Field Level Media
Jan 11, 2019
Buddy Hield, De'Aaron Fox and Iman Shumpert hit 3-pointers in a 13-2, game-opening flurry Thursday night as the Sacramento Kings never trailed while rolling past the visiting Detroit Pistons 112-102.
Hield led seven Kings in double figures with a game-high 18 points. Sacramento took advantage of Pistons standout Blake Griffin having the night off to rest with an emotional meeting with his former team, the Los Angeles Clippers, set for Saturday afternoon.
Stanley Johnson had a team-high 16 points for the Pistons, who were playing the second half of a back-to-back after losing 113-100 in Los Angeles to the Lakers on Wednesday night.
Detroit has dropped four games in a row.
Hield had five of the 13 points in the early burst for the Kings, who went on to lead by as many as 15 points in the first quarter and 22 in the second.
The Pistons got no closer than 17 in the third period, and they never were inside the final 10-point margin in the fourth en route to their seventh loss in their last eight games.
Willie Cauley-Stein finished with 14 points and a game-high 14 rebounds for Sacramento, which won for just the second time in its past seven games.
Harry Giles III (14 points), Shumpert (13), Fox (12), Yogi Ferrell (11) and Marvin Bagley III (10) also scored in double figures for the Kings, who shot 51.2 percent from the floor and made nine of their 22 3-point attempts (40.9 percent).
Andre Drummond had 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Pistons.
Bruce Brown and Reggie Bullock had 15 points apiece, while Jon Leuer matched Drummond's 11 rebounds to go with nine points for Detroit, which shot 42.7 percent overall and 28.9 percent (11 of 38) on 3-point tries.
--Field Level Media