Pistons 105, Magic 90
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Brandon Knight had 18 points and Greg Monroe supplied 16 points and six rebounds as the Detroit Pistons cruised to a 105-90 victory over the Orlando Magic Tuesday at The Palace.
The teams reached the midway point of the season headed in opposite directions. The Pistons (16-25) have won nine of their last 13 while the Magic (14-27) have dropped 14 of its last 16, including the last three.
Will Bynum had 15 points, Rodney Stuckey added 14, and rookie Andre Drummond chipped in 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Pistons. Detroit, which lost twice to Orlando in November, shot 46.2 percent from the field and tied a season-low with eight turnovers.
J.J. Redick led Orlando with 26 points and Jameer Nelson added 14.
Both starting centers entered the game averaging double-doubles for the month of January. Monroe was averaging 16.9 points and 11 rebounds, while the Magic's Nikola Vucevic was averaging 14.4 points and 13.3 rebounds. Vucevic had 10 points and nine rebounds.
Monroe made just one first-half basket but got rolling in the third quarter, when the Pistons outscored the Magic 28-14. He scored eight of his 10 third-quarter points during a 18-6 run that gave his team a 76-62 lead.
Knight started off the run with a 3-pointer. After two Tayshaun Prince free throws stretched Detroit's lead to 10, Monroe scored eight straight points on an 18-foot jumper, a layup, a hook shot and a dunk off a steal.
Prince's jumper finished off the outburst to give Detroit a 76-62 lead. Drummond then scored the last six points of the quarter on a layup and two dunks.
When Stuckey converted an alley-oop pass from Will Bynum for another dunk, the Pistons' lead was up to 21, 87-66. Orlando tried a four-guard alignment but never mounted a threat.
Detroit led 54-52 at halftime despite perfect shooting by Redick, who had 17 points on six field goals and a free throw. Jason Maxiell led the Pistons, who committed only two first-half turnovers, with nine points and 11 rebounds.
