Want to watch NBA worlds collide in spectacular fashion? It’s tough to conjure a cooler cross-conference hardwood contest than the one that closes out this week’s Coast 2 Coast Tuesday doubleheader slate on the NBA on NBC and Peacock. 

How to Watch

Watch NBA on NBC on NBC and streaming on Peacock. 

In the first meeting this season between two of the top squads from the NBA’s Eastern and Western Conferences, Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons will head to Los Angeles to take on LeBron James and the Lakers. With oodles of star power all over the court, it’s an east-west showdown you won’t want to miss — so keep on scrolling for all the need-to-know details!

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How can you watch the Detroit Pistons vs. Los Angeles Lakers NBA game on Coast 2 Coast Tuesday?

The Detroit Pistons will hit the road to face the Los Angeles Lakers in a Coast 2 Coast Tuesday matchup on Tuesday, December 30. Tipoff time is set for 10:30 p.m. ET from the Lakers’ home court at Crypto.com Arena, with the game broadcast live on NBC and streaming in simulcast on Peacock. 

What to know about NBA on NBC’s Pistons vs. Lakers game on Tuesday, December 30

The Pistons and Lakers are scheduled to face each other only twice during the 2025-2026 regular season, and Tuesday’s game marks the first of their two meetings. As it just so happens, LeBron will celebrate his 41st birthday the very same day that Cunningham and the Pistons come calling — and with leading Lakers scorer Luka Dončić still tender from a recent leg injury, it could mark an opportune occasion for King James to throw a Los Angeles scoring party. 

Thanks to a nagging sciatic nerve issue, James sat out the Lakers’ first 14 games before making a hugely anticipated return to the team in mid-November. But LeBron’s since shown flashes of his MVP brilliance — even if it hasn’t always meant a guaranteed Lakers victory — and especially most recently in a December 20 cross-town loss to the LA Clippers, where he accounted for 36 of the Lakers’ meager 88 overall points. 

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The Pistons, meanwhile, have been a blast to watch this season, and with indispensable starting help at every position, Cunningham hasn’t been the only reason why. From Jalen Duren’s stingy rebounding to Ausar Thompson’s downcourt defensive consistency, Detroit’s stacked with role players who can double as spot scoring threats. It’s a formula that should serve up some sweet strategic matchups when the Pistons’ and Lakers’ combined star powers collide. 

Tuesday’s Pistons vs. Lakers game is the second in a December 30 NBA on NBC doubleheader this week on Coast 2 Coast Tuesday, with the Philadelphia 76ers taking on the Memphis Grizzlies in the night’s early game at 8 p.m. ET. Both matchups will be available to watch live nationwide on NBC, and streaming on Peacock. 

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