The Los Angeles Lakers will be missing key rotation pieces against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night
The Los Angeles Lakers were in rough shape after their Christmas Day game against the Houston Rockets, suffering a loss that marked three-straight for them. For a team that entered the month 15-4, they were going in a downward spiral and it was clear members of the team and head coach JJ Redick weren't willing to accept the current situation.
In a bounce-back opportunity against the Sacramento Kings, the Lakers dominated all four quarters en route to a 125-101 victory. While defeating the Kings gives the Lakers a much-needed boost, they'll look to build upon that when they face the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night, who are looking to avoid a three-game losing streak of their own.
Lakers Injury Report
Taking a look at the injury report for the Lakers, they'll be without three rotation pieces, with the most notable of the group being Austin Reaves (calf), who has been ruled OUT for the next several weeks.
It's been a stellar start to the season for Reaves, who averaged 32.0 points and 9.0 assists in October, and continued that production until his last few healthy games, scoring fewer than 20 points in each of his last four contests. Even if he might not be at an All-NBA level the rest of the season, he's still an All-Star caliber player and a key member of this rotation.
The other two players listed OUT are Rui Hachimura (calf) and Gabe Vincent (back). It's been a strong season offensively for Hachimura, who is averaging 12.7 points on 52.1% shooting from the field and 44.5% from three-point range.
As for Vincent, his tenure with the Lakers has continued to disappoint after arriving from the Miami Heat and being a key part of their 2023 playoff run to the NBA Finals. However, he's in the final year of his three-year, $33 million contract, and he'll likely be traded or be out of Los Angeles by the offseason.
Pistons Injury Report
Outside of the Pistons' players on two-way contracts or G League assignments who are OUT, the only other player listed for the Pistons is Caris LeVert, who is OUT due to left knee soreness. In an acquisition this past offseason, LeVert is averaging just 8.4 points per game, his lowest mark since his rookie season (8.2 PPG in 2016-17).
Otherwise, the rest of the team should be available, led by the young star duo of Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren. Tip-off in Los Angeles is set for 10:30 p.m. EST.