Detroit, MI
Pistons’ old rivals arrive in Detroit on hot streak, looking like NBA title contenders
Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff on Ausar Thompson’s career-high seven steals
Ausar Thompson had a career-high seven steals in the Pistons’ 115-101 victory over the Warriors.
Detroit — The Detroit Pistons understand how a winning streak can change the season’s trajectory. The Pistons won 13 consecutive games in October-November, tying the record for the longest streak in franchise history. It catapulted them to championship contention and the top of the Eastern Conference with a 51-19 record.
A handful of teams have had long winning streaks of their own since the Pistons’ 13-gamer. The latest are the Los Angeles Lakers. After defeating the Orlando Magic Saturday night inside Kia Center, the Lakers arrive in Detroit on Monday on a nine-game winning streak. It’s the league’s second-longest current winning streak, trailing only the Oklahoma City Thunder, who have won 11 consecutive games.
Lakers are legit NBA championship contenders
Similar to the impact of the Pistons’ winning streak in Detroit, the Lakers’ streak has them looking like they’ll be into the final stretch of the season as one of the few teams with a legitimate chance to capture the NBA championship.
“Their health and continuity are different,” Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “When you go back and look at that stretch (in December, when the Lakers were 5-7), they had guys who were in and out. Now, there has been consistency among the guys on the floor. At the end of the day, they are a talented team.”
Things were different for the Lakers when the Pistons visited Crypto.com Arena in December, taking a 128-106 victory in Los Angeles. The Lakers are 46-25 now, but they were not regarded as a contender at the time.
At the time, the Lakers faced numerous questions about their poor defensive performance. They had the fifth-worst defense in the league, with a net rating of 117.8, while opponents averaged 117.3 points per game. During their nine-game winning streak, however, defense has become one of the primary factors in their success.
Luka Doncic, LeBron James power Lakers’ surge
With a net rating of 113.1, the Lakers have ranked 10th in defense over the past nine games. During their winning streak, they have given up an average of 112.6 points per game. The Lakers’ recent success has been a team effort, but nothing has impacted their second-half surge more than the performances of Luka Doncic and LeBron James.
Since the trade that sent Doncic from the Dallas Mavericks to the Lakers in February 2025, it appears that he and James have finally found a way to play off each other. It is also worth noting that much of the Lakers’ streak has been due to Austin Reaves playing at an All-Star level, averaging 23.3 points and 6.0 assists over the last nine games.
“We assume that when you put talent on the floor, it is going to work automatically. But talent takes time to gel,” Bickerstaff said. “They have had time to gel and figure one another out. Two great playmakers like LeBron and Luka, learning how to pick their spots with one another, learning how to play off one another, how to make each other better, all of that stuff takes time — and I think you are seeing that now.”
For the first time in his career, James has taken the backseat to a teammate, which has allowed Doncic to play arguably the best basketball of his career. Doncic has been at the forefront of Los Angeles’ surge, averaging 40.0 points on .490%/.403%/.769% shooting splits. He scored 60 points in the Lakers’ victory over the Miami Heat on Thursday night.
When the Lakers take the floor at Little Caesars Arena Monday night, however, Los Angeles may be without Doncic. He received his 16th technical foul of the season, which could result in a one-game suspension if the Lakers’ appeal is denied.
‘Not a ton of dropoff’ in LeBron James’ game
If the Lakers must play without Doncic, count on the 41-year-old James continuing to perform at a high level to keep Los Angeles competitive. Playing a lesser role this season has helped James stay productive in his 23rd NBA season, given that he has averaged 19.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.5 assists during the streak.
“His basketball IQ is through the roof, but he is shooting the ball at a higher clip than he did earlier in his career, percentage-wise,” Bickerstaff said. “He still has the ability to get to the paint, play through contact. As amazing as it is, there is not a ton of dropoff from where his skill set is, as well as his ability to make people around him better.”
Without Cade Cunningham (pneumothorax) and Isaiah Stewart (left calf strain), the Pistons will continue to be significantly shorthanded against the Lakers. But despite playing without two of their most important players, the Pistons remain confident they can hand the Lakers their first loss in 19 days.
The Pistons have overcome their injury issues, winning six of their past seven games. They have been successful by cleaning up their post-All-Star slippage, getting back to the standard that once led them to win 13 consecutive wins, and establishing themselves among the league’s elite teams this season.
Lakers at Pistons
▶ Tip-off: 7 p.m. Monday, Little Caesars Arena, Detroit
▶ TV/radio: FDSN/97.1
▶ Outlook: Since Cade Cunningham has been out due to a collapsed lung, Daniss Jenkins has performed well in the absence of the All-NBA guard. While coming up just short of his first career triple-double in Friday’s win over the Golden State Warriors, Jenkins has averaged 15.5 points, 6.5 assists and 4.5 rebounds over the last two games.
coty.davis@detroitnews.com
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