Pistons 115, Kings 108
AUBURN HILLS, Mich.-- Marcus Morris had 24 points and matched his career high with six 3-pointers as the Detroit Pistons defeated the Sacramento Kings 115-108 on Friday at The Palace.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope tossed in 23 points for Detroit (35-34) in its second game of a franchise-record nine-game homestand.
Reggie Jackson supplied 19 points, nine assists and seven rebounds as every Pistons starter reached double figures for the 24th time this season -- an NBA high. Tobias Harris contributed 17 points and Andre Drummond added his league-high 57th double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
DeMarcus Cousins' 31 points and 10 rebounds led the Kings (26-42), who have lost 11 of their last 13. Rudy Gay had 19 points and Rajon Rondo added 10 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds.
Morris also had six 3-pointers against the Kings on Dec. 26, 2014 when he played for Phoenix. He equaled that mark in the first half, drilling all six of his attempts as the Pistons built a 67-54 lead. He tied his record with a shot from the left corner in the final minute of the half.
Detroit led by as much as 18 in the opening half and scored 39 first-quarter points, their biggest opening-quarter output of the season.
The Kings gradually cut into the Pistons' lead during the third quarter and got it to 86-81 on Kosta Koufos' layup following a Jackson turnover. Quincy Acy's free throws in the final seconds of the quarter brought Sacramento within four.
Acy's jumper with 10:46 remaining tied it at 87. The Kings couldn't take a lead and when Caldwell-Pope hit back-to-back 3-pointers, Detroit's lead was up to 107-98 with 3:21 left.
Sacramento never got closer than five the rest of the way.
NOTES: The Kings played without SF Omri Casspi (ankle) and SG Ben McLemore (finger). SG Jodie Meeks (shoulder) and PG Spencer Dinwiddie (ankle) were the Pistons' inactives. ... Sacramento coach George Karl appreciates the way Detroit C Andre Drummond, the league's top rebounder, plays the game. "I love his old-school attitude about loving to be in the paint and loving to be at the tip of the rim, loving to be hit and bumped," he said. "It's old school, it's back to the '60s almost. There's this big monster that puts himself in danger." ... Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy was surprised, but not shocked, by Michigan State's loss in the NCAA Tournament to Middle Tennessee State. "It's really a shame," he said. "I felt really bad for Tom (Izzo) and for the team. It's an upset, but not a huge upset because (MTSU) is pretty good." ... Kings rookie C Willie Cauley-Stein was averaging 3.7 rebounds this month entering the game, down from his 5.1 average. "Willie's got to be a better rebounder for us," Karl said.