The Lakers handled business on Wednesday, defeating the Detroit Pistons 133-107 on the road to avenge a humiliating road setback to the Sixers.

With his 35 points, 4 rebounds, and 9 assists tonight, D’Angelo Russell had without a doubt his best game of the season. Anthony Davis led the team in rebounds with 16, while also scoring 28 points.

LeBron James did not show much emotion in the game against the Sixers, but he was quite productive in the game against the Pistons, scoring 25 points on 9-19 shooting and, more importantly, playing just 29 minutes.

Both teams swapped baskets in the opening minutes, but D’Angelo Russell’s 13 points on 6-6 shooting in the first quarter gave the Lakers a significant lead. Russell’s early and frequent passes to Davis put the Lakers up at the end of the first quarter, for once.

After being put back in, Russell was unstoppable for the rest of the half, making threes every time. James also got going, finishing in the paint and snatching up a couple rebounds invisibly.

After Russell scored another basket, the Lakers led by 19 points at the half and were clearly in the lead.

It became clear that Detroit would not be able to win this game after James executed the “freeze” celebration during the third quarter. Russell and Ames kept up their assault. The Lakers extended their lead to thirty points and maintained it there for the duration of the quarter with another 10-0 run. Russell finished the quarter with a stepback three-pointer, and he then completed the possession with an incredible crossover on Isaiah Livers.

The Lakers hoisted the white flag and cleared the bench with eight minutes left in the previous game. With nine minutes left, they took off James tonight, but this time it was so they could get some much-needed rest in an easy win.

In a game where Los Angeles was virtually out of time, the only significant thing that happened in the fourth quarter was that Jalen Hood-Schifino scored his first NBA basket with a long two and finished with 10 points in his final 10 minutes of play.

Crucial lessons discovered

It’s preferable to play against a team who has lost 14 games in a row in order to find your rhythm. The Lakers did precisely what was expected of them, and they prevailed over a weak club.

They will next head to Oklahoma City to play the Thunder to wrap up their four-game road trip. Should they triumph there, they would end this tour with a 3-1 record, and the defeat in Philadelphia will seem like a distant memory.