The Los Angeles Lakers embarked on their final road trip after suffering a disappointing loss to the Philadelphia 76ers. However, on the first night of that back-to-back set against the Detroit Pistons, they were presented with a golden opportunity to right the ship.

On the initial evening of a back-to-back set, the Lakers defeated the Pistons 133-107 with an abundance of motivation to secure victory.

Detroit took an early 5-0 lead, but D’Angelo Russell and LeBron James traded layups and uncontested buckets, respectively, to get Los Angeles on the board. Anthony Davis contributed to the Los Angeles offense by dishing out a fantastic pass to Russell and scoring consecutive baskets to extend the lead to 15-8.

Russell maintained his strong shooting form as he effortlessly found his scoring zone, contributing to the Lakers’ 14-point lead and entering the double digits. Due to being in the bonus, Los Angeles was able to advance to the free throw line and entered the second half with a 38-24 advantage.

The Pistons managed to narrow the gap with two three-pointers, but Russell returned in the Lakers’ favor and nearly immediately sank another one-from-deep to preserve their 13-point advantage. Davis returned as well and assisted in calming the team on both ends, thereby preserving the game’s 49-36 score.

By maintaining momentum for Los Angeles during the middle of the period through defensive blocking and scoring on the other end, Davis maintained control. Despite Cade Cunningham’s late-half intervention that aided the Pistons, the Lakers maintained their 65-48 lead at halftime.

After suffering a left arm injury, Jaxson Hayes returned to the locker room for a brief period before being able to resume the game.

Russell continued his strong start with the basketball, much like the first quarter, and his personal scoring propelled the Los Angeles to a 73-52 advantage. Nevertheless, Detroit managed to score a few points in the form of baskets, bringing the game down to 20.

Thankfully, Davis and James restored the team’s momentum with 30-point leads through their contributions from the designated area. As soon as James entered the bench, the Pistons went on a run, but Russell’s back-to-back three-pointers held the Lakers ahead 101-76.

James, recognizing an opportunity to put Detroit away, immediately began assaulting their defense with layups and free throws. Head coach Darvin Ham called a timeout with the victory in hand in order to remove James and utilize the reserves for the remainder of the game.

Russell became the first player in NBA history to record at least 35 points, five assists, three blocks, five three-pointers, and a field goal percentage of at least 75% in a single game. His performance led Los Angeles on that particular evening.