National Basketball Association
Detroit 108, LA Clippers 97
When: 7:30 PM ET, Friday, November 25, 2016
Where: The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Officials: #38 Michael Smith, #61 Courtney Kirkland, #74 Curtis Blair
Attendance: 17023

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- None of the Detroit Pistons were on the roster the last time they defeated the Los Angeles Clippers.

Following their last flop against the Western Conference powerhouse, the Pistons finally had enough. Marcus Morris led a balanced attack with 17 points and the Pistons ended six years of futility against the Clippers with a 108-97 victory on Friday at The Palace.

Detroit was blown out at the Staples Center by 32 points earlier this month.

"That's what we had in mind," Pistons guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope said. "We got embarrassed out there in L.A. and we wanted to return the favor. We came out aggressive and played aggressive throughout the whole game. We defended the whole night and didn't give them any easy baskets."

The Pistons (8-9) had lost 11 straight to the Clippers, including six at The Palace. Their last victory came in November 2010. Los Angeles (14-3) headed into the game with the league's best record but fell to an opponent bent on revenge.

"That was embarrassing for everybody," Detroit coach Stan Van Gundy said of the road loss to the Clippers. "I know our guys wanted to put forth a lot better effort. What we talked about was that we were going to win the game but that it was going to be very, very hard. There wasn't going to be anything easy about it."

Caldwell-Pope had 16 points and a career-high 10 assists and Andre Drummond collected his 11th double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Point guard Ish Smith had 16 points and seven assists, Tobias Harris chipped in 15 points, and reserve forward Jon Leuer added 11 points, 11 rebounds and four assists in the victory.

Detroit gave away a 17-point, third-quarter lead, then regained control with a 15-2 fourth-quarter run, including seven points from Morris.

"You know what you're going to get from them. They're going to keep fighting each and every possession," Drummond said of Los Angeles. "They're going to keep coming after you. J.J. Redick had a flawless night from everywhere. We played the best defense we could and tried to make them uncomfortable. We stuck with it, tried to make them shoot tough shots and when we got the ball, we tried to capitalize on their misses."

Blake Griffin and Redick had 24 points apiece for the Clippers, who saw their four-game winning streak snapped. Jamal Crawford contributed 14 points, five rebounds and four assists off the bench. Point guard Chris Paul had 15 assists but was held to eight points on 2 of 9 shooting and committed five turnovers.

"We took the lead but we made a lot of mistakes," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. "You dig yourself a hole even when you dig out of it. You almost have to play mistake-free. Defensively, we were not every good tonight."

The Pistons shot 52.2 percent and outrebounded the Clippers 42-32.

"It wasn't a lack of energy," Paul said. "It's just something that's not the case. Guys were ready, guys were energized. It might not have started out that way (because) they were making shots."

Caldwell-Pope opened the second half with back-to-back triples, giving Detroit a 15-point lead. A Drummond layup midway through the quarter made it 73-56, moments after Clippers center DeAndre Jordan and Smith drew technicals for jawing at each other.

The Clippers climbed back with 11 unanswered points, capped by a pair of Griffin buckets. Redick drilled a couple of 3-pointers late in the quarter as the Clippers closed the gap to 82-80.

Raymond Felton's transition layup with 10 minutes left gave the Clippers their first lead since the opening minutes, 84-82.

The Pistons answered with the 15-2 outburst, capped by a Caldwell-Pope 3-pointer, for a 97-86 lead. The Clippers never got closer than seven again.

NOTES: Pistons F Stanley Johnson violated team rules and was suspended for the game, coach Stan Van Gundy announced. Johnson rejoins the team on its trip to Oklahoma City, where it faces the Thunder on Saturday. ... Detroit reserve G Reggie Bullock suffered a left knee meniscus tear against Miami on Wednesday. Bullock will undergo further evaluation before a timetable for his return is established. Van Gundy indicated surgery is a possibility. ... The Pistons recalled rookie F Henry Ellenson and G Michael Gbinije from their D-League affiliate in Grand Rapids, Mich. ... The Clippers' 11-game winning streak against Detroit entering the game matched their current longest streak against any opponent. They've also won 11 straight against the Los Angeles Lakers. ... The Clippers rank second in the league in points and field-goal percentage. "This year, the biggest difference is we're getting the ball up the floor faster," coach Doc Rivers said.
Top Game Performances
 
LA Clippers   Detroit
Blake Griffin 24 Scoring Marcus Morris 17
Chris Paul 14 Assists Kentavious Caldwell-Pope 10
DeAndre Jordan 9 Rebounds Jon Leuer 11
Jamal Crawford 5 Free Throws Made Kentavious Caldwell-Pope 2
Blake Griffin 1 Steals Andre Drummond 3
DeAndre Jordan 3 Blocks N/A
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
LA Clippers 97 47.9 7-21 20-26 26 33 5 4 14
Detroit 108 52.2 9-19 5-7 26 42 0 7 10
Upcoming Games
  • Detroit will play their next game on the road against Oklahoma City. The Pistons have a W/L % of .571 after a win and .400 after a loss.
  • LA Clippers will play their next game on the road against Indiana. The Clippers have a W/L % of .800 after a win and 1.000 after a loss.