DETROIT (AP) — Jalen Duren had 30 points and 13 rebounds and Cade Cunningham added 17 points and 15 assists as the Detroit Pistons handed the Memphis Grizzlies their seventh straight loss with a 126-110 victory on Friday night.
The Pistons have won their last three games by an average of 25.3 points after a season-worst four-game losing streak.
Marcus Sasser had 16 points for the Pistons, which had seven players in double figures.
Javon Small led the
Grizzlies with 23 points while Ty Jerome had 21. Taj Gibson made his season debut for the Grizzlies after signing with them in late February. The 40-year-old played nearly 12 minutes with three points and three rebounds.
Detroit led 98-84 at the end of three quarters, thanks to 26 points from Duren, and quickly moved the advantage to 22 before coach J.B. Bickerstaff emptied the bench.
The Grizzlies started the game with the newest defensive strategy — blitzing and trapping Cunningham to keep him from shooting and force him into risky passes. It worked in the first half, when he only scored seven points and had nine turnovers and one assist.
His main recipients were Duncan Robinson and Duren, who each scored 14 points in the half, as Detroit shot 63% from the floor. Small had 14 points in a reserve role for the Grizzlies, who were down 68-61 at the break.
For the second straight night, the Pistons were able to adjust at halftime — Cunningham had five points and four assists in the first minutes of the third.
Grizzlies: Visit the Chicago Bulls on Monday.
Pistons: Visit the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
