Detroit Pistons Get Bad News After NBA’s Luka Doncic Decision

Keeping the Eastern Conference’s first seed was always going to be a tough task for the Detroit Pistons.

A Monday night matchup (March 23) against the Los Angeles Lakers makes their situation much more difficult.

Initially, the Pistons believed they could catch a break. Luka Doncic, the Lakers’ superstar scorer, was facing a potential one-game suspension.

During the Lakers’ March 21 win over the Orlando Magic, Doncic landed a technical foul, which was his 16th of the year. In the NBA, that’s an automatic suspension.

Doncic was involved in a verbal altercation with Goga Bitadze. The situation resulted in a double-tech call.

The Lakers appealed nearly right away once they wrapped up their game. On Sunday, March 22, the NBA announced that the technical foul was rescinded for both players. Doncic is available for Monday’s action against the Pistons.

Detroit Pistons Get Bad News After NBA’s Luka Doncic Decision

Since joining the Lakers, Doncic has faced the Pistons once. The matchup occurred back on December 30, 2025.

At the time, Doncic appeared in 36 minutes. He shot 40.9% from the field, scoring 30 points. It was a double-double night for Doncic, who racked up 11 assists, along with coming down with five rebounds.

Despite a strong showing from Doncic, the Lakers came up short against the Pistons with a score of 128-105. At the time, the Pistons shot a stellar 63.2% from the field. They landed a 27-point, 11-assist double-double from Cade Cunningham.

Throughout his NBA career, Doncic played against the Pistons nine times. He posted averages of 35.4 points, 9.9 assists, and 8.1 rebounds against the Pistons during stints with the Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks.

The Times Have Changed

A lot has changed for the Pistons in a positive way since Luka was dominating on the Mavericks, who traded him away during the 2024-2025 NBA season.

But a lot has changed for the Lakers since they last lost to the Pistons.

The Lakers are the second-hottest team in the Western Conference currently, posting nine wins in a row. Only the Oklahoma City Thunder (11 games) has more right now.

Heading into Monday’s action, the Lakers are 46-25. Doncic is on a heater and gaining some serious MVP consideration at this point.

The Pistons are holding their own in the Eastern Conference, but there are skeptics. Despite being on a three-game winning streak, while holding a 4.5-game lead over the Boston Celtics, the first-seeded Pistons are missing their top star in Cunningham.

Last week, Cunningham was diagnosed with a collapsed lung. His availability for the remainder of the 2025-2026 regular season is unclear. One thing is for sure: he won’t be available for Detroit on Monday.

The Lakers and Pistons are set for a 7 PM ET tip.

Justin Grasso Justin Grasso is an NBA reporter, covering trending league news, transactions, injuries, and player developments. He is a credentialed journalist with nearly a decade of insider access. More about Justin Grasso