Third-quarter run helps Pistons to 121-112 victory over Wizards
DETROIT—The Detroit Pistons are enjoying one of their best stretches of the season, and the reason why is no surprise.
Blake Griffin and Andre Drummond are rolling.
Drummond had 32 points and 17 rebounds, and Griffin had 31 points, nine rebounds and nine assists to lift the Pistons to a 121112 victory over the Washington Wizards on Monday night. Detroit has won four in a row, one shy of its longest winning streak of the season.
“It’s incredible. They’re playing the way we obviously need them to play,” said Luke Kennard, who added 15 points for the Pistons. “Obviously, Dre in the last couple games has been unbelievable. Reggie (Jackson) the past couple weeks has been great for us. Obviously, Blake all year has been really, really consistent.”
Griffin scored 20 points in the first half for the Pistons, who haven’t lost since blowing a 25-point lead in a home defeat against the Los Angeles Clippers on Feb. 2. Detroit began Monday tied with Miami for the last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Wizards, who are without injured John Wall and Dwight Howard, traded Otto Porter Jr. away last week. Nevertheless, they came into the game on a two-game winning streak before falling short against Detroit.
Griffin and Drummond have averaged 26 points apiece during Detroit’s streak.
The Pistons led by 10 in the first quarter. They were up 61-59 at halftime before pushing the lead back into double digits in the third. Detroit went on a 13-2 run and took an 81-71 advantage on a 3-pointer by recently acquired center Thon Maker.
Bradley Beal had 32 points and 10 assists for the Wizards.
Cavaliers 107, Knicks 104
CLEVELAND—Collin Sexton scored 20 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers held off a late rally and sent the New York Knicks to their franchise-record 17th straight loss, 107-104.
Sexton hit two free throws with 17 seconds remaining to put Cleveland up by three. John Jenkins missed a 3-pointer from the right corner, but Dennis Smith Jr. grabbed the rebound and dribbled to the corner. He also missed a 3-pointer and Larry Nance tapped the rebound to midcourt as time ran out.
Nance and Jordan Clarkson each scored 15 points. Kevin Love had 14 points and nine rebounds in his second game since returning from foot surgery. The All-Star forward played 16 minutes, all in the first half. Love was 4 of 10 from the field, including two 3-pointers, and had nine rebounds.
Kadeem Allen scored a careerhigh 25 points for the Knicks. New York (10-46) has the worst record in the league, and has lost 25 of 26 and 30 of its last 32 games.
The Knicks trailed 71-54 early in the third quarter. New York got within four points several times and back-to-back 3-pointers by Luke Kornett cut the lead to 105104 with 51 seconds left.
Kornett missed a wide-open 3-pointer with 21 seconds remaining that would have put New York on top. Sexton followed with his two free throws
Kevin Knox scored 13 points while DeAndre Jordan had 12 points and 10 rebounds for New York.
Pacers 99, Hornets 90
INDIANAPOLIS—The Indiana Pacers signed Wesley Matthews to make a difference.
They didn’t necessarily expect it show up in his debut.
Just two days after clearing waivers, the veteran guard scored eight points, had five rebounds and three assists and beat the shot-clock buzzer with the biggest basket of the game—a 28-footer to help put away the Charlotte Hornets 99-90. The Pacers have won six straight—all without two-time All-Star Victor Oladipo.
“We thought he (Matthews) was great,” coach Nate McMillan said. “Part of the agreement was that he would start when he came and we were OK with that because we thought bringing that type of talent to this roster and having a guy like that going down the stretch and in the playoffs with that type of experience, we were going to need it.”
It has been a whirlwind week for the veteran guard, who was traded Thursday from Dallas to New York and was subsequently released. After clearing waivers Saturday, the Pacers announced Sunday they had signed Matthews.
By Monday night, he wasn’t just wearing the blue-and-gold; he was starting.
Initially, Matthews looked understandably out of sync. But as Matthews played on, he emerged as the difference-maker McMillan expected.
While the stat line wasn’t spectacular—eight points, five rebounds and three assists—his impact was huge. The long shot he made with 3:57 to play extended Indiana’s lead to 92-82. And his second 3, with 2:15 left, gave Indiana a game-sealing 97-85 cushion.
“He’ll take his shots, you see him, he struggled with his shot a little at the beginning but then he hits (two 3-pointers) toward the end that closes it out,” Darren Collison said after finishing with 13 points and eight assists. “That’s what he brings to the table.”
Three other Indiana players reached double figures, including Myles Turner, who had 18 points, eight rebounds and three blocks. Thaddeus Young added 11 points, eight rebounds and six assists.
Charlotte was led by Kemba Walker, who scored 26 of his 34 points in the second half when the Hornets attempted to rally from a 16-point halftime deficit.
Walker scored half of the Hornets’ points during a 10-3 spurt to open the third quarter, made three consecutive free throws to get Charlotte within 64-57 and then made 3 with 1:02 left in the quarter to cut the deficit to 72-71.
But Turner and Collison closed out the third with back-to-back baskets, Indiana scored the first eight points of the fourth and Matthews closed it out with his two big shots.