NEWARK (AP) ― The Detroit Pistons aren’t seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. They’re just feeling better about themselves while riding their longest winning streak of the season and getting some key players back on the floor.
Greg Monroe had 20 points and 12 rebounds and the Pistons won their season-high third straight game with a 99-92 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Wednesday night.
“We have to keep this hunger,” said Monroe, who iced the game with a monster drive and jam with 2:27 to play. “We have to continue to play and give these efforts so the wins will come more often. But we have to continue to play like this.”
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New Jersey Nets’ Shelden Williams (right) dunks over Detroit Pistons’ Jason Maxiell during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Newark, New Jersey, Wednesday. (AP-Yonhap News) |
In winning for the seventh time in 27 games, the Pistons played good team basketball. They had 29 assists on 39 baskets, outrebounded New Jersey 41-36 and shot a season-high 53.4 percent from the field.
“We’re gaining more confidence in each other,” Pistons coach Lawrence Frank said after his team won for only the second time on the road this season and snapped a seven-game slide away from the Motor City.
The Pistons are also getting some depth.
Jonas Jerebko, who is rounding into form after missing last season with an Achilles tendon injury, added 16 points. Tayshaun Prince had 15 and Ben Gordon, playing for the first time in 11 games, added 14 points for Detroit, which almost blew an 18-point second-half lead.
Rockets 103, Trail Blazers 96
Havericks 105, Nuggets 95
Hawks 97, Pacers 87
Pistons 99, Nets 92
Bulls 90, Hornets 67
Grizzlies 85, Timberwolves 80
Cavaliers 99, Clippers 92
Magic 102, Heat 89
Spurs 100, 76ers 90
Knicks 107, Wizards 93
Bucks 105, Raptors 99
Prince said it was great to see Gordon back on the floor and Will Bynum dressed, even though he didn’t play.
“It put a smile on everybody’s face,” Prince said. “When we saw those guys in their warmups, even if they didn’t play, guys were more ready to play.”
Deron Williams scored 17 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Nets, who have lost four in a row and nine times in 12 home games. Jordan Farmar added 22 off the bench and Kris Humphries had a game-high 16 rebounds.
“We lost,” said Williams, who was 10 of 21 from the field. “That’s about it. It’s another loss at home. We’ve been struggling here all season, trying to find our shots and rhythm. It’s hard to win when you are shooting in the 30-percent range.”
A four-point play by Williams got New Jersey within 78-77, but Jerebko, Rodney Stuckey and Monroe scored to push the lead to eight.
The Nets made one more run as Williams sandwiched a pair of 3-pointers around a fadeaway jumper by Stuckey to narrow the Pistons’ lead to 86-83 with 5:18 to play.
After Monroe missed a jumper and Farmar turned the ball over, Brandon Knight hit a 3-pointer to push the lead to 89-83. The Nets could get no closer as Williams missed his next two shots and Farmar misfired on a 3-pointer.
Two free throws by Prince and a monster drive and dunk from the foul line by Monroe ended the contest.
Gordon, who was out with a sore left shoulder, came back and was in form, scoring eight points in a 22-7 spurt that gave the Pistons a 44-31 lead late in the second quarter. The lead was 12 at the half and it grew to 18 points early in the third quarter when Stuckey hit a jumper to cap a 6-0 run to start the second half.
The Pistons lead was still 15 points with 5:35 to go in the third quarter when Williams scored seven straight points in a 14-6 burst to close the gap to seven points. New Jersey kept coming at the start of the fourth quarter with Williams hitting six of 10 shots, including four of his six ― and career high-tying ― 3-pointers.
“This was a team that had more energy than us and played with a lot more enthusiasm,” Nets coach Avery Johnson said. “Again, we have to generate more energy in this building. We have to generate more energy at home and we just didn’t have it tonight.”
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Howard, Anderson lead Magic over Heat
ORLANDO (AP) - Dwight Howard had 25 points and 24 rebounds, Ryan Anderson scored 27 and the Orlando Magic hit 17 3-pointers in a 102-89 victory over the Miami Heat on Wednesday night.
Anderson had five 3s - all in the first half - and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead the Magic. Howard posted his 20th double-double of the season.
Orlando fell two shy of its season high for 3s and set a team record with 42 attempts.
The Magic have won four of five since their season-high four-game losing streak. They have also beaten Miami in nine of their last 11 meetings in Orlando.
Dwyane Wade led the Heat with 33 points, but had only 11 after halftime. LeBron James added 17.
The Heat had their three-game winning streak snapped. Miami continues its six-game road trip Friday at Washington.
In the middle of a stretch of 20 games in 32 days before the All-Star break, the Magic got a rare day off from game action Tuesday. They seemed energized from the opening tip against the Heat, racing out to a 17-point lead in the first half.
That cushion was 16 at the start of the fourth quarter thanks to all those 3s.
The Heat got within 89-80 on a basket by Chris Bosh before Jameer Nelson’s 3 from the corner pushed the Magic’s advantage back to 12 with 3:53 to play. The Heat never got any closer.
Orlando was shooting better from the 3-point line than from the field at one point in the fourth quarter. The Magic finished the night at 42 percent from the floor (35 for 83) and 40 percent (17 for 42) from 3-point range.
Miami shot 47 percent from the field (36 for 76) but had only five 3-pointers.
The Heat also held a 40-30 advantage on points in the paint, but Orlando led 23-9 in second-chance points.
Anderson’s 3-pointer gave the Magic their biggest lead of the first half at 44-27.
The Heat responded by closing the half with a 24-9 spurt-including the final 12 points by Wade-to go into halftime trailing by only three.
Wade finished the half with 22 points, while Anderson’s five 3s and 24 points paced the Magic.
Howard had 13 points and 13 rebounds in the opening 24 minutes.
