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Stuckey helps Pistons edge Blazers

Jan 22, 2012 - 6:20 AM Auburn Hills, MI (Sports Network) - Rodney Stuckey finished with 28 points and the Detroit Pistons held on for a 94-91 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Tayshaun Prince added 17 points for the Pistons, who ended a four-game slide. They have won only twice in their last 12 games, but did so Saturday after putting together a key run late in the fourth quarter, then hitting critical free throws in the final minute.

LaMarcus Aldridge posted 25 points for Portland, which was coming off Friday's win in Toronto. The Blazers ended their road trip with a 2-4 mark.

The Pistons were leading by only a point with five minutes to go, but a Greg Monroe tip-in sparked a crucial six-point burst. He ended it with two foul shots to make it an 87-80 contest with 3:02 remaining.

Detroit had trouble scoring down the stretch -- it couldn't capitalize on three consecutive possessions. But the Blazers got just a Wesley Matthews layup in the same window, and still faced an 89-85 deficit going into the final minute.

They had a chance to trim it further after a Detroit turnover, but Raymond Felton missed a three-pointer and Jason Maxiell made 1-of-2 from the line at the other end. The foul shot gave the Pistons a 90-85 edge with 44.9 seconds left.

Felton then made two free throws, and a missed layup by Stuckey led to Jamal Crawford's layup with 8.4 ticks remaining. The shot had Portland within one. However, Stuckey made two foul shots on Detroit's next possessions, then made two more after Felton sank a pair. With 4.4 left, Felton lost the ball trying to set up a game-tying basket, securing the Pistons' win.

"As a team we have been playing better, but we haven't really crossed over until tonight, so it feels good to get out of that slump," Monroe said. "It always feels good to get a good win, especially on your home court."

Stuckey and Portland's Nicolas Batum both scored 10 during a close first quarter, after which the Blazers held a 27-26 edge. But they made only six field goals in the second quarter, when Detroit sank 10-of-16. Prince scored 10 in that frame to help the Pistons build a 54-43 halftime lead.

They led by as many as 16 in the third, but were ahead just 73-68 moving to the fourth.

"You can't flip a switch in this league and I thought we tried to flip a switch against these guys tonight and that's not going to work," Blazers coach Nate McMillan said. "You have to come in being ready to play. I didn't think that offensively we worked to establish ourselves inside."

Game Notes

Monroe finished with 10 points and eight rebounds for Detroit, which made 27- of-32 free throws...Felton had 20 points for the Blazers, who went only 3- for-20 from three-point range...Portland had won the last six meetings.