Pistons hold off Bulls
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Tobias Harris led a balanced attack with 22 points and the Detroit Pistons rebounded after squandering a 17-point lead and downed the Chicago Bulls 102-91 on Tuesday at The Palace.
Andre Drummond supplied 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Pistons (12-11), who have won four of their last five games. Marcus Morris had 13 points and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope chipped in 12 points, and Ish Smith added seven points, five rebounds and 10 assists off the bench for Detroit.
Jimmy Butler carried the Bulls (11-10), who were playing their fourth game in five nights, with 32 points, six rebounds and four assists. Dwyane Wade tossed in 19 points and added seven assists, while Taj Gibson had 11 points and 10 rebounds for Chicago.
Bulls point guard Rajon Rondo, who returned after serving a one-game suspension for conduct detrimental to the team, chipped in 10 points.
Aron Baynes scored six points during a 12-0 Pistons spurt early in the fourth to put Detroit on top 83-75. Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg called timeout after Darrun Hilliard hit a corner three-pointer in transition off a Smith feed with 7:28 left, capping the outburst. Butler made a bank shot to halt the run but the Bulls couldn't pull any closer than six.
Caldwell-Pope's runner with 3:07 left made it 94-83 to give Detroit its first double-digit lead since the second quarter.
Detroit led by as much as 17 in the first half but Chicago closed the second quarter on a 10-0 run to get it down to 51-44. Butler scored eight of his 16 first-half points during that span. Drummond had 14 points and six rebounds to lead the Pistons.
The Bulls' string of unanswered points stretched to 16 as they scored the first three baskets of the second half, including a pair by Gibson. Caldwell-Pope ended the Pistons' drought with a layup.
Rondo's hook shot in the lane with 5:19 remaining in the third gave the Bulls their first lead at 62-61. The lead changed hands nine times during the quarter, the last time on a Wade basket in the lane that gave Chicago a 72-71 edge.
NOTES: Pistons PG Reggie Jackson is questionable to play at Charlotte on Wednesday. He was playing just his second game of the season Tuesday after recovering from knee tendinitis. "There hasn't been a blanket statement that he won't play back-to-backs, but I also haven't gotten assurances that he will, either," coach Stan Van Gundy said. ... Bulls F Doug McDermott is showing good progress as he recovers from a concussion, coach Fred Hoiberg said. McDermott, who has missed 11 straight games, practiced with the D-League's Windy City Bulls the past two days and will be re-evaluated Wednesday. ... Entering play Tuesday, the Pistons were giving up an average of 10.3 second-chance points, the fewest in the league. ... Chicago SG Dwyane Wade recorded his 5,000th career assist against Portland on Monday. He became the eighth player since 1983-84 to notch 20,000 points, 5,000 assists and 4,000 rebounds. ... Detroit won last season's series, 3-1.