LA Lakers Injury Update: Major Lineup Change Confirmed as $51,000,000 Starter, Austin Reaves Among 3 Players Ruled Out vs. Pistons (Dec. 30)

The LA Lakers will be without Rui Hachimura during their regular-season game against the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday. Hachimura was listed as out on the team's injury report with right calf soreness. The Japanese forward played 26 minutes in the previous game against the Sacramento Kings and was in the starting lineup.

Lakers coach JJ Redick stuck with Hachimura in the starting five despite growing calls to play him off the bench. The veteran forward and efficient performance, finishing with 12 points on 5 of 10 shooting, including 2 of 4 from beyond the arc, along with four rebounds, one assist and two assists.

Apart from Hachimura, the Purple and Gold will also miss Austin Reaves and Gabe Vincent's services. Reaves remains sidelined with a left calf strain, while Vincent is nursing a lumbar back strain. Reaves is expected to miss at least 13 more games, while there is no timeline for Vincent's return just yet.

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Backup centre Jaxson Hayes is cleared to return after missing two consecutive games with left ankle soreness. Hayes last played on Dec. 23 against the Phoenix Suns.

Meanwhile, the Lakers snapped out of a three-game losing streak with a much-needed 125-101 win against the Kings. LeBron James scored an efficient 24 points on 13 shots, while Luka Doncic led the Lakers in points with 34. The game ball, however, went to Nick Smith Jr., who came off the bench and scored 21 points, knocking down five 3-pointers in the process.

The victory helped the Lakers move to fourth place in the Western Conference standings. JJ Redick's team currently holds a 20-10 record after splitting their last 10 games 5-5.

How to watch Detroit Pistons vs. LA Lakers?

The LA Lakers will host the Detroit Pistons at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, California, on Tuesday. The game will tip off at 10:30 p.m. EST (7:30 p.m. PT).

The Lakers vs. Pistons game will be nationally televised on NBC, while it will also be available in local markets on FanDuel Sports Network Detroit and Spectrum SportsNet LA. Live streaming is available on Peacock, NBA League Pass and Fubo.

Edited by Atishay Jain