Rockets stumble against Pistons for 19th straight loss
Pistons send Rockets reeling to 19th straight loss. GRAPHICS: NBA TWITTER
Frank Jackson scored a season-high 23 points Friday as the visiting Detroit Pistons handed the Houston Rockets their 19th consecutive loss, 113-100.
Saddiq Bey had 20 points and six rebounds while Jerami Grant contributed 18 points as the Pistons won in back-to-back outings for just the second time this season. They defeated the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday.
Josh Jackson tossed in 15 points, Isaiah Stewart supplied 13 points and nine rebounds and Mason Plumlee pulled down 15 rebounds for Detroit.
John Wall put up 21 points and seven rebounds for the Rockets, whose skid already was the worst in franchise history. Victor Oladipo finished with 19 points and Christian Wood had 18 points and 11 rebounds. Jae’Sean Tate added 12 points and four steals.
Season-high 2⃣3⃣ points tonight 💪 pic.twitter.com/jBl7ob9gvF
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) March 20, 2021
The Rockets shot just 28.1 percent (9 of 32) from 3-point range. Detroit had a 40-20 advantage in bench points.
Houston guard Kevin Porter Jr. missed the second half due to a sore quad.
Frank Jackson scored eight points in the first four-plus minutes of the second half to give Detroit a 65-59 lead. Josh Jackson’s 3-pointer with 3:40 remaining in the quarter made it 76-67.
The Pistons established their first double-digit advantage at 82-71 on a Bey 3-pointer with two minutes left in the period.
Danuel House Jr. cut Detroit’s lead to seven by the end of the quarter with a 3-pointer.
Bey’s three-point play with 10:39 left nudged the Pistons’ lead to 89-77.
Detroit turnovers helped the Rockets stick around. A steal and basket by Tate midway through the fourth pulled the Rockets within 96-91.
The Pistons regained control with 11 unanswered points as the Rockets went scoreless for more than four minutes. Josh Jackson made a turnaround jumper, Delon Wright scored four straight points and Plumlee hit two free throws. Grant then drained a 3-pointer to finish off the run.
The Pistons led 55-51 at halftime behind Bey’s 12 points. Wood paced the Rockets with 13 first-half points. Neither team had a lead of more than four points before the break.
