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Webster leads Blazers past Pistons, 97-93

Jan 24, 2010 - 4:11 AM AUBURN HILLS, Mich.(AP) -- Another missing regular and a short bench didn't faze Martell Webster and the Portland Trail Blazers.

Webster scored a career-high 28 points to help the short-handed Trail Blazers beat the Detroit Pistons 97-93 on Saturday night.

LaMarcus Aldridge added 21 points, and Andre Miller added 11 points and 13 assists as Portland - using jusr eight players - earned a split of a four-game trip after learning they wouldn't have guard Jerryd Bayless in the rotation.

"Everybody contributed to this tonight," said Webster, who made six 3-pointers. "As far as records, I don't care. We won the game and we earned it."

Richard Hamilton's 3-pointer with 1:27 to play gave Detroit a 93-92 lead, but the Pistons never scored again. Miller made a pair of free throws a minute later to give the Blazers the lead for good.

"If there ever was a gut check for a team, tonight was one," Portland coach Nate McMillan said. "We were running on fumes."

Webster played all 48 minutes, and Steve Blake added 11 points and 10 assists in more than 40 minutes on the court.

Hamilton had 25 points and nine assists, Rodney Stuckey added 20 points and Charlie Villanueva had 17 for the Pistons, who lost their second straight and dropped the season series to the Blazers.

The game was similar to Friday's loss to visiting Indiana, which saw Detroit get off to a lethargic start before rallying late.

"I don't know what it is," Villanueva said. "I can't really put my finger on it but we showed a lot of fight in that second half, which is encouraging.

"If we play like that a whole game, I am telling you we are tough to beat."

The Pistons trailed 56-42 at intermission but got back into the game midway through the third quarter with a 15-2 run, capped by Chris Wilcox's putback that gave Detroit its first lead since early in the opening period.

Portland used three starters for more than 40 minutes Friday night in a loss in Boston, but didn't look tired at tipoff. The Blazers made 59 percent of their field-goal attempts in the first half, and Webster did much of the damage with five 3-pointers and 21 points.

Villaneuva and Howard were given technical fouls late in the third after Howard took umbrage at Villanueva's flagrant foul on Fernandez. They engaged in a brief shoving match before officials and players separated them. Neither player was ejected.

Aldridge said the dustup, which came after the Detroit run, helped the rubber-legged Blazers.

"We were kind of gassed and they had momentum," he said. "That kind of fired us up."

NOTES: Detroit was without guards Ben Gordon (right groin strain) and Will Bynum (left ankle sprain). ... Bayless warmed up before the game did not play a night after injuring his left ankle.