The Pistons dominated the Lakers with their defense en route to a 22-point victory on Tuesday night. Both of Los Angeles' stars, LeBron James and Luka Doncic, struggled with efficiency and turnovers. It was yet another testament to the depth of quality defensive wings that the Pistons have all throughout the roster.
The Pistons defense took over the game
In total, Detroit forced 20 turnovers; Luka had 8 and LeBron added another 5. Luka did a great job of getting Pistons defenders in foul trouble, but the Pistons had a seemingly infinite supply of bodies to throw at him. Whether it was Ausar Thompson, Ron Holland II or Javonte Green, the Pistons never made his life easy in this game.
Between the foul trouble and some injuries to the Pistons, rotations were actually simplified for head coach JB Bickerstaff. The Pistons were able to bring in a steady stream of energetic players ready to hustle on defense. They didn't even let up on LeBron for his 41st birthday.
Both Lakers stars were still able to finish with respectable counting stats. Luka had 30 points and 11 assists, but only shot 9-of-22 from the field and had his 8 turnovers. LeBron also finished with 17 points and 4 assists, but shot just 6-of-17 from the field. With players that talented, they will always put up numbers but the Pistons defense made sure it took a lot of effort.
The Pistons also capitalized on the Lakers' turnovers and misses. They had 31 total fastbreak points and lived in the paint all game long. While the Lakers struggled, Cade Cunningham was able to dominate with his interior scoring and playmaking. It was a perfect representation of the two-way dominance that has powered the Pistons' success this season.
Arguably the most important piece to the Pistons' defense in this game was Javonte Green. After Thompson and Holland both found themselves in early and frequent foul trouble, he came in to give the Pistons a steady force on the wing. He's much more experience at age 32 than his young teammates.
He showed the merit of that experience with 32 minutes of great defense and only 2 fouls. Compare that to Ausar and Ron both playing around 20 minutes with 4 fouls each, and there's a stark difference. Hopefully Green's mentorship can help the youngsters play more controlled defense in the future. If the Pistons can get over their foul troubles, this defense could elevate to an even higher level.
The Pistons rebounded after two straight unexpected losses by dominating the Lakers. It was a loud message not only to Los Angeles but the entire NBA that the Pistons' two-way excellence can overwhelm even the best players in the league.