Spokesman-Review
National Basketball Association
Detroit 115, Phoenix 88
When: 10:00 PM ET, Tuesday, March 20, 2018
Where: Talking Stick Resort Arena, Phoenix, Arizona
Officials: #63 Derek Richardson, #48 Scott Foster, #11 Derrick Collins
Attendance: 17400
Detroit forward Blake Griffin had 26 points, 10 assists and nine rebounds, and Andre Drummond had 10 points and 10 rebounds as the Pistons drubbed host Phoenix 115-88 on Tuesday, extending the Suns' losing streak to nine games.

Pistons reserve guards Luke Kennard and Ish Smith had 16 and 13 points, respectively, and starting point guard Reggie Jackson had seven points and two assists in 15 minutes in his return from a serious ankle injury.

Detroit won its second straight in its fight to remain in the Eastern Conference playoff race.

Drummond had five blocked shots and Stanley Johnson added five steals for the smothering Pistons, who are 5 1/2 games behind the eighth-place Milwaukee Bucks in the East with 11 games to play.

Alex Len had 19 points and 12 rebounds, Josh Jackson had 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Troy Daniels had 18 points for the Suns, who again played without leading scorers Devin Booker and TJ Warren. Phoenix has lost 19 of 20 and 24 of 26.

After missing 37 games, Reggie Jackson was back in the starting lineup, and the Pistons are a different team with him on the floor. He averaged 14.5 points and 5.5 assists in the first 33 games the season before sustaining torn ligaments in his right ankle when he landed awkwardly after making a jump pass in a 107-83 victory over Indiana on Dec. 26.

The Pistons were 19-14 after beating the Pacers the night Jackson got hurt, and they went 12-25 in without him. They are 9-13 since the acquisition of Griffin. They will conclude a six-game road trip in Houston on Thursday.

Reggie Jackson's 3-pointer two minutes into the second quarter gave the Pistons a 25-23 lead, which they pushed to a 44-38 advantage heading into halftime. Griffin had 16 points, including two 3-pointers, and five rebounds in the first half. Len had 13 points and eight rebounds before the break.

Smith hit two free throws with five minutes left in the third quarter to cap a 25-10 run for a 69-48 lead. The Suns never were closer than 13 again.

Booker, out with a sprained hand, has missed 18 games because of various injuries this season. He is averaging 24.9 points a game. Warren sustained a sprained left knee in a loss to the Golden State Warriors on Saturday.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
 
Detroit   Phoenix
Blake Griffin 26 Scoring Alex Len 19
Blake Griffin 10 Assists Elfrid Payton 5
Andre Drummond 10 Rebounds Alex Len 12
Blake Griffin 5 Free Throws Made Marquese Chriss 3
Stanley Johnson 5 Steals Josh Jackson 1
Andre Drummond 5 Blocks Alex Len 3
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Detroit 115 44.3 15-36 14-16 22 50 14 12 8
Phoenix 88 37.8 7-34 13-20 22 49 8 1 19
Upcoming Games
  • Phoenix will play their next game on the road against Cleveland. The Suns have a W/L % of .263 after a win and .264 after a loss.
  • Detroit will play their next game on the road against Houston. The Pistons have a W/L % of .516 after a win and .400 after a loss.