Lakers’ Austin Reaves Makes a Statement in Win Over Pistons: 3 Takeaways

The Los Angeles Lakers headed into Sunday’s game against the Detroit Pistons without their best player, as superstar guard Luka Doncic was ruled out for this regular-season matchup due to back tightness.

Without Doncic leading the way, the Lakers were expected to struggle against arguably one of the league's best defensive teams.

However, that didn’t turn out to be the case, with Los Angeles getting the best of Cade Cunningham and company, 121-116.

Here are my three takeaways from Sunday’s win over the Pistons in Detroit.

No. 3: Lakers’ Bench Provided Much-Needed Scoring

Once Doncic was ruled out for this road game in Detroit, the consensus was that the Lakers would lose, snapping their four-game win streak, especially given how well the Pistons play on defense.

Fortunately for Los Angeles, JJ Redick’s squad came to play on Sunday, even without the league’s top scorer (40.1 points per game) leading the way.

Reaves on his wild shot: “This is some $#!% Luka would shoot.” 😂

Get closer to the action with Spectrum SportsNet+.https://t.co/DfwO2cV0KI pic.twitter.com/4JbrPFIwAd
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) November 9, 2026

The team rallied around veteran guard Austin Reaves, with some solid performances from Ziaire Williams and Collin Sexton off the bench.

The veteran duo combined for 17 points apiece off the bench, connecting on four of eight attempts from beyond the arc.

No. 2: Walker Kessler Made His Presence Felt Inside

The more reps Walker Kessler gets with his new-look Lakers squad, the better he plays.

Kessler finished Sunday’s game with 16 rebounds, 12 points, four assists and three blocks, as he continues to be one of the most consistent performers on the squad for Redick and company.

Walker gives Austin Reaves and Luka Dončić their flowers after another #Lakers W. pic.twitter.com/rrPlZgSAUG
— Spectrum SportsNet (@SpectrumSN) November 9, 2026

Although Kessler isn’t going to light up the scoreboard from a scoring perspective, the 25-year-old center remains a force to be reckoned with defensively and is exactly who the Lakers expected he’d be in the paint after trading two first-round draft picks over the summer.

The Lakers star center is now averaging 14.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 2.4 blocks and 1.3 steals per game, while shooting 71.6% from the field, which leads the league in that category.

No. 1: Austin Reaves Answered the Call Without Luka Doncic

Perhaps the most impressive performance of the day came from veteran Austin Reaves, who took the absence of his teammate and close friend Doncic as a challenge to prove he’s still one of the best scoring guards in the game.

What a luxury... Luka, arguably the best player in the NBA right now (40.1 ppg), takes a night off in the first game of a back-to-back, and the Lakers can lean on Austin Reaves against one of the best teams in the league (43 points)
— Ryan Ward (@RyanWardLA) November 9, 2026

Reaves was incredible in this game, finishing with a game-high 43 points to go along with five rebounds and four assists, helping lead the Lakers to a ninth win of the season.

The 27-year-old continues to prove he can shoulder the load as the leader of this Lakers squad, even when Doncic is stuck on the bench due to an injury.

Next Up: Lakers to Travel to Atlanta to Take on the Hawks

On Monday, the Lakers will play the second game of a back-to-back set against the Atlanta Hawks.

It’ll be another tough matchup on the road for the Lakers, with the Hawks having won four straight games coming into this game.

The Lakers will hope to get Doncic back on the floor as they aim for a sixth straight win while holding onto the top seed in the Western Conference.

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