The Los Angeles Lakers are tasked with facing one of the NBA's best defenses in the Detroit Pistons in the first of their four-game road trip on Sunday, Nov. 8. They'll have the added challenge of doing so without the driving force of their offense.
Luka Dončić has been ruled out with lower back tightness, the team announced. Dončić was listed as questionable on Saturday, one day after the leading MVP candidate dropped a season-high 53 points at home against the Portland Trail Blazers.
It's a blow to the Lakers (8-2), who will be without Dončić's 40.1 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.7 assists per night in nine games played this season. He's missed one other game with back tightness.
Detroit (6-2), meanwhile, has given up an average of 101.8 points per game, fewest in the league.
Amid Dončić's historic stretch of seven consecutive 35-plus point games, the last four of which he's scored at least 40, head coach JJ Redick was asked if there was any danger in relying too much on the two-time scoring champion.
"Part of planning and team building and playing an 82-game season is that you're constantly assessing and trying to be better," Redick said on Friday. "... Let's say you're running a ni...