Pistons beat Clippers for first time since 2010
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Marcus Morris led a balanced attack with 17 points and the Detroit Pistons ended six years of futility against the Los Angeles Clippers with a 108-97 victory on Friday at The Palace.
The Pistons (8-9) had lost 11 straight to the Clippers, including six at The Palace. Their last victory came in November 2010.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 16 points and a career-high 10 assists and Andre Drummond collected his 11th double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Point guard Ish Smith had 16 points and seven assists, Tobias Harris chipped in 15 points, and reserve forward Jon Leuer added 11 points, 11 rebounds and four assists in the victory.
Blake Griffin and J.J. Redick had 24 points apiece for the Clippers (14-3), who saw their four-game winning streak snapped. Jamal Crawford contributed 14 points, five rebounds and four assists off the bench.
Caldwell-Pope opened the second half with back-to-back triples, giving Detroit a 15-point lead. A Drummond layup midway through the quarter made it 73-56, moments after Clippers center DeAndre Jordan and Smith drew technicals for jawing at each other.
The Clippers climbed back with 11 unanswered points, capped by a pair of Griffin buckets. Redick drilled a couple of 3-pointers late in the quarter as the Clippers closed the gap to 82-80.
Raymond Felton's transition layup with 10 minutes left gave the Clippers their first lead since the opening minutes, 84-82.
The Pistons answered with a 15-2 outburst, capped by a Caldwell-Pope 3-pointer, for a 97-86 lead. The Clippers never got closer than seven again.
Harris scored 13 first-half points as the Pistons led 57-48 at the break. Detroit did a majority of its work inside, outscoring Los Angeles 34-18 in the paint.
Detroit led by as much as 18 but foul trouble slowed its momentum, as Drummond and Morris each picked up three fouls, limiting their playing time. The Clippers, who lead the league in free throws attempted, outscored the Pistons 9-0 at the foul line in the second quarter.
NOTES: Pistons F Stanley Johnson violated team rules and was suspended for the game, coach Stan Van Gundy announced. Johnson rejoins the team on its trip to Oklahoma City, where it faces the Thunder on Saturday. ... Detroit reserve G Reggie Bullock suffered a left knee meniscus tear against Miami on Wednesday. Bullock will undergo further evaluation before a timetable for his return is established. Van Gundy indicated surgery is a possibility. ... The Pistons recalled rookie F Henry Ellenson and G Michael Gbinije from their D-League affiliate in Grand Rapids, Mich. ... The Clippers' 11-game winning streak against Detroit entering the game matched their current longest streak against any opponent. They've also won 11 straight against the Los Angeles Lakers. ... The Clippers rank second in the league in points and field-goal percentage. "This year, the biggest difference is we're getting the ball up the floor faster," coach Doc Rivers said.