Early in the second half of a mostly lopsided game Tuesday night, Austin Reaves tried to flip the ball behind his back to LeBron James.
For most of the first half, the Lakers were in Harlem Globetrotter form, the ball whistling around from one player to the next. It was the kind of offensive rhythm they’ve been in over the last month or so, as they’ve transformed into a top-10 offense during that stretch.
But this time, the Lakers were too loose, the ball squirting free to trigger a three-on-one fast break for the Detroit Pistons early in the third quarter.
In most situations, this would mean trouble. But when the one Laker back is Anthony Davis, the equation flips.
Davis easily erased Jaden Ivey’s layup at the rim, Davis drew a foul, and on the next possession, D’Angelo Russell hit a three-pointer — the kind of sequence Davis has triggered all season.
In the Lakers’ final home game before the All-Star break, Davis dominated all over the court, shooting, scoring, passing and defending as his team beat the lowly Pistons 125-111.
Davis scored 20 points, grabbed 14 rebounds and dished out four assists to go with six blocked shots while resting the entire fourth quarter. He’s only the third player this season to have those numbers in a game and the fifth to ever do it in less than 30 minutes.
The Lakers (28-25), one game removed from all five starters scoring at least 20 points, had all five starters get at least 15, the team building a 24-point lead early in the second half before holding off the Pistons the rest of the way.
It was the Lakers’ fifth win in their last six games, with the team team playing Wednesday in Utah before heading into the All-Star break.
While the team was quiet at the trade deadline, Spencer Dinwiddie, regarded as the top player on the buyout market, debuted with his hometown team and scored six points to go with seven assists in a bench-high 31 minutes.
The Lakers had 32 assists as a team, the 12th time they’ve had 30 or more in their last 18 games.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Christine Lake is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. With an extensive background in sports journalism, he covers everything from major league championships to grassroots sports events. When she’s not on the field or at the stadium, you’ll find Christine coaching youth sports teams.
