The Sports Xchange
Nov 29, 2017
DETROIT -- Reggie Jackson had a season-high 23 points and five assists and the Detroit Pistons never trailed while thumping the Phoenix Suns 131-107 on Wednesday at Little Caesars Arena.
Tobias Harris and Avery Bradley contributed 20 points apiece for the Pistons (14-6), who shot a season-high 60.9 percent and won for the fourth time in five games.
Andre Drummond supplied 13 points, seven rebounds and a career-high tying seven assists. Ish Smith led Detroit's bench with 14 points and six assists.
The Pistons were coming off a 118-108 road victory over the team with the league's best record, Boston. They had no difficulty disposing of Phoenix, taking a double-digit lead with three minutes remaining in the opening quarter and maintaining it the rest of the way. The margin of victory was their largest of the season, as was the point total.
Devin Booker's 22 points led the Suns, who lost for the fourth time in five games. Rookie Josh Jackson had a career-high 20 points and seven rebounds, Greg Monroe added 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Tyler Ulis chipped in 13 points.
Phoenix (8-15) was playing the second game of a back-to-back and the third leg of a six-game road trip. The Suns shot 47 percent but committed 22 turnovers.
Detroit scored a season high in first-half points and led 69-41 at halftime. The Pistons shot 61.7 percent overall and went 8-for-14 on 3-point attempts, while their defense forced 15 turnovers.
Harris scored 14 points in the first quarter as the Pistons jumped to a 36-19 lead. That was Detroit's highest-scoring first quarter this season.
The lead continued to grow in the second. Langston Galloway's 3-pointer pushed the lead past 20. Anthony Tolliver's long-range shot made it 50-23.
Smith's driving layup nudged the advantage over the 30-point mark. A Bradley layup upped it to 32, 60-28.
Bradley's third-quarter steal and dunk pushed the lead to 36, 99-63.
NOTES: Detroit PF Jon Leuer (left ankle sprain) was inactive. ... The Pistons have now won six of their last seven home games against the Suns. ... Detroit C Andre Drummond has an NBA-high 14 games with at least 20 points and 20 rebounds since the 2012-13 season. ... Phoenix SG Devin Booker's eight 30-point performances during the first 22 games was the second-most in franchise history. Charlie Scott had nine such games during the first 22 games of the 1974-75 season. ... The Suns are 5-0 when SF T.J. Warren scores 25 or more points. Warren finished with seven points. ... The teams play at Phoenix on March 20.