Drummond, Dinwiddie Lead Thin Pistons Past Bulls, 100-91
AUBURN HILLS (AP) — Andre Drummond had 18 points and 20 rebounds to lead the short-handed Detroit Pistons to a 100-91 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Friday night.
Greg Monroe and Caron Butler each scored 20 points, and rookie point guard Spencer Dinwiddie set career highs with 12 points and nine assists in his first NBA start.
The Pistons dressed only 10 players, having traded four away on Thursday to obtain Reggie Jackson and Tayshaun Prince. Jackson was on Detroit's bench, cheering wildly, but didn't get clearance in time to play. Prince won't arrive until Saturday.
Jimmy Butler had 30 points for Chicago, and Joakim Noah added 10 points and 14 rebounds. Derrick Rose, matched up against Dinwiddie, finished with eight points and two assists in 31 minutes.
Drummond had 14 rebounds in the first half, aided greatly by one wild sequence. He grabbed a blocked shot, missed the putback and then tipped the ball four more times before getting it into the basket. He was credited with five offensive rebounds and five field-goal attempts in 5 seconds.
Drummond added 10 points in his 22 first-half minutes, but Chicago was able to take a 53-45 lead thanks to 27 points from Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson. The Bulls had a 19-8 edge in bench scoring — not a surprise, given Detroit's limited roster.
With the starters back in, the Pistons started the second half with a 24-7 run that included seven points from Caron Butler and six more from Drummond. Detroit outscored the Bulls 32-15 in the period, giving the Pistons a nine-point edge.
Chicago took advantage of Detroit's bench again, scoring the first six points of the fourth to pull to 77-74. Detroit coach Stan Van Gundy, however, put his makeshift starting lineup back on the floor and the Pistons were able to hold on as Drummond hit two of six free throws while being intentionally fouled.
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TIP-INS
Bulls: Chicago had won 22 of 24 against the Pistons, including an 18-game winning streak that ended in 2013. . Gibson had 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting in the first half, but only tried two shots in 13 second-half minutes.
Pistons: With Jackson not cleared to play and Brandon Jennings out for the season with a ruptured Achilles tendon, Dinwiddie got his first career start. Van Gundy acknowledged the situation probably wasn't ideal: "He was supposed to be going to Grand Rapids to play two D-League games this week, and now he's starting against Derrick Rose. That's a pretty big difference."
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UP NEXT
Bulls: Host Phoenix on Saturday.
Pistons: Host Washington on Sunday.
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