NBA result: James Wiseman’s double-double helps Pistons end 11-game skid

The Pistons, who hadn’t won since beating San Antonio 138-131 in double overtime on February 10, led by 31 points in the first half.

Detroit Pistons center James Wiseman (13) attempts a layup as Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (23) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game. | Photo Credit: AP

James Wiseman had 18 points and 14 rebounds as the Detroit Pistons ended an 11-game losing streak with a 117-97 win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.

The Pistons, who hadn’t won since beating San Antonio 138-131 in double overtime on February 10, led by 31 points in the first half. They held off an Indiana surge late in the second quarter and early in the third.

“When you come in having lost 11 or 12 games in a row - whatever it was - you know you have to stay focused to win a game,” said Cory Joseph, who had a game-high 22 points. “We played extremely hard and got off to a great start.”

The Pacers beat Detroit 121-115 at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday night.

“The difference in the two games was obvious,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “That was the edge the Pistons played with from start to end. We simply did not match it.”

Jalen Duren put up 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Killian Hayes had 10 points and 11 assists.

“Our guys played with a lot of grit, and I think we surprised the Pacers a little bit,” Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. “This was a little like the playoffs - we made some adjustments from Saturday, and they made some adjustments - but the difference was our toughness.”

Jordan Nwora had 20 points off the bench for Indiana.

As they had on Saturday, both teams played with shorthanded rosters. Detroit added Marvin Bagley III (ankle) to its lengthy injury list, while the Pacers were missing Tyrese Haliburton, Bennedict Mathurin, T.J. McConnell and Myles Turner.

Indiana dominated Saturday’s first half inside, but Detroit took control early Monday. The Pistons had a 20-6 edge on points in the paint and a 15-7 rebounding advantage as they outscored the Pacers 38-20 in the first quarter. Eugene Omoruyi, making his third NBA start, had 11 of his 17 points in the quarter.

“We got a lot of easy shots early in the game on Saturday, but the Pistons flipped the script on that tonight (Monday),” Carlisle said. “Omoruyi starting gave them more quickness and toughness in the lineup, and we didn’t get a lot of good shots.”

Detroit led 52-23 after four minutes of the second quarter, but Indiana was back within 67-49 at halftime.

The Pacers cut the deficit to 69-57 early in the third quarter, but Detroit answered with a 13-point run to go up by 25 points.