Austin Reaves lead Lakers past Pistons with Luka Doncic out

Austin Reaves and the Los Angeles Lakers earned a 121-116 victory over the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on Sunday, Nov. 8.

The Lakers improved to 9-2 on the season and remain in first place in the Western Conference. The team also moved to 2-0 in games in which Luka Doncic does not play.

Doncic has positiioned himself as the early favorite for the NBA’s MVP after leading the league in scoring and averaging 40.1 points per game.

The point guard was ruled out with lower back tightness, allowing for more scoring opportunities for Reaves.

“I was a lucky basketball player tonight,” Reaves told reporters after the game.

Reaves produced a game-high 43 points on 14-of-27 shooting from the field, against one of the league’s best defenses. He also went 4-for-6 from the three-point line and a perfect 11-for-11 from the free-throw line.

The Pistons were not surprised by Reaves’ abilities, having pursued the shooting guard with strong interest during free agency in the offseason.

“Luka is an incredible player, and I think there are times when he’s playing that A.R. kind of has to take a secondary role,” Lakers center Walker Kessler told reporters after the game. “But you could see tonight that he’s a very capable player.

Kessler contributed to the victory, putting together a double-double performance with 12 points and 16 rebounds.

The Lakers offense as a unit also created a fast start and built a strong lead in the first quarter, outscoring the Pistons 38-14.

When do Lakers play next?

The Lakers will travel to play the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, Nov. 9 in the second game of a back-to-back at 7 p.m. ET.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Austin Reaves lead Lakers past Pistons with Luka Doncic out