Luka Dončić will miss tonight’s matchup against the Detroit Pistons with a back injury, and that’s great news for a Detroit defense looking to regroup after a disappointing showing against the Philadelphia 76ers. Dončić is the leading candidate for MVP, which should be no surprise to anyone considering he is averaging a mind-boggling 40 points per game in nine games this season. With him out of the lineup, it will be a good look at what the Lakers are able to accomplish with Dončić off the floor.
The team has an offense 30 points better per 100 possessions with him on the floor. The Pistons, meanwhile, need to get their offense moving again. Detroit’s most recent game against the Sixers was an absolute slog. They tried to make a game of it by waking up in the second half, but they sabotaged themselves with a lack of ball movement, precision, and, frankly, interest. Detroit teams have always bounced back pretty well in the JB Bickerstaff era, so we will see what we are in for tonight.
GAME VITALS
When: 6 p.m. ET
Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Watch: TV: TV20 Detroit| Streaming: DAZN-Det
Odds: Pistons -7.5
Projected Lineups
Detroit Pistons (6-2)
Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, John Collins, Paul Reed
Los Angeles Lakers (8-2)
Quentin Grimes, Austin Reaves, Matisse Thybulle, Zaire Williams, Walker Kessler
