Lakers surge in second half of 114-99 win over Pistons

After trailing for most of the first half, the Lakers dominated the second against the Detroit Pistons, scoring 64 points in the second half to pull away with a 114-99 victory Sunday at Staples Center.

Jordan Hill had a career night with bests in points (24), field goals (11) and rebounds (17). Steve Blake dished 16 assists. Jodie Meeks scored 19, as did Nick Young off the bench.

The Lakers shot 52.2% from the field, 40% from three-point range (10-25) and 100% from behind the free-throw line (10-10). Against the burly front line of the Pistons, the Lakers held their own with 38 rebounds to Detroit’s 39.

The Pistons shot 62.5% from the field in the first half, but dipped to 48.3% after 48 minutes. Brandon Jennings scored 23, many on late three-pointers to try and keep Detroit close. He also had 14 assists.

Josh Smith scored 18 points followed by Greg Monroe (17), Rodney Stuckey (16) and Andre Drummond (14 points, 13 rebounds).

With the win, the Lakers improve to 5-7. The team is off until Friday, when they host the Golden State Warriors.

The Pistons (3-6) play host to the New York Knicks on Tuesday.

Lakers 79, Pistons 71 (end of third quarter)

The Lakers finally climbed ahead of the Pistons, finishing the third quarter on a 10-0 run.

Nick Young scored 15 points off the bench. Steve Blake dished 12 assists and Pau Gasol collected a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds.

The Pistons, who shot 62.5% in the first half, saw their overall shooting percentage dip to 49.2%.

Josh Smith led all scorers with 17 points. Rodney Stuckey contributed 14 off the bench.

The Lakers shot 48.5% from the field and went 8 for 8 from the free-throw line.

Pistons 56, Lakers 50 (halftime)

The Pistons scored the final four points of the period to push their advantage to six by halftime.

Detroit shot 62.5% from the field, led by 12 apiece from Josh Smith and Rodney Stuckey. Jordan Hill led the Lakers with 10 points and nine boards. The team shot 43.5% from the field.

Steve Blake dished nine assists in just 16 minutes.

The Pistons turned the ball over 10 times, helping the Lakers stay close. The Lakers had eight turnovers.

Detroit led by as many as nine in the second quarter -- the Lakers by just one.

Pistons 29, Lakers 27 (end of first quarter)

The Detroit Pistons opened an early lead against the Lakers, getting strong play from their frontcourt trio of Andre Drummond, Greg Monroe and Josh Smith.

Detroit shot 61.9% from the field, led by Monroe with eight points on 4-of-4 shooting.

Eight different Lakers scored, led by Nick Young with a late five points to trim the Pistons’ seven-point lead to just two.

The Lakers shot 48% from the field.

Pregame

The Lakers (4-7) host the Detroit Pistons (3-5) on Sunday night at Staples Center.

The Pistons are tall, long and athletic. The Detroit guards aren’t especially efficient but if they get hot, the Lakers could be in for a long night.

After losing four of their last five games, the Lakers are in need of a win.

For a more in-depth breakdown, check out Preview: Lakers vs. Pistons.

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Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus.