Lakers vs. Pistons preview: Banged up L.A. still in search of first win

No matter which team picks up the win on Sunday night at Staples Center, one NBA team will pick up its first victory of the season. The winless Los Angeles Lakers (0-3) host the winless Detroit Pistons (0-2), and the purple and gold will try to regroup from their sluggish start.

The Lakers have allowed 106.7 points per game through three games, 27th in a 29-team league, and they have allowed a whopping 114.4 points per 100 possession, which ranks 28th.

That poor defense has wasted hot shooting early by Kobe Bryant, who has converted 61.4% of his field goal attempts while averaging 30.7 points per contest. Dwight Howard has shot 61.8% from the field and averaged 21.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game so far.

The Lakers will again be without Steve Nash, who suffered a fracture of his left fibula on Wednesday night in Portland. Nash will miss at least a week with the injury. Through three games the opposing starting point guard has averaged 18.3 points and 9.3 assists against the Lakers.

The last time the Lakers began a season 0-3 was the 1978-1979 campaign. The last time they began 0-4 was in the 1957-1958 season, when the Minneapolis Lakers began 0-7.