The Los Angeles Lakers took on the Detroit Pistons on the first night of a back-to-back series to end their road trip. After suffering a hard defeat to the Philadelphia 76ers, the Lakers had a great chance to turn things around.

After a back-to-back set, the Lakers thrashed the Pistons 133-107 in the opening game. They had every right to triumph.

D’Angelo Russell scored for Los Angeles with a layup after Detroit had taken an early 5-0 lead. This allowed LeBron James to have an open basket. Anthony Davis scored twice in a row and found Russell for an incredible pass to give the Lakers a 15–8 lead.

Russell’s persistent hot shooting, which enabled him to reach double figures and find his scoring spots with ease, gave the Lakers a 14-point lead. Los Angeles had a 38-point lead at the half thanks to their ability to go to the free throw line when in the bonus.

The Pistons made two three-pointers to cut the margin in half, but Russell came back to the game and immediately sank another long-range jumper to keep the Lakers ahead by thirteen. The team was able to settle into a defensive and offensive game plan with Davis back, and the final score stayed 49–36.

Davis helped Los Angeles stay ahead in the middle of the quarter by stopping the paint and scoring when he had the chance. Cade Cunningham gave the Pistons a boost in the second half, but the Lakers still had a 65-48 advantage at the break.

Jaxson Hayes left the game briefly to visit the locker room after suffering a left arm injury.

Russell continued to shoot brilliantly in the first quarter, and his baskets alone gave the Lakers a 73-52 lead. However, Detroit’s two jump shots turned the game into a 20-point contest.

The squad was able to gather momentum and eventually extend their lead to 30 points, thanks to goals by Davis and James in the paint. Russell made back-to-back three-pointers to keep the Lakers ahead 101-76, but the Pistons surged ahead as soon as James returned to the bench.

James did not waste any time in going to the basket and launching himself for layups and free throws as soon as he sensed a chance to shut down Detroit. Head coach Darvin Ham made the decision to substitute James for the bench for the balance of the game since it was becoming close.

Russell led the Los Angeles Lakers to victory that evening and made NBA history by being the first player to ever score 35 points or more, throw out five assists, block three or more shots, make five or more 3-pointers, and shoot at least 75% from the field in one game.