final score was Lakers 106, Pistons 99 but it was much closer than that.

Ten months later, the Lakers were in the NBA finals after finishing as the No. 1 seed in its conference. That is the position the Pistons would like to be in someday.

Related Story. Christian Wood needs to be part of the Pistons future. light

How big is the gap between Detroit and the top teams in the NBA like the Lakers? Looking back to when the Pistons faced the favorite to win the NBA title, might give some clues.

First, let’s look at the state of the Pistons entering the contest. It was not good.

The Lakers were the Pistons fifth game on a road trip that had started badly, with three straight double-digit losses. The night before they played the Lakers, Detroit had pulled out an 111-104 win over the Golden State Warriors (who would go on to have the worst record in the NBA) at Oracle Arena. They immediately flew back to Los Angeles to face the Lakers in the second leg of a back-to-back, and its third game in four days.

Coming into the contest, the Pistons had been hit hard by injuries. Among those inactive, were key players like Blake Griffin, Reggie Jackson, Luke Kennard , Markieff Morris (who would later on play for L.A.) and Khyri Thomas.

The Lakers were not only more rested, but at full strength. They actually were deeper at that point than in the NBA finals, as they still had starting guard Avery Bradley, who is not playing in the playoffs.

With all the absences, coach Dwane Casey had to turn to a lot of inexperienced youngsters. Rookie Sekou Doumbouya got the start at small forward and matched up with James defensively. Having just turned 19, it was Doumbouya’s third straight start. In the previous two games, he had guarded Kawhi Leonard and Draymond Green.

Andre Drummond was still at that point the center but for the starting power forward position  Casey made a move that seemed completely out of left field.

Christian Wood had barely made the team out of training camp. Most of his career had been spent in the minor leagues. However, Casey gave him his first-ever start for Detroit against the Lakers and a matchup with Davis

(Note: Apparently, he did not exactly knock Casey’s socks off as Wood would not get another start for over a month)

Veterans Tony Snell and Tim Frazier were the starting back-court but non-factors in the result. Frazier only played in the first half and Snell, battling a migraine, saw no action after a few minutes into the third period.

Las Vegas made it very clear how they viewed the game,  a Lakers romp. The Pistons were installed as 14.5 point underdogs.

When Los Angeles bolted out to a 15-2 lead, it appeared those who had supported the Pistons with their money, had basically thrown it away.

But things would change, and then change again, and then yet again, as Pistons vs. Lakers  turned into a heavyweight battle..

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