Cory Joseph engineered a balanced attack with 18 points and 11 assists and the host Detroit Pistons snapped a four-game losing streak by defeating the Memphis Grizzlies 111-97 on Thursday.
Wayne Ellington also scored 18 points, all on 3-pointers. A handful of other Pistons reached double digits. Isaiah Stewart had 15 points, seven rebounds and three blocks and Sekou Doumbouya supplied 14 points and six rebounds. Jahlil Okafor and Saddiq Bey chipped in 13 points apiece and Frank Jackson added 11.
Detroit (20-47) shot 53 percent from the field, while Memphis shot 42.7 percent.
Ja Morant’s 20 points led the Grizzlies (33-33) but he also had five turnovers. Jonas Valanciunas had 19 points and secured 16 rebounds, and Jaren Jackson Jr. had 17 points with five rebounds. John Konchar contributed 11 points and Brandon Clarke tossed in 10.
The Pistons had three players in double figures by halftime as they grabbed a 58-49 lead. Ellington knocked down four 3-pointers as Detroit shot 55.8 percent from the field. Morant’s 12 points topped the Grizzlies, who shot 41.2 percent during the half.
A Joseph layup early in the third quarter gave Detroit a 10-point advantage. The Grizzlies chipped away and whittled Detroit’s lead to two points, but the Pistons responded with a 7-0 spurt. Joseph capped it with a shot in the lane to make it 73-64.
Detroit led by eight, 78-70, at the start of the fourth quarter.
Clarke drained a 3-pointer with seven minutes left to cut the Pistons’ lead to two points, 89-87.
An 8-1 Pistons run stretched the lead to nine, 99-90. Jackson made four free throws during that span.
When Joseph fed Bey for a 3-pointer from the wing, Detroit’s lead was up to 10 again at 104-94. Doumbouya finished off the Grizzlies with a steal and dunk in the final minute.
The Grizzlies were coming off a 139-135 victory over Minnesota on Wednesday. They defeated the Pistons in Memphis 109-95 on Feb. 19.
–Field Level Media