Sports
Pistons clamp down on Kings in second half, pull away for 99 89 win
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Josh Smith scored 24 points and Rodney Stuckey added 23 to lift the Detroit Pistons to a 99-89 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night.
Andre Drummond added 15 points and eight rebounds for Detroit, outscoring DeMarcus Cousins in a matchup of two of the NBA’s top young big men.
Cousins had 13 points and 14 rebounds but shot 5 of 15 from the field.
Detroit trailed 54-52 at halftime but outscored the Kings 20-11 in the third quarter.
Rudy Gay scored 20 points and Isaiah Thomas added 19 points and eight assists for Sacramento.
The Pistons snapped a three-game losing streak and pulled to within three games of Atlanta for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.