| Lakers–Pistons rivalry | |
| Team1: | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Team2: | Detroit Pistons |
| Team1logo: | Los Angeles Lakers Wordmark Logo 2001-current.svg |
| Team2logo: | Detroit Pistons wordmark.gif |
| First Contested: | December 1, 1948 Pistons 84, Lakers 74 |
| Mostrecent: | November 4, 2024 Pistons 115, Lakers 103 |
| Nextmeeting: | December 23, 2024 |
| Total: | 396 |
| Currentstreak: | DET W1 |
| Longeststreak: | LAL W13 |
| Series: | 240–156 (LAL) |
| Regularseason: | 214–135 (LAL) |
| Postseason: | 26–21 (LAL) |
| Section Header: | Postseason history |
| Section Info: |
Lakers won, 2–0 Lakers won, 3–2 Lakers won, 2–0 Pistons won, 3–1 Lakers won, 2–0 Lakers won, 2–1 Lakers won, 2–0 Lakers won, 3–2 Lakers won, 4–2 Lakers won, 4–3 Pistons won, 4–0 Pistons won, 4–1 |
The Lakers–Pistons rivalry is an American professional basketball rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and Detroit Pistons. This rivalry, which was showcased three times in the NBA Finals (1988, 1989, 2004), pitted the All-Star filled Lakers teams against the blue collar, team-first oriented Pistons squads. Despite playing the role of underdog in all three of their final round meetings with Los Angeles, Detroit enjoyed significant success against the Lakers, claiming the NBA title against them twice.
Prior to facing each other in the 1988, 1989, and 2004 Finals, the Lakers and Pistons squared off in nine postseason series between 1950 and 1962. Both teams originally came from the NBL, one of two predecessors of the NBA. The Lakers were originally the Detroit Gems before moving to Minneapolis, while the Pistons were originally based in Fort Wayne, Indiana before moving to Detroit.
The Lakers, featuring stars such as George Mikan, Elgin Baylor, and Jerry West, defeated the Pistons of Andy Phillip, George Yardley, and Earl Lloyd in eight of the nine playoff meetings. The Lakers would appear in seven NBA Finals and won five titles during that era. The only Pistons victory came in the playoffs, en route to their first of two consecutive trips to the NBA Finals.
After 1962, the Pistons declined from prominence and would not return to title contention until the mid-1980s with the arrivals of Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Bill Laimbeer, and coach Chuck Daly. Meanwhile, the Lakers appeared in 12 of the next 25 NBA Finals and won five titles behind players such as Baylor, West, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Prior to 1978, the Pistons and Lakers were both members of the Western Division/Conference in all but three seasons. Detroit moved to the Eastern Conference before the 1978–79 season, and both teams are currently guaranteed to meet only twice per season.
The Lakers and Pistons renewed their acquaintances in the 1988 NBA Finals. Los Angeles swept the San Antonio Spurs in the opening round, but they needed 7 games to knock off both the Utah Jazz in the Western semifinals and the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals. Still, the Lakers, who finished the season with a 62–20 record, were heavily favored to defeat the Pistons and become the first team since the 1969 Boston Celtics to repeat as NBA champions. Detroit finished their campaign with a 54–28 record, they defeated the Washington Bullets in the opening round and the Chicago Bulls in the conference semifinals, both in five games each. They survived a tough, 6-game Eastern Conference Finals series against the Boston Celtics to reach the final round. The series started out with a customary kiss between Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas, who were close friends off the court. However, there would soon be no love lost between both teams. After defeating the Lakers with a 105–93 shocker in Game 1 at The L.A. Forum, the Pistons fought hard with Los Angeles and even took a 3–2 series lead heading into Game 6, which proved to be a classic battle, with Isiah Thomas overcoming a badly sprained ankle to score 25 points in the 3rd quarter. However, the contest ended on a sour note for Detroit. With the Pistons leading 102–101 with 14 seconds left, a controversial foul was called on Bill Laimbeer, enabling Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to go to the foul line, which has since been dubbed the Phantom Foul. The legend calmly sank two free throws, giving the Lakers a 103–102 victory and helping Los Angeles force a Game 7. Despite a valiant effort by the Pistons, the Lakers managed to escape with a 108–105 win in the deciding game and capture their 5th NBA title of the 1980s. James Worthy scored 36 points, grabbed 16 rebounds, and dished out 10 assists in the seventh game, and was named the NBA Finals MVP for his efforts.
Both the Pistons and Lakers were considered to be the two best teams in the NBA entering the 1989 NBA Finals. Behind the no-nonsense leadership of head coach Chuck Daly, Detroit finished with a franchise best 63–19 record, which was also the best record in the league. After sweeping both the Boston Celtics 3–0 in the first round, and the Milwaukee Bucks 4–0 in the second round, the Pistons eliminated Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in 6 games in the Eastern Conference Finals. Meanwhile, Los Angeles suffered slight slippage in the regular season, finishing with a 57–25 record. However, the Lakers, who still finished first in the Western Conference, compiled an outstanding 11–0 record in the postseason, sweeping the Portland Trail Blazers, Seattle SuperSonics, and Phoenix Suns en route to the finals. Magic Johnson also earned his second NBA MVP award (Johnson, who had already won the award in 1987, would receive his third NBA MVP title in 1990). As the finals began, L.A. was once again favored to eliminate Detroit and successfully three-peat as champions. However, the Pistons were determined to prove that they were ready to overcome the sting of coming up short the previous year, and win the NBA title. L.A.'s hopes for another championship took a turn for the worse when Byron Scott and Johnson both suffered season-ending hamstring injuries. The Pistons' physical style of play and superior defense also proved to be too much for the Lakers to overcome, as Detroit swept Los Angeles in 4 games and captured their 1st ever NBA Championship. Pistons shooting guard Joe Dumars was awarded NBA Finals MVP honors. After the series, Abdul-Jabbar retired. The series would also turn out to be the final time that Pat Riley would make an appearance in the NBA Finals as head coach of the Lakers. This also marked the first time that the NBA Finals ended in a 4-game sweep since the Finals went to the current 2–3–2 format back in 1985. The Pistons successfully defended their crown the following season. They defeated the Trail Blazers in the 1990 NBA Finals 4–1 to repeat as NBA champions.
A whole new of generation of Pistons and Lakers would meet as they squared off again in the 2004 NBA Finals. Los Angeles originally entered the 2003–04 NBA season on a mission to win the championship, due to a multi-talented roster featuring 4 NBA superstars: Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Gary Payton, and Karl Malone. Despite trying to meet high expectations and getting off to a promising start, the Lakers suffered through injuries and turmoil throughout the campaign; Malone struggled with a knee injury which he had to have surgery on, and was limited to playing only 42 games. Payton never grew comfortable learning the nuances of head coach Phil Jackson's triangle offense. Finally, O'Neal and Bryant spent the whole season feuding over who was a more valuable player for the Lakers. Nevertheless, Los Angeles finished with a 56–26 record, winning the Pacific Division title on the last day of the season.[1] Next, the Lakers eliminated the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, and Minnesota Timberwolves to win the Western Conference crown. The Pistons also struggled through the early part of their season as well. However, their fortunes soon improved vastly thanks to the February acquisition of Rasheed Wallace via trade, and the firm guidance of head coach Larry Brown. Detroit finished with a 54–28 record. Then, they defeated the Milwaukee Bucks, New Jersey Nets, and Indiana Pacers en route to the Eastern Conference title. Just like they had in both 1988 & 1989, the Lakers entered the NBA Finals as the clear favorite to win the championship. Still, the Pistons were not discouraged by their underdog status, stunning Los Angeles with a Game 1 win in L.A. The Lakers pulled out an overtime victory over Detroit in Game 2, thanks to Bryant's game-tying 3-pointer in the final seconds of regulation, enabling L.A. to eventually tie the series. However, as the series shifted to Detroit, the Pistons imposed their will on the Lakers. Their commitment to team basketball and tough, physical defense proved to be insurmountable. L.A.'s title dreams were dashed when Malone reinjured his knee in Game 4, and was unable to suit up for the Lakers in Game 5. The Pistons convincingly won the next 3 games at the Palace of Auburn Hills, and won the series 4–1, capturing their 3rd NBA title overall.[2] At the end of the series, Al Michaels, who was serving as the play-by-play announcer for the NBA on ABC during the finals, observed that even though the Lakers had Hall of Fame players, the Pistons beat L.A. by using players that nobody else wanted. Chauncey Billups, the Pistons' point guard, won the NBA Finals MVP Award. Billups became the first Finals MVP recipient since former Pistons star Joe Dumars to have won the award before making his first NBA All-Star team. Like Dumars, Billups would eventually go on to make multiple appearances in the NBA All-Star Game.
On November 21, 2021, two days after the 17th anniversary of the infamous Malice at the Palace, the rivalry got reignited following a brawl that occurred during a game in Detroit. The incident occurred in the third quarter when the Lakers' LeBron James and the Pistons' Isaiah Stewart were jostling for position during a free throw. Their arms appeared to get intertwined and James swung his elbow, striking Stewart, who quickly had blood streaming from above his eye. Stewart was guided away from the spot where the contact occurred by teammates and coaches, though he appeared to become more incensed along the way. He then tried to double back multiple times and run toward James. Stewart was assessed two technical fouls, while James was assessed a flagrant foul 2, and both players were ejected. The next day the NBA announced James had been suspended one game for "recklessly hitting" Pistons' center Stewart in the face during their altercation, while Stewart had been suspended two games for "escalating an on-court altercation by repeatedly and aggressively pursuing" James.[3]
|-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Pistons, | | style=";" | Lakers
| Lakers and Pistons join the Basketball Association of America (BAA) from the National Basketball League (NBL) and are placed in the Western Division.
Lakers win 1949 BAA Finals.|-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Pistons, || style=";" | Lakers
| Basketball Association of America and National Basketball League merge to become the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Lakers and Pistons briefly join the Central Division.|-|- style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;"| 1950 Central Division Finals| style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Lakers, || style=";" | Lakers, | 1st NBA playoff meeting.
Lakers would go on to win 1950 NBA Finals.|-| | style=";" | Pistons| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Pistons, |style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Lakers, | Lakers and Pistons move back to the Western Division. Neutral site game was played at Milwaukee Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Lakers finish with the best record in the league (44–24).|-| | style=";" | Pistons| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Pistons, | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Lakers, | Neutral site game was played at St. Paul Auditorium, St. Paul, Minnesota.
Lakers win 1952 NBA Finals.|-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Lakers, |Neutral site games were played at
Lakers finish with the best record in the league (48–22).
|-|- style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;"| 1953 Western Division Finals| style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Pistons, || style=";" | Lakers, | 2nd NBA playoff meeting.
Lakers would go on to win 1953 NBA Finals.|-| | Tie| | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Pistons, | Tie, | style=";" | Lakers, | Neutral site games were played at
|-|- style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;"| 1954 Western Division Round-Robin| style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Lakers, || style=";" | Lakers, | Only season in NBA history to use round-robin playoff format. Lakers advance by finishing first, while the Pistons were eliminated, finishing last.
Lakers would go on to win 1954 NBA Finals.|-| | style=";" | Pistons| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Pistons, | style=";" | Pistons, | style=";" | Lakers, | Neutral site games were played at
|-|- style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;"| 1955 Western Division Finals| style=";" | Pistons| style=";" | | Tie, | style=";" | Pistons, || style=";" | Lakers, | 3rd NBA playoff meeting, first series win for the Pistons.
Pistons would go on to lose 1955 NBA Finals.|-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Pistons, | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Lakers, | Neutral site games were played at
|-| | style=";" | Pistons| style=";" | | Tie, | style=";" | Pistons, | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Lakers, | Neutral site games were played at
|-|- style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;"| 1957 Western Division Semifinals| style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Lakers, || style=";" | Lakers, | 4th NBA playoff meeting.
Last season Pistons played as a Fort Wayne team.|-| | Tie| | style=";" | Pistons, | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Pistons, | style=";" | Lakers, | Neutral site games were played at
Pistons relocate to Detroit.|-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Pistons, | style=";" | Lakers, | Neutral site games were played at
Elgin Baylor makes his debut for the Lakers. |- style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;"| 1959 Western Division Semifinals| style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Pistons, || style=";" | Lakers, | 5th NBA playoff meeting, first for the Pistons in Detroit.
Lakers would go on to lose 1959 NBA Finals.|-| | style=";" | Pistons| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | Tie, | style=";" | Pistons, | style=";" | Lakers, | Neutral site games were played at
|-|- style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;"| 1960 Western Division Semifinals| style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Lakers, || style=";" | Lakers, | 6th NBA playoff meeting.
Last season Lakers played as a Minneapolis team.|-|-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Lakers, | Neutral site games were played at
Lakers relocate to Los Angeles. Jerry West makes his debut for the Lakers. |-|- style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;"| 1961 Western Division Semifinals| style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Pistons, || style=";" | Lakers, | 7th NBA playoff meeting, first for the Lakers in Los Angeles.
|-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Pistons, | style=";" | Lakers, | Neutral site games were played at
|- style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;"| 1962 Western Division Finals| style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Lakers, || style=";" | Lakers, | 8th NBA playoff meeting.
Lakers would go on to lose 1962 NBA Finals.|-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Lakers, | Neutral site games were played at
|-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Pistons, | style=";" | Lakers, | Neutral site games were played at
|-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Pistons, | style=";" | Lakers, | Neutral site games were played at
|-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Pistons, | style=";" | Lakers, | Neutral site game was played at War Memorial Coliseum. Lakers lose 1966 NBA Finals.|-| | style=";" | Pistons| style=";" | | Tie, | style=";" | Pistons, | Tie, | style=";" | Lakers, | Neutral site games were played at
|-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Pistons, || style=";" | Lakers, | Last season Lakers played at Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena. On December 31, 1967, Lakers open The Forum.
Lakers lose the 1968 NBA Finals.|-| | Tie| | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Pistons, | | style=";" | Lakers, | Lakers lose 1969 NBA Finals.|-| | Tie| | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Pistons, || style=";" | Lakers, | Lakers lose 1970 NBA Finals. Elgin Baylor played his final game in this rivalry on March 20, 1970. He missed all ten meetings across the next two seasons before retiring.|-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | Tie, | style=";" | Lakers, | Lakers are placed in the Western Conference and the Pacific Division.
Pistonss are placed in the same conference but in the Midwest Division.|-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | Tie, | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Lakers, | Lakers finish with the best record in the league (69–13).
Lakers win 1972 NBA Finals.|-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Lakers, | Lakers lose 1973 NBA Finals.|-| | style=";" | Pistons| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Pistons, | style=";" | Lakers, | Jerry West played his final game in this rivalry on December 2, 1973. He missed four meetings the rest of the season before retiring.|-| | style=";" | Pistons| style=";" | | style=";" | Pistons, | Tie, | style=";" | Lakers, | |-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style=";" | Celtics, | Tie, | style=";" | Lakers, | Kareem Abdul-Jabbar makes his debut for the Lakers.|-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | Tie, | style=";" | Lakers, | Lakers finish with the best record in the league (53–29).|-| | Tie| | Tie, | Tie, | style=";" | Lakers, | |-| | Tie| | Tie, | Tie, | style=";" | Lakers, | Pistons move from the Midwest Division in the Western Conference to the Central Division in the Eastern Conference. Last season where the Lakers and Pistons faced each other more than two games per season. |-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers
138–122| style=";" | Lakers
123–100| style=";" | Lakers, | Magic Johnson make his debut for the Lakers.
Lakers win 1980 NBA Finals.|-|-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style="| Lakers
117–108| style="| Lakers
111–102| style=";" | Lakers, | |-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style="| Lakers
123–111| style="| Lakers
130–127| style=";" | Lakers, | Isiah Thomas makes his debut for the Pistons.
Lakers win 1982 NBA Finals.|-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style="| Lakers
127–112| style="| Lakers
122–108| style=";" | Lakers, | Lakers lose 1983 NBA Finals.|-| | Tie| | style="| Pistons
121–118| style="| Lakers
118–114| style=";" | Lakers, | Lakers lose 1984 NBA Finals.|-| | Tie| | style="| Lakers
148–130| style="| Pistons
121–98| style=";" | Lakers, | Lakers win 1985 NBA Finals.|-| | Tie| | style="| Lakers
132–119| style="| Pistons
118–115| style=";" | Lakers, | |-| | Tie| | style="| Lakers
128–111| style="| Pistons
119–114| style=";" | Lakers, | Lakers finish with the best record in the league (65–17). Lakers win 1987 NBA Finals.|-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style="| Lakers
117–110| style="| Lakers
106–104| style=";" | Lakers, | Lakers finish with the best record in the league (62–20).
Last season Pistons play in the Pontiac Silverdome.|- style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;"| 1988 NBA Finals| style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Pistons, | style=";" | Lakers, | 9th NBA playoff meeting, first in the NBA finals.
First and only time in the rivalry to go to game seven.|-| | style=";" | Pistons| style=";" | | style="| Pistons
110–96| style="| Pistons
119–110| style=";" | Lakers, | Pistons open up The Palace of Auburn Hills.
Pistons finish with the best record in the league (63–19).|-|- style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;"| 1989 NBA Finals| style=";" | Pistons| style=";" | | style=";" | Pistons, | style=";" | Pistons, | style=";" | Lakers, | 10th NBA playoff meeting, second in the NBA finals.
First and only sweep in the rivalry.
Final season for Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.|-| | Tie| | style="| Pistons
108–97(OT)| style="| Lakers
107–97| style=";" | Lakers, | Lakers finish with the best record in the league (63–19).
Pistons win 1990 NBA Finals.|-|-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style="| Lakers
114–90| style="| Lakers
102–96| style=";" | Lakers, | Lakers lose 1991 NBA Finals.|-| | style=";" | Pistons| style=";" | | style="| Pistons
98–93| style="| Pistons
112–93| style=";" | Lakers, | |-| | Tie| | style="| Pistons
106–101| style="| Lakers
123–121| style=";" | Lakers, ||-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style="| Lakers
105–97| style="| Lakers
99–93| style=";" | Lakers, | Final season for Isiah Thomas.|-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style="| Lakers
105–96| style="| Lakers
115–98| style=";" | Lakers, | |-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style="| Lakers
87–82| style="| Lakers
101–98| style=";" | Lakers, | Final season for Magic Johnson.|-| | Tie| | style="| Pistons
100–97(2OT)| style="| Lakers
109–102| style=";" | Lakers, | Kobe Bryant makes his debut for the Lakers.|-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style="| Lakers
96–89| style="| Lakers
105–103(OT)| style=";" | Lakers, | |-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style="| Lakers
101–93| style="| Lakers
110–82| style=";" | Lakers, | Due to a delayed Collective Bargaining Agreement, Lakers and Pistons did not play in the 1998 NBA season.
Lakers open up Staples Center (now known as Crypto.com Arena).
Lakers finish with the best record in the league (67–15).
Lakers win 2000 NBA Finals.|-|-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style="| Lakers
112–88| style="| Lakers
125–119(OT)| style=";" | Lakers, | Lakers win 2001 NBA Finals.|-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style="| Lakers
94–82| style="| Lakers
121–92| style=";" | Lakers, | Lakers win 2002 NBA Finals.|-| | Tie| | style="| Lakers
95–85| style="| Pistons
111–88| style=";" | Lakers, ||-| | Tie| | style="| Lakers
94–89| style="| Pistons
106–96| style=";" | Lakers, | |-|- style="background:#f2f2f2; font-weight:bold;"| 2004 NBA Finals| style=";" | Pistons| style=";" | | Tie, | style=";" | Pistons, | style=";" | Lakers, | 11th NBA playoff meeting, third in the NBA finals. First NBA Finals series in the rivalry to take place in the 21st century.|-| | style=";" | Pistons| style=";" | | style="| Pistons
111–90| style="| Pistons
103–81| style=";" | Lakers, |Pistons lose 2005 NBA Finals.|-| | Tie| | style="| Lakers
105–94| style="| Pistons
102–93| style=";" | Lakers, | Pistons finish with the best record in the league (64–18).|-| | style=";" | Pistons| style=";" | | style="| Pistons
97–83| style="| Pistons
93–78| style=";" | Lakers, ||-| | Tie| | style="| Lakers
103–91| style="| Pistons
90–89| style=";" | Lakers, | Lakers lose 2008 NBA Finals.|-| | Tie| | style="| Pistons
106–95| style="| Lakers
92–77| style=";" | Lakers, | Lakers win 2009 NBA Finals.|-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style="| Lakers
106–93| style="| Lakers
93–81| style=";" | Lakers, | Lakers win 2010 NBA Finals.|-|-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style="| Lakers
108–83| style="| Lakers
103–90| style=";" | Lakers, ||-| | style=";" | Pistons| style=";" | | | style="| Pistons
88–85| style=";" | Lakers, | Lockout shortened season results in one game played between the rivals.|-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style="| Lakers
108–79| style="| Lakers
98–97| style=";" | Lakers, | |-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style="| Lakers
114–99| style="| Lakers
106–102| style=";" | Lakers, | |-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style="| Lakers
93–85| style="| Lakers
106–96| style=";" | Lakers, | |-| | Tie| | style="| Lakers
97–85| style="| Pistons
111–91| style=";" | Lakers, | Final season for Kobe Bryant.|-| | style=";" | Pistons| style=";" | | style="| Pistons
102–97| style="| Pistons
121–102| style=";" | Lakers, | |-| | Tie| | style="| Lakers
113–93| style="| Pistons
112–106| style=";" | Lakers, ||-| | Tie| | style="| Lakers
113–100| style="| Pistons
111–97| style=";" | Lakers, | LeBron James signs with the Lakers.|-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style="| Lakers
106–99| | style=";" | Lakers, | League shortened due to COVID-19 pandemic.
Lakers win 2020 NBA Finals.|-|-| | Tie| | style="| Lakers
135–129(2OT)| style="| Pistons
107–92| style=";" | Lakers, | |-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style="| Lakers
110–106| style="| Lakers
121–116| style=";" | Lakers, | |-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style="| Lakers
128–121| style="| Lakers
124–117| style=";" | Lakers, ||-| | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style="| Lakers
125–111| style="| Lakers
133–107| style=";" | Lakers, | Lakers win the inaugural 2023 NBA Cup.|-| | | | | style="| Pistons
115–103| style=";" | Lakers, | |-|-| Regular season games | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Pistons, | |-| Postseason games | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Pistons, | ||-| Postseason series| style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Lakers, || NBA Finals: 1988, 1989, 2004
Central Division Finals: 1950
Western Division Finals: 1953, 1955, 1962
Western Division Semifinals: 1957, 1959, 1960, 1961|-| Regular and postseason | style=";" | Lakers| style=";" | | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Lakers, | style=";" | Pistons, | There were 44 total Neutral site games played.|-
| Rank | Player | Team | Points | GP | PPG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elgin Baylor | Lakers | 3,190 | 110 | 29.0 | |
| 2 | Jerry West | Lakers | 2,780 | 99 | 28.1 | |
| 3 | George Yardley | Pistons | 1,347 | 60 | 20.4 | |
| 4 | Vern Mikkelsen | Lakers | 1,345 | 103 | 13.1 | |
| 5 | Gene Shue | Pistons | 1,344 | 74 | 15.3 |
| Rank | Player | Team | Points | GP | PPG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Elgin Baylor | Lakers | 550 | 16 | 34.4 | |
| 2 | Gene Shue | Pistons | 326 | 18 | 18.1 | |
| 3 | Jerry West | Lakers | 293 | 11 | 26.6 | |
| 4 | James Worthy | Lakers | 256 | 11 | 23.3 | |
| 5 | Isiah Thomas | Pistons | 223 | 11 | 20.3 |