Parker helps Bucks cruise past Pistons
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Jabari Parker racked up 31 points, nine rebounds and seven assists and the Milwaukee Bucks took control late in the first half and cruised to a 119-94 victory over the Detroit Piston on Wednesday at The Palace.
Parker, who was two points off his season high, reached the 20-point mark in six of his last eight games.
Giannis Antetokounmpo supplied 23 points, eight asssists and five rebounds for the Bucks (15-15), who bounced back from a 107-102 loss at Washington on Monday. Ex-Pistons center Greg Monroe contributed 14 points, six assists and five rebounds off the bench.
Tony Snell and Matthew Dellavedova added 11 points apiece for Milwaukee, which is 1-1 on its four-game road trip. The Bucks squandered a 10-point, fourth-quarter lead in a 107-102 loss at Washington on Monday.
Tobias Harris led the Pistons with 23 points and 12 rebounds off the bench. Harris scored 20-plus points in three consecutive games since he was removed from the starting lineup.
Pistons center Andre Drummond had 16 points and nine rebounds, while Reggie Jackson added 14 points and six assists. The Pistons lost six of their last seven games.
Detroit trailed by six after scoring the first basket of the second half but Milwaukee eventually built its lead to 19 later in the quarter. Antetokounmpo and Michael Beasley converted fast-break dunks off Pistons turnovers. A Parker three pushed the Bucks' lead to 16 and Snell made it 88-69 with another three from the wing.
Milwaukee was still up 90-75 entering the fourth. The Pistons never made a run in the final 12 minutes.
Parker, who was held to 14 points Monday, reached 19 points by halftime as the Bucks led 62-54.
Antetokounmpo was the catalyst in a 17-5 Milwaukee spurt late in the half. The Bucks made 3-pointers on four straight possessions, including a pair by Parker, with Antekounmpo assisting on three of them. He also scored 11 points during the quarter, including a three-point play to finish the run.
Jackson's 14 first-half points kept Detroit within striking distance.
NOTES: Bucks F Mirza Teletovic missed his second straight game as he recovers from a concussion. ... Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy wants his team to show more consistent effort, even when they get frustrated over how the game is unfolding. "There's all kinds of reasons to get frustrated," he said. "Bottom line is you're getting a lot of money to play a game. You need to play every possession as hard as you can." ... Bucks coach Jason Kidd said he's not considering a lineup change despite the team's 4-7 record over the previous 11 games. "We feel very comfortable with our starting group," he said. ... Detroit held 14 of 17 opponents to fewer than 100 points at The Palace this season. ... The Bucks were averaging 50.3 points in the paint, second-best in the league. ... The Pistons fell to 0-16 when trailing at halftime.