Detroit Pistons’ Hamidou Diallo (center left) drives to the basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Sunday, April 11, 2021 in Los Angeles under the defense of Marcus Morris Sr. of the Los Angeles Clippers. (AP Photo / Jae C. Hong)
Josh Jackson (left) of Detroit Pistons will be defended by Marcus Morris Sr. of the Los Angeles Clippers in the first half of an NBA basketball game on Sunday, April 11, 2021 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo / Jae C. Hong)
Paul George of the Los Angeles Clippers, right, watches as Josh Jackson of the Detroit Pistons chases the ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 11, 2021. (AP Photo / Jae C. Hong)
Saddiq Bey of Detroit Pistons will face the Los Angeles Clippers in the first half of an NBA basketball game on Sunday, April 11, 2021 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo / Jae C. Hong)
Isaiah Stewart of the Detroit Pistons (right) fouled Paul George of the Los Angeles Clippers in the first half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 11, 2021. (AP Photo / Jae C. Hong)
Isaiah Stewart of the Detroit Pistons (right) fouled Paul George of the Los Angeles Clippers in the first half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 11, 2021. (AP Photo / Jae C. Hong)
Paul George (center) of Los Angeles Clippers is shown by Isaiah Stewart, 28, of Detroit Pistons as he pushes Josh during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 11, 2021 Jackson of Pistons wields. (AP Photo / Jae C. Hong)
Marcus Morris Sr. of Los Angeles Clippers, left, shoots in the first half of an NBA basketball game on Sunday, April 11, 2021 in Los Angeles under the defense of Josh Jackson of Detroit Pistons. (AP Photo / Jae C. Hong)
Josh Jackson (bottom) of Detroit Pistons falls on the pitch while chasing the ball against Paul George of the Los Angeles Clippers in the first half of an NBA basketball game on Sunday, April 11, 2021 in Los Angeles. (AP Photo / Jae C. Hong)
Cory Joseph of Detroit Pistons (right) wins the first half of an NBA basketball game against Nicolas Batum of the Los Angeles Clippers in Los Angeles on Sunday, April 11, 2021. (AP Photo / Jae C. Hong)
Nicolas Batum, the veteran striker from France, gave Clippers announcer Eric Smith ample opportunity to deliver the line with three timely Treys in the closing stages on Sunday when the Clippers made an angry offer from Detroit for their fifth Defended victory in a row. This is a 131-124 result.
First, Batum and Terance Mann buried 3 pointers in a row to end a 20-8 Clippers run that finished the game 101-101 and 10:08.
Batum’s next 3 made it 110-106 before knocking down a third (upon review) that made it 113-110.
Moments later, Paul gave George an exclamation point and drove for a major dunk that made it 115-110 at 4:55. The Clippers (37-18) never gave up the lead afterwards and fought against the brave Pistons who had previously led most of the game.
The Clippers put their superstars in the last two games of their homestand with nine games, which they finished 7-2. George had the free night on Friday in the Clippers’ win over Houston and on Sunday, and the team played without star striker Kawhi Leonard, who had the game against a struggling Eastern Conference opponent to rest.
So George – along with Marcus Morris Sr. – took care of most of the Sunday achieved. George finished on 32 points and Morris had a season high of 33, 13 in the third period.
And throughout the Sunday competition, Batum showed a steady presence from the bank, as he usually is. He finished 5v6 with 14 points, including all four of his 3-point attempts. He also had eight rebounds, three assists, and a season high of three blocks. Related articles
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In the starting roles against her former team, Reggie Jackson finished with 10 points, seven assists and five rebounds, and Luke Kennard had 11 points in 5v6.
Ivica Zubac ended his season with 13 points and 10 points for his 11th double-double, most of his young career. He also had the top seven assists of his career.
As a team, the Clippers reached a season high of 35 assists – and shot the best 62.5% of the season (50 for 80) off the field.
And yet the Pistons (16-38) made sure that the game on Sunday was no walk in the park for the hosts, as they shot better than normal with three points and made 15 of their 32 attempts from a great distance.
For their part, the Clippers helped make it interesting with 17 sales, two less than their season high, a Talley that led to 28 piston points on Sunday.
The Clippers entered halftime by a narrow 63:62 advantage over a young, energetic Pistons team, playing the second game of a back-to-back set and licking their wounds a bit after being alone were almost outdone by Enes Kanter – 38:30 – in their 118-103 loss on Saturday in Portland.
In the end, the Clippers had a 37:31 lead on Sunday – when the teams together only missed 71 shots.
Although 69.4% (25 for 36) were shot in the first half, the Clippers first lead came at 2:06 a.m. before half when a Zubac dunk put them in the lead with 62-61.
The Clippers also posted nine first-half turnovers, adding up to 14 Pistons points as Detroit was ahead of the break with 11 Fastbreak points – just three less than the Clippers average per game.
Detroit, which came into play with an average of 12 3s made per game and only 20 once this season, was 9 for 20 out of 3-point in the first half.
At the other end, the Pistons, who gave up the NBA’s second-smallest 3-point attempts at just 31.4 per game, kept the Clippers from going outside, limiting them to just 11 attempts (seven of them) they did) behind the arch in the first half – from their pace of 34.6 per game.
Center Serge Ibaka also had to watch from the sidelines and will at least be scheduled for the Clippers’ upcoming road trip in three games, said Tyronn Lue. And of course start guard Patrick Beverley will be out for at least three or four weeks after suffering a broken left hand last week.
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