Reaves scores 43 in Doncic's absence to lead Lakers past Pistons

Austin Reaves delivered a season-high 43 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 121-116 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday. The Lakers broke the game open early, outscoring the Pistons by 24 points in the first quarter. Reaves hit an off-balance 3-pointer with 46 seconds left, then clinched the game from the line.

Doncic, who is averaging 45 points, nine rebounds and eight assists over his last four games, was ruled out earlier on Sunday due to lower-back tightness. Walker Kessler added 12 points and 16 rebounds for the Lakers, who had lost four straight to Detroit. The Pistons gave themselves a chance with a strong second quarter, and Daniss Jenkins hit a 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer to pull them within 61-48.

Detroit continued to shoot well in the third, but Reaves scored 13 points to keep them at bay for most of the quarter. The Pistons were still down 14 late in the third quarter, but finished a 13-2 run with four straight layups to cut the deficit to 84-81. Detroit trailed by seven going into the fourth despite none of their starters scoring in double figures. Huerter and Jenkins alone outscored the starting lineup 44-30.

Lakers legend James Worthy made a bold claim for Austin Reaves after his performance, saying, “There’s no question, for me, even when Luka is on the floor, Austin Reaves still has the ability to, you know, take over games, provide the offense, you know, provide some good stability for this team.” Reaves has shown he can carry the offense when Doncic is unavailable, and his latest scoring explosion has made a strong case for him to be considered an All-Star.

Reaves recorded a career-high 51 points against the Sacramento Kings in 2025, showing that he could produce a major offensive night well before this season’s expanded role. The difference now is the regularity with which he is being asked to shoulder that responsibility. He entered the Pistons game averaging 23.5 points, 4.7 assists, and 3.2 rebounds per contest, while shooting 50.7% from the field.

Austin Reaves does not need Doncic to disappear from the lineup to influence games. He can remain productive alongside him and still take over when the offense needs another creator. That flexibility is valuable for a team whose ambitions depend on having more than one reliable source of offense. Though the Lakers will still need Doncic healthy and available for the challenges ahead, if Reaves maintains this level of production, the All-Star conversation will become increasingly difficult to ignore.