PHILADELPHIA -- The Detroit Pistons had a strong start Friday night against the Philadelphia 76ers. They also had a strong restart.

Guard Reggie Jackson and forward Marcus Morris scored 21 points apiece as the Pistons beat the 76ers 107-95.

It was an uneven night for Detroit, however. The Pistons saw the 76ers cut a 24-point first-quarter deficit to four in the second, then took control as Morris, a Philadelphia native, notched 13 of his points in a pivotal third-quarter stretch.

"Our starters really did a good job tonight," Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said. "Both halves I thought our starters were outstanding -- good energy, good defensive focus."

Morris, who made seven of his nine shots while collecting eight rebounds and four assists, is always looking to make the most of his visits home.

"Always, man," he said after performing before some 70 friends and family members. "My family watched me since I was young, so for them to see me as a grown man and continue to be successful in the league -- and a lot of people doubted me growing up -- I'm just happy to come here and show them that I'll be here for a while."

Jackson was also looking forward to coming back to Philadelphia, where the Pistons had dropped their previous three games. Last March 18 he had what he called "a terrible triple-double" in the Wells Fargo Center, generating 11 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists, but shooting 4-for-17 in a Detroit loss.

"I just want to be the best I can be, each and every night -- just come out with that mindset and understand that this is a blessing," he said. "It's not a given. You never know if I'm awake the next day."

Center Andre Drummond generated 18 points, 16 rebounds and four blocked shots for the Pistons, who ended a four-game road losing streak. Forward Ersan Ilyasova chipped in 15 points and eight rebounds, and Detroit converted 21 Philadelphia turnovers into 31 points.

Center Jahlil Okafor had 22 points to pace Philadelphia (1-23), which dropped its fifth straight since posting its lone victory of the season. Forward Robert Covington contributed 18 points and nine rebounds, and forward Nerlens Noel had 10 points and 10 boards.

Coach Brett Brown said the 76ers' growing pains are in part due to the fact that Okafor and Noel are still learning to play alongside one another.

"We're trying to grow Jahlil and Nerlens," he said. "Right now the numbers don't favor that. I'm trying to persevere with growing those two."

The Pistons were up 60-49 a little over a minute left in the third quarter. Then Morris keyed a 28-10 rush by scoring 13 points during a 6:17 span, including three 3-pointers, the last of which he banked in from the right wing. That propelled Detroit to an 88-59 lead with 2:24 left in the quarter.

It is another sign of the progress Morris has made since coming over from Phoenix in an offseason trade.

"It's coming easier," he said. "That's what happens in this league with opportunity. I'm getting the opportunity to play -- play through my mistakes, my defensive mistakes."

Detroit stormed to a 35-11 lead at the beginning of the game behind 11 points from Jackson and 10 from Ilyasova. But the 76ers outscored the Pistons 29-9 in the next nine minutes to cut the gap to 44-40 with 4:16 left in the first half.

Detroit pushed the lead to 58-46 by halftime, at which point Jackson had 15 points and Ilyasova and guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope had 10 each. Drummond collected nine points and 10 boards in the first 24 minutes.

Covington and Okafor had 11 points each for the 76ers in the first half.

Philadelphia's Kendall Marshall, who missed the first 23 games while recovering from knee surgery, made his season debut with a start at point guard. He had five points and six assists in 16 minutes.

NOTES: Before the game, the 76ers announced a contract extension for coach Brett Brown. The 54-year-old Brown, in the next-to-last year of a four-year deal, is now signed through the 2018-19 season, according to Yahoo Sports. ... Philadelphia G Tony Wroten, who only recently returned from knee surgery, did not play. Brown said Wroten, who made his first start of the season on Thursday in Brooklyn, will not play back-to-back games for the time being. ... The Pistons were coming off a 93-92 home loss to Memphis on Wednesday when a half-court shot by Grizzlies G-F Matt Barnes in the closing seconds proved decisive. "No losses are easy," Detroit coach Stan Van Gundy said. "They're all hard to move on from. That one was no different than any other."