LOS ANGELES — The dog days of an extended road trip can leave any team in a funk. The Detroit Pistons, who had been on the road for 10 consecutive days, were feeling the fatigue when they arrived in Los Angeles for a two-game set against the Los Angeles Clippers and Lakers.
The first game of the series took place on Sunday, and the Pistons suffered a blowout loss to the Clippers. Instead of addressing the team’s mishaps on UCLA’s practice court, the Pistons took a mental day to regain their composure on the school’s Intramural Field by playing soccer.
The call by coach J.B. Bickerstaff led to the Pistons ending their five-game West Coast road trip with a 128-106 victory over the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena Tuesday night. The Pistons improved to 25-8 overall while finishing their road trip at 3-2.
“It was huge, I needed some sun, which I haven’t gotten in a long time,” Cade Cunningham said. “For us to get out there and decompress, it was cool. That’s something you don’t do in the NBA, but I think that was a good call by coach to allow us to do that.”
The practice session involved the Pistons playing soccer. Bickerstaff believed it was a way for the team to decompress after losing back-to-back games; however, the sport’s similarities helped the Pistons address the slippages they had experienced during their two-game losing streak.
The Pistons had a better shooting night, hitting 45.8% from beyond the arc. They also excelled at sharing the ball, finishing with 30 assists.
Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 27 points on 12-of-19 shooting, while adding 11 assists. He was one of only two starters to score in double figures, with Jalen Duren adding 14 points and eight rebounds. However, the break allowed the bench unit to have one of its best games of the season, outscoring Los Angeles’ reserve unit 67-34.
“It was just fun. It was a getaway from the game, but there were some lessons behind it,” Marcus Sasser said. “The way we were able to advance the ball and share the ball. Playing soccer was a team bonding thing, and that carried over into this game.”
Bickerstaff added, “We just went outside and had a good time playing. But the similarities between the two games were great for our guys. The way we moved the ball while playing soccer. The way we advanced the ball. The cuts and the reads we were making, it was great for our guys to see that.”
Sasser led Detroit’s bench unit with a season-high 19 points, shooting 5-of-8 from the field and a perfect 5-of-5 from beyond the arc. He also recorded five assists and two steals, marking his first meaningful minutes since returning from a hip injury on Dec. 6.
He made his first appearance at the 2:55 mark of the first quarter and made an immediate impact on both ends of the floor. One of Sasser’s most significant moments came at the 1:10 mark of the period when he pickpocketed Lakers’ two-way star Nick Smith Jr. His steal led to Jaden Ivey converting the turnover into a two-handed dunk.
“It’s the trust factor. We had him in this same situation last year,” Bickerstaff said. “The injury held him back a little bit, but we trust him. We know how good he is. It was only a matter of time before he got his opportunity.”
In addition to Sasser, Isaiah Stewart added 15 points, while Ron Holland II finished with 11 points and six rebounds. Luka Doncic led the Lakers with a game-high 30 points and 11 assists. On his 41st birthday, LeBron James finished with 17 points.
#### OBSERVATIONS AND NOTES
#### Tobias Harris leaves early due to injury
Tobias Harris had a strong start to the game, scoring the first five points for Detroit and finishing the quarter with seven points. However, his night came to an early end due to a left hip injury he sustained during the period, and he did not return. Bickerstaff did not have an update on Harris’ injury following the game.
#### Pistons overcome foul trouble
Bickerstaff recognizes the difficulties in defending Luka Doncic, who has averaged 36.1 career points per game against the Pistons.
As one of the league’s top three-level scorers, one major challenge in guarding the All-NBA guard is his knack for drawing fouls. Bickerstaff emphasized that staying “disciplined” is crucial to preventing him from getting to the free-throw line. However, he acknowledged that the task was still quite challenging.
Doncic got to the foul line 13 times, connecting on nine shots. His ability to draw fouls left a handful of Detroit’s players in foul trouble, as Duren, Holland Stewart and Ausar Thompson all ended the night with four personal fouls.