Pistons hand Clippers first loss behind Drummond
LOS ANGELES -- Andre Drummond had 15 points and 17 rebounds and the Detroit Pistons rallied from a 13-point third-quarter deficit to hand the Los Angeles Clippers their first loss of the season, 95-87, at Staples Center on Saturday night.
Reggie Jackson had 15 points and seven assists, and Langston Galloway contributed 13 points off the bench for the Pistons (4-2).
Austin Rivers shot 6 for 8 from 3-point range and scored 20 points to lead the Clippers (4-1), who were the last remaining unbeaten team in the NBA. Blake Griffin had 19 points and 11 rebounds and Danilo Gallinari scored 13 points for Los Angeles.
Stanley Johnson's 3-pointer with 8:37 left in the game moved Detroit ahead, 77-76, its first lead since early in the second quarter. Anthony Tolliver's 3 in transition with 3:19 remaining stretched the advantage to 90-84 and Los Angeles couldn't get back within one possession.
Gallinari capped a 12-0 run with a 3-pointer that gave the Clippers their biggest lead at 70-57 with 4:54 left in the quarter, but the Pistons trimmed the deficit to five heading into the fourth.
The Clippers took a 52-45 on the fourth 3-pointer of the game by Rivers with 39 seconds left in the first half. He hit his fifth 3 from the same spot in front of the Los Angeles bench with 24 seconds remaining to give the Clippers their biggest lead at 55-45.
The Pistons scored seven of the game's first nine points but Rivers helped keep the score close by shooting 3 for 4 from 3-point range in the first quarter. Detroit took its biggest lead of the opening quarter at 22-15, but Rivers made his third 3 to spark a 9-0 run. Detroit ended up scoring the final six points to take a 28-24 lead into the second quarter.
NOTES: Pistons G Reggie Bullock, a first-round draft pick of the Clippers in 2013, made his season debut after serving a five-game suspension for violating the NBA's anti-drug policy. He had one point in seven minutes. .... Detroit G Luke Kennard, the 12th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft who averaged 4.8 points off the bench in Bullock's absence, was inactive. ... Clippers F Danilo Gallinari was 3 for 10 from 3-point distance and is 8 for 31 on the season ... Clippers G Patrick Beverley was 3 for 5 from 3-point range and is 12 for 24 on the season. ... The Pistons visit the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night and the Clippers host the Warriors on Monday night.