Reaves Scores Season High 43 as Lakers Beat Pistons 121-116

Austin Reaves scored a season-high 43 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 121-116 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. The performance extended the Lakers' winning streak to five games and marked their second straight win without Luka Doncic.

Doncic, the league's leading scorer at 40.1 points per game, missed the contest due to tightness in his lower back. Reaves filled the void with 14-of-27 shooting from the field, 4-of-6 from beyond the arc, and 11-for-11 at the free-throw line.

The Lakers built a 38-14 lead in the first quarter, aided by Quentin Grimes, who scored 10 of his 12 points during that stretch. Five players finished with double-digit scores, including Collin Sexton and Ziaire Williams, who both contributed 17 points off the bench. Walker Kessler added 12 points, 16 rebounds, and three blocks.

Detroit cut the deficit to one point, 90-89, in the fourth quarter. The Pistons outscored Los Angeles by eight points from the 2:30 mark of the third quarter until the 9:14 mark of the fourth while Reaves rested on the bench.

Head coach JJ Redick explained his decision to keep Reaves out during that scoring run. "You got to allow the players to play through it," Redick said. "And the same thing with the star players, you got to allow them to get their rest. And if you start just overreacting in-game and saying, 'I got to get this guy back in, I got to get this guy back in,' it's just chaos. And we're trying to create consistency for our players."

Sexton noted that the roster was prepared for the absence of their top scorer. "Guys have to step up when someone's averaging 40," Sexton said. "You got to fill the shoes and be ready to impact winning. And I felt like we did that tonight, and AR picked those shoes up and he wore them."

Reaves credited luck for two difficult three-pointers that found the basket. One shot in the third quarter banked off the glass before falling through the hoop. "Honestly, when I stepped back and shot it, I was like, 'This is some bulls, Luka would shoot,'" Reaves said. He added, "I was a lucky player tonight."

The Lakers return to action on Monday in Atlanta, where they continue a four-game road trip. Redick downplayed concerns about Doncic's back, suggesting the starting backcourt will likely be reunited for that game.