Lakers open first road trip in Detroit with Luka Doncic questionable against NBA's top defense

The Los Angeles Lakers head out on their first road trip of the season Sunday, and they open it against the toughest opponent on the swing. The Detroit Pistons have the league's best defense, and the Lakers, with the league's best offense, don't yet know whether Luka Doncic will play. The Lakers listed him as questionable with lower-back tightness, Silver Screen and Roll reported. The outlet noted that the same issue kept him out of an earlier game against the Clippers.

The timing is awkward. Doncic is coming off a 53-point night in Friday's 124-118 home win over Portland, RotoBaller reported. That run carried Los Angeles to its fourth straight win. Sunday is also the first half of a back-to-back, with a game in Atlanta on Monday, according to HoopsHype. That could factor into how cautious the team chooses to be with its star.

On paper, the matchup is strength against strength. Silver Screen and Roll's preview says Detroit plays the same kind of physical, swarming defense Portland used, and does it better than anyone. The Pistons rank among the leaders in steals and blocks, allow the third-fewest wide-open three-point attempts, and opponents have made the fewest wide-open threes against them. One weakness stands out: they foul. Detroit ranks 24th in opponent free-throw attempts, and the Lakers rank fourth in free throws attempted per game, so the foul line could be where Los Angeles finds its points. Detroit is only average on the glass, too.

The Pistons will be rested. They haven't played since losing to Philadelphia on Wednesday, but they are short-handed. Jalen Duren is out with a hamstring strain and Isaiah Joe is out with a right hip contusion. Cameron Carr and Bronny James will travel with the Lakers after playing in the Coachella Valley Lakers' G League opener on Friday.

What it means for Sunday in Detroit

The Lakers are 8-2, but this month's schedule has leaned heavily on home games. Their two losses came in a 112-95 defeat at Golden State and a 136-129 home loss to Portland, and they have won 116-103 at Sacramento and 103-87 against the Clippers in their road-designated games. Detroit is 6-2 and second in the East, per Sports Mole. The Lakers have topped 120 points in seven of their 10 games, and Detroit's defense will test that more than any team they have faced so far.

The market expects Detroit to win, probably with Doncic's status in mind. Across the 12 venues on this site's board, the Pistons are favored at -174 on Novig, which has the Lakers at +167. On the spread, Detroit is favored by 4.5 points, with Novig at -104 on the Pistons and -102 on the Lakers. The total is 221.5 on Novig. The best under price anywhere is BetRivers at -110 on 222.5, a point higher than Novig's line. Sportsbook hold runs from about 2.4% to 5.2% across the markets, so the spread between venues is modest. An update on Doncic before the 3 p.m. PT tip will likely move those numbers more than anything else.

The game airs on NBA TV and Spectrum SportsNet.