Daniss Jenkins delivered a breakout performance Monday night, pouring in a career-high 30 points and scoring six in the final 34 seconds to lift the Detroit Pistons to a 113-110 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, snapping L.A.’s nine-game winning streak.
Detroit stayed hot, winning its fourth straight and seventh in the last eight games, despite big nights from Luka Dončić (32 points) and Austin Reaves (24 points). Jalen Duren added a strong interior presence with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Dončić, who had been on the verge of a suspension before the NBA rescinded his 16th technical foul, was active late but couldn’t convert when it mattered most. Meanwhile, LeBron James struggled early, going scoreless in the first half before finishing with 12 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds.
The Lakers showed resilience after falling behind by 16 early in the third quarter. They clawed back and briefly took a 108-107 lead when Deandre Ayton knocked down two free throws with 39.9 seconds remaining.
But Jenkins took over from there.
He answered with a pair of free throws to regain the lead, and after Reaves hit a clutch jumper to put Los Angeles back on top 110-109 with under 30 seconds left, Jenkins responded again with a go-ahead bucket. Moments later, he iced the game at the line following a Dončić miss, pushing Detroit ahead 113-110 with nine seconds to play.
Dončić had one last chance, but his contested three at the buzzer fell short.
Earlier in the fourth, the Lakers erased a deficit and tied the game at 91 before Detroit surged ahead with a 10-3 run. Los Angeles briefly caught up again at 105-105 on three free throws from Luke Kennard, but couldn’t complete the comeback.
Up Next: The Lakers head to face the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, while the Pistons return home to host the Atlanta Hawks.
