Detroit Pistons blow past Portland 111-91
By David Topham
The Detroit Pistons beat the Portland Trail Blazers 111-91 on Monday, moving their win streak to four and getting them back to .500.
The Detroit Pistons (26-26) made it four in a row on Monday, beating the Portland Trail Blazers (29-25) 111-91 behind strong defense and a season-high 36 assists. Detroit is back to .500 for the first time since January 19.
It was a total team effort for the Pistons, with six players scoring in double figures, led by Blake Griffin with 21 and Andre Drummond with 17 and 17 rebounds, and six players with four-plus assists.
The defense was also strong, holding Portland to 39.4 percent shooting. The Trail Blazers were playing their third game in four days, and it showed in the second half. Portland headliners Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum average 47.1 points per game combined, but only had 34 tonight.
Detroit is now 17-10 at home, where they’ll play five of their next six games.
B. <a rel=. PG. Detroit Pistons. ISH SMITH
B+. <a rel=. SG. Detroit Pistons. REGGIE BULLOCK
Detroit Pistons. STANLEY JOHNSON. B+. <a rel=. SF
Detroit Pistons. BLAKE GRIFFIN. B+. Blake Griffin finished with 21 points, nine rebounds, and six assists as the Pistons moved to 3-0 with him in the lineup. Griffin scored 10 points in a span of less than three minutes in the first quarter, and also threw a couple of nice lobs to his frontcourt mate Andre Drummond in this one. Griffin wasn’t as aggressive as he’s been in previous games, however, and failed to get to the free throw line.. PF
Fresh off of being named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week earlier in the day, Andre Drummond delivered once again tonight. He finished with 17 points, 17 rebounds, five assists, one steal, and three blocks. Stan Van Gundy staggered Griffin and him throughout the game, allowing Drummond to operate his handoffs and picks effectively from the elbows and high post as we’ve seen all season. His rim protection and hustle on defense was also fantastic.. C. Detroit Pistons. ANDRE DRUMMOND. A
A-. <a rel=. PF. Detroit Pistons. ANTHONY TOLLIVER
Luke Kennard returned in strong fashion after missing Saturday with a foot injury. The Pistons’ rookie scored 12 points on 5-7 shooting and added four assists. His willingness to shoot off screens and playmaking ability on handoffs opens up a lot for Detroit.. SG. Detroit Pistons. LUKE KENNARD. A-
A-. With <a rel=. SG. Detroit Pistons. LANGSTON GALLOWAY
A. Stan Van Gundy staggered Drummond and Griffin to keep one of them on the floor at all times in the minutes that mattered and it paid off.<br />He also got his team to play some excellent defense, though it helped that this was Portland’s third game in four days.. Head Coach. Detroit Pistons. STAN VAN GUNDY
The reserves came on for the game’s final two minutes and 33 seconds. Reggie Hearn, up from the Grand Rapids Drive, came in and made a three pointer on his first career NBA shot, so hat tip to him.
Next: What does Blake Griffin bring to the Pistons?
The Pistons are back in action Wednesday when they host the Brooklyn Nets.