Final
Johnson, Nets sneak past Pistons
Feb 7, 2013 - 5:28 AM Auburn Hills, MI (Sports Network) - Joe Johnson buried a pair of free throws with 8.8 seconds remaining, as the Brooklyn Nets held on for a 93-90 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday at the Palace of Auburn Hills.Brook Lopez scored a tough lay-in with 17.8 seconds to play, giving the visitors a crucial three-point cushion, and finished with 17 points to go with nine rebounds for the Nets, who ended a 10-game road losing streak at Detroit. Johnson finished with 16 points and four boards, while Gerald Wallace contributed 14 points in the victory.
"We had a lot of people play well," Nets interim coach P.J. Carlesimo said. "The thing (the bench) did really well was close the quarter really well in the first and second, and obviously the fourth."
Greg Monroe netted a game-high 23 points and grabbed 10 boards for the Pistons, who have dropped three straight and five of their last six overall. Will Bynum donated 13 points and dished out seven helpers, while Kyle Singler and Brandon Knight each registered 12 points in the setback.
The Pistons led by as many as 13 points late second quarter after Bynum's layup, but the lead shrunk to 46-40 by halftime.
The action stayed close in the third quarter, as both teams shot the ball well. Brooklyn connected on 12-of-19 shots, while Detroit held its edge for most of the quarter, and hit 11-of-22 shots, for a 73-69 advantage into the final quarter of play.
The fourth saw six ties, until Deron Williams went 1-of-2 from the free throw line with 4 1/2 to play, and then nailed a 3-pointer on the next possession, to give the Nets a 86-83 edge. Both defenses hunkered down over the next two- plus minutes until Jonas Jerebko's tip-in brought the Pistons within one.
Lopez brought the lead to 89-87, after going 1-of-2 from the charity stripe with 44 seconds remaining. Monroe then drove the hoop and drew a foul from Lopez to go to the line, but he made just one from the line, before Lopez's clutch basket with 17 ticks to play.
"You have to give Brooklyn credit, but there were many opportunities in controllable situations that we just didn't do a very good job," Pistons coach Lawrence Frank said.
Game Notes
Detroit still has won 42 of 48 at home against the Nets ... The Nets won this season's earlier matchup with Detroit on Dec. 14 ... Brooklyn came into the game having lost 15 of their last 17 at The Palace ... Williams had 12 points and nine assists, en way to surpassing the 5,000 career assist mark ... Detroit shot just 17.6 percent (3-of-17 from behind the arc) ... Brooklyn is 18-1 this season versus teams below .500 winning percentage.
- BROOKLYN: 93
DETROIT: 90
Final
Feb 6 10:03 PM - BROOKLYN: 93
DETROIT: 90
End of Regulation
Feb 6 10:03 PM - BROOKLYN: 69
DETROIT: 73
End of 3rd
Feb 6 9:21 PM - BROOKLYN: 40
DETROIT: 46
Halftime
Feb 6 8:40 PM - BROOKLYN: 23
DETROIT: 24
End of 1st
Feb 6 8:08 PM - BROOKLYN: 0
DETROIT: 0
1st Quarter - 11:36
Feb 6 7:42 PM
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