AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Reggie Jackson piled up 28 points, nine assists and five rebounds and the Detroit Pistons won their third consecutive game by edging the Toronto Raptors 108-104 Tuesday night at The Palace.
Shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope contributed 26 points, six rebounds and four assists for the Pistons (27-44), while center Andre Drummond powered for 21 points and 18 rebounds.
Shooting guard DeMar DeRozan’s 22 points and 10 rebounds led the Raptors, who erased an 18-point deficit in the second half but failed in their bid to clinch a playoff berth. Reserve guard Lou Williams had 19 points, and forwards Amir Johnson and Patrick Patterson chipped in 13 apiece for Toronto (42-29).
Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry, who missed the previous two games with a back contusion, played only 10 first-half minutes before exiting with back spasms. He finished with five points and three assists.
The Pistons came out firing away from long range and connected on seven 3-pointers in the first quarter to take a 37-27 lead. Their point total was a season high for a quarter, surpassing their previous high of 36.
Caldwell-Pope had eight of those points and added 10 more in the second quarter, and Detroit led 60-48 at halftime. DeRozan didn’t make a basket until late in the half.
Jackson, the Pistons’ starting point guard, scored 13 third-quarter points as the Pistons maintained a double-digit lead most of the quarter.
Guard Greivis Vasquez made a 3-pointer in the opening minute of the fourth to pull the Raptors within 90-85. DeRozan’s midrange shot with 5:41 remaining gave Toronto a one-point lead, but the advantage was short-lived. The Pistons scored the next seven points, including another Caldwell-Pope trey, to make it 97-91.
Williams tied it at 99 with a 3-pointer, and Patterson’s three-point play with 1:55 left put the Raptors up 102-101.
Free throws by Jackson and a layup by forward Tayshaun Prince moved Detroit back on top 105-102 with a minute left. With the Pistons on top 106-104, Williams missed a 3-point attempt with 1.6 seconds left. Free throws by guard Jodie Meeks clinched Detroit’s win.
NOTES: Pistons PF Greg Monroe was sidelined for the fifth consecutive game due to a right knee strain. … Raptors SG DeMar DeRozan’s 24.4 point average in March entering the game ranked eighth in the NBA. … Toronto was averaging an Eastern Conference-best 105.8 points per game on the road. … Pistons SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope averaged 21.5 points in the team’s previous four games. “He continues to take steps all the time,” Detroit coach Stan Van Gundy said. “Early in the year, he was just shooting threes. His pull-up (jumper) came along as the year went on and now he’s going to the rim more.” … Detroit shot 50 percent or better in only four games, winning each time, while Toronto is 15-3 when shooting at least 50 percent. Neither team reached that mark Tuesday. … The Raptors and Pistons split their four-game season series.