Malik Beasley scored 21 points and Cade Cunningham added 20 points with 10 assists as the visiting Detroit Pistons turned defensive pressure into a 117-114 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday.
Jaden Ivey scored 18 points and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 15 as the Pistons won consecutive games for the first time in more than a month and came out on top after scoring a season-best 133 points in a road victory over the Phoenix Suns on Saturday.
Detroit forced Los Angeles into 20 turnovers and scored 28 points off those miscues.
LeBron James delivered a triple-double with 28 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists as the Lakers saw their three-game winning streak come to an end. Anthony Davis scored 19 points with 10 rebounds for Los Angeles, Max Christie scored 17 points and Austin Reaves added 12.
The Pistons swept the season series 2-0 after they earned a 115-103 victory over the Lakers at home on Nov. 4.
Up by just a point to start the fourth quarter at 93-92, the Pistons went on a 9-2 run early in the period to take a 102-96 lead with 9:55 remaining.
Cunningham scored on a putback with 3:02 left that put the Pistons on top 117-106 before the Lakers made a late run. A Christie 3-pointer and four points from James, including a driving layup with 46.3 seconds remaining, got Los Angeles within one possession at 117-114.
The Lakers thought they had James at the free-throw line with 28.9 seconds remaining, but a foul on Tobias Harris was overturned via replay. Cunningham could have put Detroit up two scores but missed a 3-point attempt with 5.7 seconds remaining.
The Lakers were unable to score in the final 3.7 seconds after James was short on a 29-foot 3-point attempt at the buzzer.
The Pistons led 34-32 after one quarter before the Lakers moved ahead 64-62 at halftime. Detroit trailed by just two points even as the Lakers shot 62.9 percent from the floor in the opening two quarters.
The Pistons took nine more shots than the Lakers by forcing nine turnovers and grabbing four offensive rebounds to one for the Lakers. Beasley made four 3-pointers in the first half while scoring 14 points.
–Field Level Media
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