AP
Utah Jazz rally past Pistons, then hold on late for 110-105 win
Jan 5, 2019, 8:15 PM
Detroit Pistons guard Jose Calderon (81) reaches in on Utah Jazz guard Dante Exum (11) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
DETROIT (AP) — Donovan Mitchell scored 24 of his 26 points in the second half, and the Utah Jazz rallied from an 18-point, second-quarter deficit to beat the Detroit Pistons 110-105 on Saturday night.
The Jazz nearly squandered an 11-point lead of their own in the final quarter, allowing the Pistons to cut the lead to one on a 3-pointer by Blake Griffin. Ricky Rubio made two free throws for Utah with 12.3 seconds remaining, and Detroit turned the ball over on its next possession.
Griffin scored 34 points for the Pistons.
Detroit led 38-20 before the Jazz ran off 14 straight points to get back in the game. The Pistons built the lead back to 11 in the third, but Utah finally took the lead for the first time when Rudy Gobert’s dunk made it 85-84 in the fourth.
The Jazz went on a 19-4 run and led 99-88 after Joe Ingles made a 3-pointer from the corner and then waved goodbye in the direction of his teammates on the bench. The Pistons didn’t go away, though. A 3-pointer by Reggie Jackson cut the margin to four.
Mitchell answered that with a 3-pointer of his own to make it 102-95. Detroit kept chipping away and the lead was down to two after Griffin scored inside.
But Mitchell again came through, connecting on a long 2-pointer with 22 seconds left for a 106-102 lead.
Tip-ins
Jazz: Utah trailed 31-13 after shooting 4 for 21 from the field in the first quarter.
Pistons: Detroit has lost six of eight. Andre Drummond had 15 points and 18 rebounds in his 500th career game.
Limited
Gobert played only 7:02 during a first half in which he picked up three fouls. He finished with nine points and 11 rebounds.
Up next
Jazz: Visit Milwaukee on Monday night.
Pistons: Host San Antonio on Monday night.
