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Jazz aim to continue dominance of Pistons

Jan 3, 2011 - 3:47 PM (Sports Network) - The Utah Jazz resume a three-game homestand tonight seeking their 11th straight win over the lowly Detroit Pistons.

Utah's domination of the Pistons started when the team drafted All-Star point guard Deron Williams with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2005 NBA Draft. Detroit hasn't topped the Jazz since Mar. 13, 2005 in the season before Williams arrived in Salt Lake City.

Most recently, the Jazz won the opener of their residency on Saturday when Paul Millsap led a balanced Utah attack with 22 points and 10 rebounds and Williams added 19 points as the Jazz topped Memphis, 98-92.

Rookie Gordon Hayward finished with 13 points and Al Jefferson and Raja Bell scored 11 and 10 points, respectively, for Utah, which has alternated wins and losses in its last four games.

"Every team is going to come out and play hard," Millsap said when asked if things are coming easier for him. "This is a very good basketball team that we played tonight. Our guys did a great job coming out with the win."

The Pistons, meanwhile, lost the opener of a three-game road trip Friday in Phoenix when Vince Carter and Jared Dudley both finished with 19 points as the Phoenix Suns topped Detroit, 92-75, at US Airways Center.

Ben Gordon led the Pistons with 19 points and six rebounds. Tayshaun Prince finished with 12 points and Charlie Villanueva scored 10 for the Pistons, who have dropped three of four and are a dismal 3-14 on the road this season.

"The thing that (Phoenix) did was their energy was much greater than ours," Pistons coach John Kuester said. "We come back and have a chance to cut their lead to 10 points and that's where we have to get tougher mentally. It's amazing, we didn't cut the lead, they extended it."

Detroit is hoping to have leading scorer Rodney Stuckey back tonight. The dynamic guard missed the last two games with a stomach virus. Meanwhile, Utah swingman C.J. Miles could return after sitting out his team's last three games with flu-like symptoms. Big man Mehmet Okur remains doubtful for the Jazz with a strained lower back.

Utah is an NBA-best 11-1 against teams from the Eastern Conference this season and a perfect 4-0 against Central Division clubs.