NBA: Jayson Tatum, Celtics knock off Detroit

Jayson Tatum had 24 points and 9 rebounds to lead the Boston Celtics to a 102-93 road win over the Detroit Pistons on Friday night.

Jaylen Brown had 13 points and 7 rebounds, and Josh Richardson added 12 points for Boston, which won its 4th straight.

Hamidou Diallo had 21 points and 14 rebounds, Saddiq Bey scored 21 points and Isaiah Stewart had 17 rebounds in defeat for Detroit, which has lost 7 of its last 8.

After building a 46-31 lead at halftime, Boston added to Detroit's deficit in the 3rd, going up by 19 at 52-33 with 9:13 remaining in the quarter.

Detroit mounted a minor rally, going on a 14-5 run to cut Boston's lead to 57-47 with 6:26 remaining in the 3rd, but Boston answered with a 9-2 run to take a 66-49 lead with 3:47 left in the quarter.

Boston eventually took a 78-56 lead into the 4th quarter.

In the 4th, Detroit put a dent into Boston's lead, pulling to within 96-84 with 1:52 remaining following a 10-0 run.

The Pistons eventually cut Boston's lead to 100-93 with 20.6 seconds remaining after a 3-pointer by Killian Hayes.

But that was as close as the Pistons would get.

Detroit was playing without star rookie Cade Cunningham, who sat out the game with a hip pointer.

With Boston nursing a 13-11 lead in the 1st quarter, the Celtics separated themselves by going on a 15-5 run over the final 6:12 of the quarter to take a 28-16 lead going into the 2nd quarter.

Boston continued to build on its lead in the 2nd quarter, taking a 37-22 lead with 6:31 remaining until halftime.

Detroit couldn't cut its deficit to single digits the rest of the quarter and the Celtics took a 46-31 lead into the halftime break.

-reuters

Blake Griffin pours 37 as Pistons defeat Anthony David-less Pelicans

NEW ORLEANS— Blake Griffin got Detroit off to a hot start, but the Pistons still had to scratch out a victory in the final seconds over the Anthony Davis-less Pelicans.

It didn’t sit well with the All-Star forward.


“The way we finished the game was the reason we’ve lost so many close games,” said Griffin, referring to Detroit’s 95-87 lead with 1:32 left that nearly evaporated down the stretch. “This time we just happened to come out on top. We got a lucky miss, a lucky bounce and we were able to get a wide-open dunk, but this doesn’t feel like that good of a win. Obviously, we’ll take it, but stuff like this is why we’ve lost so many games.”

Griffin scored 20 of his game-high 37 points in the fourth quarter of Detroit’s 98-94 win over New Orleans, which was playing its second straight game without Davis.

Reggie Jackson added 17 points for the Pistons, who had lost seven of their previous 10.

Jrue Holiday scored 29 points and Jahlil Okafor added 17 for the Pelicans, who have lost four of six.

New Orleans cut the deficit to 95-92 on a drive by Holiday and a 3-poitner by Darius Miller with 52.5 seconds left.

The Pistons then had a sluggish possession, finally getting the ball in Griffin’s hands for a forced 3-point attempt. When he missed, the Pelicans had a chance to tie, but Frank Jackson’s open 3-pointer missed, and Holiday tapped the rebound out to the top of the key.

Reggie Bullock ran down the loose ball and dribbled 60 feet unguarded for a clinching dunk with 14.5 seconds left.

Griffin finished 14 of 28 from the field, including 4 of 9 on 3-pointers, and had nine rebounds and seven assists.

“He’s carrying us, handling the basketball, making good decisions, just doing everything we could ask a franchise player to do,” coach Dwane Casey said. “He’s been great. He sets the tone for us offensively. He’d probably have more assists if we knocked down more shots.”


Detroit went 7 of 23 from the field in the fourth quarter, scoring just 19 points in the frame.

“You want to finish perfect, and I’m striving for perfection and good habits,” Casey said.

Playing without Davis, the Pelicans shot just nine free throws and made only four.

“We just struggled the whole night,” New Orleans coach Alvin Gentry said. “At the end, we make a push back. You’ve got to be able to make the game-winning plays, as we call them. We didn’t do that. We have failed to find consistency throughout what we’re trying to do. That’s a lot on me. As a coach, you’ve got to figure out a way to have your team play consistently and you’ve got to find out who is willing to do that. We’re kind of still searching for that.”

Griffin scored 20 of Detroit’s 31 points in the first quarter and had 26 by halftime on 9-of-14 shooting, with the Pistons leading 57-47.

“We just kept feeding him,” said Jon Leuer, who had 11 points and six rebounds. “When he’s in a rhythm like that, he’s unstoppable.”

TIP-INS

Pistons: Casey said C Andre Drummond, who sustained a concussion in a Jan. 18 win over Miami, felt “spry and full of energy” in shootaround, but he still missed his third consecutive game.

Pelicans: Davis missed his second straight game with a fracture of his left index finger. He may miss another one to two weeks.

UP NEXT

Pistons: Will end a three-game trip at Dallas on Thursday night.

Pelicans: Visit Oklahoma City on Thursday night. The Pelicans have 10 games left in a monthlong stretch in which they have a flight between each of 16 games.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Tony Parker has 24 points, Hornets beat Pistons

DETROIT — Most of the stars of the 2005 NBA Finals have been out of the league for several years.

Tony Parker, is still beating the Detroit Pistons.


Sunday, he faced them for the first time as a member of the Charlotte Hornets, but the results weren’t any different. The 36-year-old scored 24 points in 28 minutes off the bench to lead Charlotte to a 113-103 victory.

“That’s what Tony does. I’m just surprised that he never loses any of his speed and quickness,” Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. “He got to every spot he wanted to out there, and we weren’t stopping him.

“He’s probably going to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, but we’ve got to be better.”

Parker improved to 20-11 in the regular season against the Pistons, first playing them as a 19-year-old with San Antonio on Jan. 2, 2002. The Spurs also beat Detroit in seven games in the 2005 finals.

″(Tony) is a leader,” said Kemba Walker, who had 24 points and seven assists. “He brings passion and the winning attitude. He just knows how to win.”

Cody Zeller added 14 points as Charlotte won for the third time in four games.

“I thought they were great tonight,” Charlotte coach James Borrego said. “Their effort and their attention to detail were fantastic. I’m really proud of our group on both ends of the floor.”

Andre Drummond had 23 points and 22 rebounds for the Pistons, and Reggie Bullock had a career-high 23 points, hitting six 3-pointers. Detroit has lost six of eight after a 4-0 start.

“We are our own worst enemies,” Casey said. “We have to make shots and we have to stop getting caught out of position on defense. I’m going to have to make sure everyone understands our defensive assignments.”


Detroit’s Blake Griffin was given a flagrant-2 foul and ejected with 7:06 to play for a shoulder check on Malik Monk. Griffin shot 4-for-16, missing all five 3-pointers, and is 6-for-26 in his last two games.

“We’re asking Blake to carry too much of a load right now,” Casey said. “He’s bringing the ball up the floor, then going into the post and getting hit on every shot. It’s taking a toll on him.”

The Hornets started the third quarter with a 10-2 run to go ahead 61-51, and only 12 points from Bullock in the quarter kept Detroit within eight going into the fourth. Walker had nine points in the quarter and Charlotte went 6 of 8 on 3-pointers.

“We played hard and we played the right way, but the challenge is not getting frustrated,” said Reggie Jackson. “We have to find a way to stay consistent all game.”

Charlotte also jumped on the Pistons at the beginning of the fourth. The Hornets scored the first eight points to take a 16-point lead.

“I think it was really about urgency,” Borrego said. “It isn’t about playing perfect basketball but playing with urgency and aggressiveness for 48 minutes.”

Charlotte rookie Miles Bridges, who played at Michigan State, delighted a huge group of friends and family with an uncontested windmill dunk to make it 95-77 with 8:51 left.

“This was great, especially getting the win,” he said. “I knew I wasn’t going to be a star right away on a team with Kemba, so I’m just adjusting to the league and learning my spots.”

TIP INS

Hornets: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist left early in the second quarter with a sprained right ankle and did not return. Kidd-Gilchrist had 12 points and 12 rebounds in a 133-132 overtime loss at Philadelphia on Friday night.

Pistons: Drummond’s 20-20 game was the 25th of his career and his 301st double-double. He leads both categories since he joined the NBA in 2012-13.

UP NEXT

Hornets: At Cleveland on Tuesday night.

Pistons: At Toronto on Wednesday night.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Howard powers undermanned Rockets past Pistons

AUBURN HILLS, Michigan — Dwight Howard had 35 points and 19 rebounds, leading the short-handed Houston Rockets to a 114-97 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night.

In one of his best games since joining the Rockets in the offseason, Howard dominated Andre Drummond, Detroit’s promising 20-year-old big man, and helped Houston control the game despite the absence of star guard James Harden, who was out with a sprained right ankle.

The Rockets also were without Jeremy Lin, who has been bothered by back spasms, and they lost guard Patrick Beverley to a fractured right hand.

Josh Smith scored 19 points for the Pistons.

It was the most points Howard has scored as a member of the Rockets. He went 13 of 18 from the field.

GRIZZLIES 95, KNICKS 87

NEW YORK — Zach Randolph had 25 points and 15 rebounds to help Memphis break a five-game losing streak with a victory over New York.

Tony Allen added 19 points and eight rebounds. Jerryd Bayless scored 11 points, including two free throws to end a New York flurry that had trimmed a 19-point deficit to four in the final half-minute.

Mike Conley finished with nine points and eight assists after missing two games with a bruised left thigh.

Carmelo Anthony scored 30 points for the Knicks.

WIZARDS 106, CELTICS 99

BOSTON — Trevor Ariza scored 27 points and hit a 3-pointer that capped a fourth-quarter run in Washington’s comeback victory over Boston.

With Washington trailing 92-84, Ariza started a 14-1 run with a jumper from the right corner. John Wall had five of his 20 points in the surge.

Avery Bradley led Boston with 26 points.

KINGS 105, MAGIC 100

ORLANDO, Florida — Rudy Gay and Isaiah Thomas each scored 23 points, Marcus Thornton added 15, and Sacramento held off Orlando for the victory.

DeMarcus Cousins added 14 points and 11 rebounds.

The Kings connected on a season-high 12 3-pointers in the victory, helping to end a three-game losing streak.

Arron Afflalo led Orlando with 26 points in his return to the lineup after sitting out for the first time this season Wednesday with an illness. The Magic have lost four out of their last five, and four straight at home.

JAZZ 88, BOBCATS 85

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina — Trey Burke scored 10 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter and Utah ended Charlotte’s three-game winning streak.

Burke hit a 3-pointer with 1:38 left to put the Jazz up by three and added a pair of free throws with 10 seconds remaining.

Gordon Hayward had 12 points and 10 rebounds for Utah, which had lost three of their past four games. Derrick Favors added 14 points.

Kemba Walker scored 20 points and Al Jefferson had 19 for the Bobcats, who were playing their fourth game in five nights.

At halftime, Bobcats owner Michael Jordan unveiled the team’s new primary logo for when the team changes names to the Charlotte Hornets after this season.

source: sports.inquirer.net