Suns 88, Pistons 86: Eric Bledsoe scored 18 points, including the go-ahead bucket with 28.7 seconds left, to help visiting Phoenix hold off Detroit.
P.J. Tucker scored 16 points off the bench after sitting out the previous game because he missed the team's flight as the Suns won for the ninth time in the last 12 meetings. Goran Dragic and Gerald Green added 12 points apiece and Markieff Morris scored 10 for Phoenix.
Brandon Jennings scored 19 points and dished out seven assists to lead Detroit, which has lost three straight and six of its last seven. Greg Monroe collected 18 points and 12 rebounds and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 15 points for the Pistons.
Green and Morris hit jumpers on consecutive possessions to stretch the Suns' lead to 83-75 with 3:13 left, but back-to-back 3-pointers from Caldwell-Pope and Jennings pulled Detroit within 85-83 heading into the final minute and Caldwell-Pope hit from the outside again to put the Pistons on top with 34.4 seconds remaining. Bledsoe sliced through the defense for a go-ahead layup at the other end and Detroit missed two shots for the lead before Bledsoe hit one of two free throws to seal it.
Neither team led by more than four in the first half that ended with Tucker's 3-pointer giving Phoenix a 44-43 lead. The Suns pushed the margin to nine midway through the third quarter, but Detroit answered with a 12-3 run featuring eight straight points from Jennings to pull even at 61.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The Suns' reserves scored 22 of their 44 first-half points and outscored Detroit's bench 41-25 overall. … Pistons G Caron Butler scored five points in a reserve role, surpassing 12,000 career points. … Detroit dropped to 0-5 when Monroe, Josh Smith (five points) and Andre Drummond (four points) all play and combine for fewer than 35 points.
Phoenix | Detroit | |
Eric Bledsoe 18 | Scoring | Brandon Jennings 19 |
Eric Bledsoe 4 | Assists | Brandon Jennings 7 |
Miles Plumlee 10 | Rebounds | Andre Drummond 13 |
Eric Bledsoe 6 | Free Throws Made | Brandon Jennings 4 |
Eric Bledsoe 2 | Steals | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope 3 |
Markieff Morris 2 | Blocks | Jonas Jerebko 1 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Phoenix | 88 | 49.3 | 4-15 | 10-13 | 21 | 41 | 4 | 10 | 18 |
Detroit | 86 | 37.9 | 7-25 | 13-19 | 21 | 43 | 1 | 9 | 15 |