Pistons' conquest of Lakers showcases team's strengths

With a 128-106 dismantling of the Los Angeles Lakers Tuesday night, the Detroit Pistons ended their 10-day, five-game Western road trip with their third victory and showed a national TV audience who they are and why, at 25-8, they're the top dogs in the NBA’s Eastern Conference.

Cade Cunningham was electric

With 27 points, 11 assists and five rebounds in 33 minutes, Cunningham, who currently ranks fourth in All-Star voting among Eastern Conference players (1,000,171 votes), made plays all night. In doing so, he not only validated those votes, he likely earned a few hundred thousand more.

The Pistons dominated in the paint

According to teamrankings.com, the Pistons average 58.5 points in the paint per game, which leads the NBA. With 74 points inside, they outdid themselves against the Lakers, with centers Isaiah Stewart (15 points) and Jalen Duren (14 points) doing most of the damage.

The Pistons played tough defense

Tenacious defense has become the calling card of the 2025-26 Pistons, and on this night, they did not disappoint. They grabbed 12 steals and harassed the Lakers' big guns, LeBron James and Luka Doncic, into subpar shooting nights. James shot six for 17 (35.3%), and Doncic went nine for 22 (40.9%). When the game tightened, they limited the Lakers to 18 points in the fourth quarter to seal the deal.

The Pistons' bench was outstanding

The Pistons’ bench not only outscored the Lakers’ bench (67-34), they also bested the Pistons' starters (67-61). Marcus Sasser, who recently returned from injury and did not play in any of the previous four games, led the bench brigade with 19 points and was four of six from downtown. A crucial third-quarter stretch that saw a 79-79 tie become a 99-89 Pistons lead featured five non-starters: Sasser, Jaden Ivey, Javonte Green, Ron Holland II, and Paul Reed.

After putting a bow on a long but successful road trip, the Pistons head home and will face the Miami Heat at 7 p.m. on New Year’s Day at Little Caesars Arena, where they will play seven of their next eight games.