Pistons bounce back to defeat Mavericks
DALLAS -- Jon Leuer scored a season-high 19 points off the bench and the Detroit Pistons finished strong to top the Dallas Mavericks 95-85 Wednesday night at American Airlines Center.
The Pistons (14-13) bounced back from a lethargic effort Sunday to beat Dallas for the third straight time on the road.
Detroit was down 12 points in the third quarter before outscoring the Mavs 43-21 to the finish line. A 27-5 run gave the visitors a 10-point edge (79-69) with 5 minutes left.
Leuer was especially effective, knocking down 8 of 9 shots and grabbing six rebounds. The Pistons were plus-26 with Leuer on the floor.
Andre Drummond pulled down 17 rebounds for Detroit, 12 coming in the first quarter. Reggie Jackson ended the game with a flurry to score a season-high 20. Marcus Morris added 12 points, Kentavious-Caldwell Pope scored 11 and Tobias Harris chipped in 10 points.
The Pistons shot 50.7 percent three nights after losing 97-79 at home to Philadelphia.
Harrison Barnes paced with Mavs (6-19) with 19 points and Deron Williams scored 16 despite shooting 3-13. Salah Mejri had eight rebounds before leaving in the fourth quarter with an ankle injury.
Mejri is the latest physical setback for the depleted Mavericks, who remain without Dirk Nowitzki, Andrew Bogut and J.J. Barea. Bogut should return by the end of the month and Barea in January. Nowitzki is out indefinitely, but Rick Carlisle said before the game that he expects the former MVP back this season.
The Pistons won despite a season-high 19 turnovers. Detroit, which finishes its two-game road trip Friday at Washington, came in turning it over a league-low 11.6 times per game.
Dallas had season-best 13 steals, four coming from Wesley Matthews. The Mavericks begin a stretch of five out of six on the road Friday at Utah.
NOTES: The next three Detroit opponents starting with the Mavericks had a combined 28-44 record going into Wednesday. Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said his team isn't about to overlook anyone. "We are capable of beating anybody. We are capable of losing to anybody," he said. "Once you get into a game and say, this is a game you should win, as soon as you say it, you don't respect your opponent. You are in the wrong mind-set straightaway." ... Dallas coach Rick Carlisle came in tied with Mike Fratello for 19th place on the NBAs all-time wins list with 667.