Daniss Jenkins was not fazed by the moment. With the Detroit Pistons clinging to a narrow lead against the Los Angeles Lakers and the game on the line, the second-year guard stepped up and delivered.
His career-high 30-point performance on Monday night was not just a statistical milestone. It was a statement about the kind of player he is becoming.
Daniss Jenkins Takes Over for Pistons in Clutch Win vs. Lakers
The Pistons edged the Lakers 113-110 at Little Caesars Arena, ending Los Angeles’ nine-game winning streak and pushing Detroit’s record to 52-19. They’re now five games clear of the Boston Celtics atop the Eastern Conference. It was their fourth straight win and seventh in their last eight games, and Jenkins was the driving force behind it.
He finished with 30 points, 8 assists, and 4 rebounds, shooting 11-of-18 from the field and 4-of-5 from 3. But it was his performance in the final 34 seconds that defined the night.
With the Lakers threatening to steal the game, Jenkins hit a midrange jumper to put Detroit ahead, then converted clutch free throws to seal it. Luka Doncic’s desperate 3-pointer at the buzzer, contested by Jalen Duren, fell well short as time expired.
After the game, the NBA shared Jenkins’ postgame reaction, and his words captured everything his performance embodied: “I’m in that position for a reason. I just gotta go out and be me.”
It was a display of the confidence Detroit has increasingly placed in him since Cade Cunningham went down with a collapsed lung. Jenkins had already posted 22 points, 8 assists, and 7 rebounds in a win over the Golden State Warriors the previous Friday.
Against the Lakers, he raised the bar further, proving he is capable of being the Pistons’ primary closer when the game is on the line.
Duren was equally vital, contributing 20 points, 11 rebounds, and the game-sealing defensive stop on Doncic in the final seconds. Seven other Pistons finished with at least 6 points, underscoring the depth that has kept Detroit rolling without their All-Star.
The Lakers had their chances. Luka Doncic led all scorers with 32 points, and Austin Reaves added 24.
The team rallied from 16 points down to briefly take a 108-107 lead late in the fourth quarter. But Detroit answered every time, with Jenkins providing the decisive moments when they mattered most.
Detroit is now 8-2 without Cunningham and shows no signs of slowing down, with home games against the Atlanta Hawks and New Orleans Pelicans up next.
The expectation is that Cunningham could return around the start of the playoffs, giving the Pistons a significant boost at precisely the right moment. For now, Jenkins and his teammates are making sure there is nothing to worry about in his absence.
