Fresh off a triple-double performance, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers were back in action in Detroit against the Pistons. This was the first of their three-game road trip, and the Lakers came out with a 106-96 victory.

Kobe came out dishing the ball once again, as he finished with a total of 13 assists to go along with 12 points. Bryant struggled offensively, as he shot 4-of-11 from the field and did not hit his first field goal until the 7:24 mark of the third quarter. In fact, Kobe scored all 12 of his points in the third quarter.

This game was actually close in the first half. It was tied at the end of the first quarter and only a one-point Lakers lead at the end of the second quarter.

However, the Lakers exploded in the third period, opening up a 21-point lead with 1:59 remaining in the quarter. Young was brilliant off the bench, scoring 19 points in just 21 minutes of play.

The Pistons, though, did not go away. They kept crawling back into this game and came within seven points late in the game, but it was not enough. The Pistons played all of the fourth quarter with their bench unit - D.J. Augustin, Caron Butler, Gigi Datome, Jonas Jerebko, and Greg Monroe. That unit worked out well for Stan Van Gundy, as they cut the Lakers’ lead to 10 midway through the fourth, which forced the Lakers to bring their starters back into the game.

The Lakers were able to hang on to their lead and win thanks to Jordan Hill, who, at one point in the fourth quarter, scored eight straight points. Hill finished the game with yet another double-double, posting up 22 points and 13 rebounds. Hill has really improved his mid-range shot, and Kobe praised the big man after the game.

“He’s one of the best big shooters in the league,” Kobe said about Hill.

All Laker starters were in double figures. Carlos Boozer scored 14 points and snatched seven rebounds. Wesley Johnson was a perfect 3-of-3 from the three-point line, as he finished with 13 points and four blocks, and Jeremy Lin put in 11 points, five assists, and four rebounds.

Josh Smith led the Pistons with 18 points, 10 rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Caron Butler and D.J. Augustin were bright spots for the Pistons off the bench, as they scored 11 and 13 points respectively.

The Pistons’ shooting woes continued in this one, as they shot 36.7 percent from the field, including 28.6 percent from threes. Costless throw shooting was surprisingly decent for Detroit, hitting 77.4 percent of their costless throws. On the other end of the ball, the Pistons allowed the Lakers to shoot 48.1 percent from the field, including 58.8 percent from three-point distance.

Stan Van Gundy’s team is simply struggling from the field because they cannot hit shots. They got plenty of good looks in this game but failed to put the ball through the hoop.

The Lakers have now won two straight games, as they are a perfect 4-0 against Eastern Conference teams. They improve to 5-13 on the season. The Pistons have now lost five straight times to the Lakers and nine straight games overall, as they drop to 3-15, the second worst record in the league.

The Lakers will continue their short road trip tomorrow, December 3, in Washington against the Wizards. The Pistons will travel to Boston to face the Celtics tomorrow as well.