Detroit's 116–121 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on 8 November came with a surprise source of hope: reserve guard Daniss Jenkins scored 31 points and hit eight three-pointers, while Kevin Huerter added 24. The Pistons still couldn't escape a first quarter in which they were outscored 38–14. For a team that had started 6–1, a second consecutive defeat was a sharp reminder that a spectacular bench rescue isn't a substitute for a competitive opening.
Jenkins made nine of his 17 field-goal attempts, including eight of 15 from beyond the arc, and added five rebounds and four assists. He wasn't simply cleaning up points after the contest had been decided. Detroit cut a deficit that had reached 26 points to three late in the third quarter, and the Lakers had to protect their lead deep into the fourth. His perimeter shooting gave the Pistons a route back into a game that had looked beyond them before the first break.
Huerter's 24 points came on nine-of-14 shooting, alongside five rebounds and five assists. The two reserves combined for 55 points, almost half Detroit's total. That distribution tells the story of both the comeback and the problem: the bench provided the shot-making that the starting group couldn't consistently supply. Cade Cunningham finished with 14 points and eight assists, but the Pistons' early offensive rhythm never matched the urgency of their later chase.
The team numbers make the missed opportunity particularly painful. Detroit made 19 three-pointers to the Lakers' 11, recorded 27 assists to 19 and collected 18 offensive rebounds to 12. Those are the ingredients of a winning night more often than not. Yet Los Angeles shot 50 per cent overall, compared with Detroit's 44.7 per cent, and reached the foul line 33 times to the Pistons' 20. The Lakers converted 26 free throws; Detroit made 13. That 13-point difference more than covered the final five-point margin.
Austin Reaves was the biggest obstacle. With Luka Dončić unavailable because of lower-back tightness, Reaves scored 43 points, making 14 of 27 shots and all 11 of his free throws. The Lakers' first-quarter burst meant Detroit spent most of the evening trying to win back possessions rather than dictate how they were used. Even when the Pistons got close, Reaves and Los Angeles kept finding enough offence to stay in front.
There's a genuine rotation question here for Detroit, and it's a positive one despite the result. Jenkins' eight threes weren't a token contribution in a blowout; they were central to a comeback that made the Lakers work for the win. Huerter supplied another reliable scoring outlet. Their combined production gives Detroit a compelling reason to keep using its bench shooting aggressively, particularly when opponents load up on Cunningham's creation. The question isn't whether the reserves can score — they've just demonstrated that — but how quickly Detroit can establish that spacing before falling behind.
The Pistons also need a better first defensive possession, then another, then another. Conceding 38 points in the opening quarter forced an exhausting recovery, even on a night when their three-point shooting and ball movement were productive. Detroit's 34, 33 and 35 points across the final three quarters show how much better the offence became once the initial damage was done. Starting with that level of purpose would make Jenkins' shooting a weapon for building a lead rather than merely erasing one.
Detroit leaves with a loss, but also a clearer picture of where its secondary scoring can come from. Jenkins and Huerter turned a miserable start into a genuine contest. The next improvement has to come from the whole five-man unit at the opening tip: the Pistons can't keep asking their bench to win the first quarter back after it's already gone.
Game statistics: NBA game analysis; Reuters game report; published box score.
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