Morris helps Pistons edge Nets
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Marcus Morris racked up 28 points and 13 rebounds and the Detroit Pistons snapped a five-game losing streak by edging the Brooklyn Nets 90-89 on Thursday night at The Palace.
Ish Smith contributed 21 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Pistons (35-41). Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 12 points, and Andre Drummond secured 11 rebounds for Detroit.
Sean Kilpatrick led the Nets (16-59) with 15 points off the bench. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Jeremy Lin each had 14 points, but Brook Lopez -- who entered with a 20.7 scoring average -- was held to 11 points on 4-for-17 shooting.
The Pistons salvaged the finale of the three-game series after the Nets won twice at home.
Detroit began the fourth with an 11-3 spurt to gain a 70-66 advantage. The lead eventually grew to six on a Morris 3-pointer with 4:57 left.
Brooklyn reeled off the next nine points to gain the lead. Lin's layup tied it with 3:10 remaining. Lopez then made his first 3-pointer after four misses to put the Nets on top, 83-80.
Lopez fired in another following a Morris jump shot to make it 86-82 with 1:32 left. Smith hit a midrange jumper before draining a corner 3-pointer with 28.5 seconds remaining to give Detroit a one-point lead.
Lopez missed an open 3-point try on the Nets' ensuing possession. Detroit's Tobias Harris then made two free throws with 4.1 seconds on the clock. Caldwell-Pope then forced a Lin turnover, and Morris made one of two free throws to seal the win.
Neither Lopez nor Drummond scored in the first half, which ended with Brooklyn up 39-35. Both teams shot 33 percent from the field and neither had a fast-break point.
The Pistons pulled ahead in the third but the Nets ended the quarter with a 10-2 run to grab a 63-59 lead.
NOTES: Brooklyn C Brook Lopez has made 125 3-pointers after hitting just three in his first eight seasons. "It's an easy shot for him," Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said. "It really helps our spacing." ... Pistons PG Reggie Jackson missed his third straight game for rest purposes, though coach Stan Van Gundy has not decided if Jackson will play again this season. Jackson missed the first 21 games because of a knee injury and struggled throughout the season. "He's medically cleared to play," Van Gundy said. ... Nets PF Quincy Acy (left ankle soreness) was sidelined ... Detroit won for just the fourth time in 35 games when scoring under 100 points. ... Pistons reserve SG Reggie Bullock (right foot sprain) sat out for the third straight game. ... The Pistons have won their last four home games against the Nets. ... The last time Brooklyn swept a season series from the Pistons was the 2012-13 season.