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Pistons 109, Spurs 100
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Point guard Brandon Jennings led Detroit with 21 points and six assists, and interim Pistons coach John Loyer won his debut 109-100 over the short-handed San Antonio Spurs on Monday night at The Palace.
Loyer replaced Mo Cheeks, who was fired Sunday after just 50 games as the head coach.
Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey supplied 20 points off the bench, and power forward Greg Monroe contributed his 21st double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Detroit (22-29) won its third straight overall and fifth consecutive home game.
Loyer recorded his first head coaching win since the 1999-2000 season, when he coached Wabash Valley College to a 19-12 record.
Guard Marco Belinelli, who missed the Spurs’ 104-100 win at Charlotte on Saturday due to back spasms, paced his team with 20 points. San Antonio (37-15), which committed 19 turnovers leading to 26 Pistons points, fell to 3-2 on its annual nine-game rodeo trip.
Forward Boris Diaw scored 12 points for the Spurs, who were without three injured regulars.
Jennings sparked a 15-5 Pistons run at the end of the first half, giving them a 59-48 halftime lead. He made a steal and pulled up for a 3-pointer to make it 54-43, then dribbled through the lane and into the left corner for another 3 and a 57-45 advantage. Monroe’s putback with 1.2 seconds left finished the outburst.
Detroit’s momentum carried over to the start of the second half, as a 14-4 spurt bumped the lead to 73-52. Jennings made a fall-away jumper for a 17-point lead, and center Andre Drummond’s tip-in made it 71-52. Monroe scored along the baseline after San Antonio’s 13th turnover, finishing off that run.
Jennings gave the Pistons their biggest lead of the quarter, 84-62, with a three-point play. Detroit led 92-72 heading into the fourth.
NOTES: The Spurs were missing C Tiago Splitter (right shin contusion), SF Kawhi Leonard (right hand fracture) and SG Manu Ginobili (left hamstring tightness). … San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said Ginobili, who has missed seven games, won’t play against the Boston Celtics on Wednesday. “He’s not touching the floor until after the All-Star break,” Popovich said. … Along with head coach Mo Cheeks, the Pistons also fired assistant coach Maz Trakh on Sunday. Rasheed Wallace, who is in his first season as player development coach, will take a more prominent role and sit courtside, instead of behind the bench. … Detroit won six of its previous 10 home games against San Antonio. … The Spurs began the night as the league’s only undefeated team in games decided by three points or fewer at 6-0. … The Pistons averaged 109 points while winning their previous four home games.
