Wiseman's double-double helps Pistons end 11-game skid
DETROIT (AP) — James Wiseman had 18 points and 14 rebounds as the Detroit Pistons ended an 11-game losing streak with a 117-97 win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.
The Pistons, who hadn't won since beating San Antonio 138-131 in double overtime on Feb. 10, led by 31 points in the first half and held off an Indiana surge late in the second quarter and early in the third.
"When you come in having lost 11 or 12 games in a row - whatever it was - you know you have to stay focused to win a game," said Cory Joseph, who had a game-high 22 points. "We played extremely hard and got off to a great start."
The Pacers beat Detroit 121-115 at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday night.
"The difference in the two games was obvious," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "That was the edge the Pistons played with from start to end. We simply did not match it."
Jalen Duren put up 12 points and 11 rebounds and Killian Hayes had 10 points and 11 assists.
"Our guys played with a lot of grit tonight, and I think we surprised the Pacers a little bit," Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. "This was a little like the playoffs - we made some adjustments from Saturday and they made some adjustments - but the difference was our toughness."
Jordan Nwora had 20 points off the bench for Indiana.
As they had on Saturday, both teams played with shorthanded rosters. Detroit added Marvin Bagley III (ankle) to its lengthy injury list, while the Pacers were missing Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin, T.J. McConnell and Myles Turner.
Indiana dominated Saturday's first half inside, but Detroit took control early on Monday. The Pistons had a 20-6 edge on points in the paint and a 15-7 rebounding advantage as they outscored the Pacers 38-20 in the first quarter. Eugene Omoruyi, making his third NBA start, had 11 of his 17 points in the quarter.
"We got a lot of easy shots early in the game on Saturday, but the Pistons really flipped the script on that tonight," Carlisle said. "Omoruyi starting gave them more quickness and toughness in the lineup and we didn't get a lot of good shots."
Detroit led 52-23 after four minutes of the second quarter, but Indiana was back within 67-49 at halftime.
The Pacers cut the deficit to 69-57 early in the third quarter, but Detroit answered with a 13-point run to go up by 25 points.
TIP INS
Pacers: Indiana went from 64 points in the paint and 26 second-chance points on Saturday to 44 and 14 on Monday. ... Chris Duarte was limited to 24 minutes by a sore ankle.
Pistons: Detroit's win was their first against a Central Division opponent this season after twelve straight losses. ... The Pistons hadn't won by a double-digit margin since beating Portland 135-118 on Jan. 11.
LOCAL HOLIDAY
The game drew 18,313 fans on for a special "3-1-3 Day" promotion. March 13 is celebrated as an unofficial holiday in Detroit as the date matches the city's area code.
"The fans have stuck with us all season, and they've been great during this losing streak," Joseph said. "I'm glad we could get them a win on 3-1-3 Day."
UP NEXT
Pacers: Visit the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday.
Pistons: Visit the Washington Wizards on Tuesday.
