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Pistons 99, Kings 89
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. — Forward Josh Smith had 24 points and eight rebounds and the Detroit Pistons snapped a three-game losing streak with a 99-89 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night at The Palace.
Guard Rodney Stuckey scored 23 points off the bench for Detroit (25-39). Center Andre Drummond added 15 points and eight rebounds and guard Kyle Singler chipped in 11 points and seven rebounds.
Small forward Rudy Gay’s 20 points led Sacramento (22-42), which has lost three straight and six of its last eight. Point guard Isaiah Thomas had 19 points and eight assists, but center DeMarcus Cousins, who scored at least 20 points in his last five games, was limited to 13 points while grabbing 14 rebounds.
The Kings, who are 1-3 on their season-long seven-game road trip, clinched a losing record for the eighth straight season. Their last winning season was 2005-06, when they went 44-38.
The Pistons scored the first eight points of the second half, including 3-pointers by Smith and point guard Brandon Jennings, to grab a 60-54 lead. Smith had nine points in the quarter and Drummond added six as Detroit took a 72-65 lead into the fourth quarter. Sacramento shot 20 percent from the field (4 for 20) during the third and scored just 11 points.
Singler gave the Pistons their first double-digit lead at 75-65 with a free throw and Stuckey followed with a 3-pointer. Detroit’s lead remained in double figures until an 8-0 Sacramento run closed the gap to 89-81.
Smith hit a jumper to end the Kings’ spurt and Detroit was not threatened from that point.
Thomas had 15 points and five assists in the first half, leading the Kings to a 54-52 halftime advantage.
Stuckey, who scored a combined 13 points in the Pistons’ previous three games, had 16 by halftime. He entered the game with a 19.6 point average in 10 career games against the Kings, his highest against any opponent.
NOTES: Veteran PF Reggie Evans made his first start since being acquired by Sacramento last month from the Brooklyn Nets. … Detroit won the last three home meetings. … The Kings are 3-23 when scoring fewer than 100 points. … Pistons C Andre Drummond entered the game with 343 offensive rebounds, fourth best in team history. Dennis Rodman holds the top three spots, including a franchise-record 523 in 1991-92. … Sacramento is the only team with three players averaging 20 points — C DeMarcus Cousins (22.4 points per game), PG Isaiah Thomas (20.4) and SF Rudy Gay (20.2). … The Kings have only four healthy guards on the roster with Jason Terry (knee) out for the season. … Neither team has a winning streak longer than four games this season. … The Pistons have allowed 110 or more points 22 times this season, including six of their previous 10 games. … Detroit rookie PG Peyton Siva (left ankle sprain) was not in uniform.
