Field Level Media
Mar 15, 2019
Langston Galloway scored 23 points off the bench, one shy of his season high, and the host Detroit Pistons downed the depleted Los Angeles Lakers 111-97 on Friday.
The Pistons snapped a two-game losing streak, while the Lakers lost for the seventh time in eight games.
The Lakers rested superstar forward LeBron James after he scored 29 points in a loss to Toronto on Thursday. Tyson Chandler (neck), Josh Hart (knee) and Lance Stephenson (toe) also sat out.
Reggie Jackson had 20 points, five rebounds and five assists, while Andre Drummond powered for 19 points and 23 rebounds for Detroit. Blake Griffin added 15 points and nine assists, while Wayne Ellington scored 12 points.
JaVale McGee led the Lakers with 20 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 17 points, Alex Caruso tied his career high with 16 points, and Rajon Rondo supplied 15 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
Detroit shot 43 percent from the field and made 17 3-point shots. The Lakers shot 41.9 percent but made just 6 of 25 3-point attempts.
The Pistons led 46-40 at halftime. Galloway had a team-high 12 points as Detroit overcame 34.1 percent shooting from the field. McGee had 10 points to top the Lakers, who shot 37.5 percent and committed nine turnovers.
Detroit increased its lead to 11, 55-44, early in the third on a pair of Griffin free throws. The Lakers managed to hang around, as a 12-5 spurt, capped by a Rondo layup, cut Detroit's lead to four.
Jackson then sparked a 13-0 Pistons run with two 3-pointers and a layup. Free throws by Drummond and another long distance basket by Ellington finished the outburst.
Detroit carried a 77-62 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Pistons led 85-71 before the Lakers answered with an 8-2 spurt. Ish Smith reestablished a double-digit advantage with a pullup jumper.
Galloway hit a pair of treys 45 seconds apart with under four minutes to go, giving Detroit a 104-90 advantage. Los Angeles trailed by double digits the rest of the way.
--Field Level Media