Andre Drummond tipped in Detroit misses on consecutive possessions in the third quarter Saturday night to stall a Golden State Warriors comeback, and the host Pistons eased away in the fourth period for a 111-102 victory over the two-time defending champions in Stephen Curry's return to action.
The former two-time NBA Most Valuable Player had 27 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals in 37 minutes after having missed 11 consecutive games with a strained groin. He shot 10-for-21 from the field, including 3-for-9 on 3-pointers, and committed seven turnovers.
Blake Griffin led Detroit with 26 points, while Drummond gathered a game-high 19 rebounds to go with 16 points.
The Pistons led 54-46 at halftime and by as many as 14 in the third period before the Warriors rallied within 78-76 on a 3-pointer by Andre Iguodala with 2:06 left in the period.
But Drummond, who had eight offensive rebounds in the game, dropped in a pair of follow shots and Stanley Johnson bombed in a 3-pointer as the Pistons closed the period with a 7-2 burst to re-establish command at 85-78.
The Warriors were unable to make much headway in the final period, thanks in large part to 6-for-26 shooting from 3-point range.
Johnson finished with 19 points, Reggie Jackson 17, Ish Smith 11 and Reggie Bullock 10 in a balanced attack for Detroit, which won its fifth straight and second in two nights. The Pistons beat Chicago 107-88 at home on Friday night.
Johnson and Smith were part of a bench crew that outscored their Golden State counterparts 42-13.
Kevin Durant had 28 points and a team-high seven assists, and Klay Thompson scored 21 points with a team-high eight rebounds for the Warriors, who lost their sixth straight on the road, their longest road losing streak since February 2013.
Coming off a 51-point explosion in a 131-128 overtime loss at Toronto on Thursday, Durant shot just 1-for-7 on 3-pointers, while Thompson went just 1-for-5.
The Pistons outscored the Warriors 36-18 on 3-pointers in the win.
--Field Level Media