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Monroe leads Pistons over Nets

Feb 9, 2012 - 5:06 AM Newark, NJ (Sports Network) - Greg Monroe had 20 points to go with 12 rebounds and four assists as the Detroit Pistons earned their second road win of the season with a 99-92 win over the New Jersey Nets.

Jonas Jerebko scored 16 points to go with seven rebounds while Tayshaun Prince finished with 15 points and five assists for Detroit, which moved to 2-12 away from home this year. The Pistons won their season-high third consecutive contest and snapped a seven-game road losing streak.

"We're giving maximum efforts for 48 minutes, we're playing together, everybody's on the same page offensively and defensively," Monroe said of what's been clicking during Detroit's three-game winning streak.

Deron Williams had 34 points and seven assists for the Nets, who lost their fourth straight game.

Trailing by as many as 18 in the second half, Williams' four-point play capped a 13-4 run and made it a one-point game with 8:28 left in the fourth.

But the Pistons scored the next six points to push the lead to 84-77 with 7:15 to play. After Williams' trey made it 86-83, the Pistons scored five consecutive points to put the game away as Monroe's emphatic dunk made it 93-85 with 2:27 left.

The Nets shot just 30.4 percent in the opening quarter, but pulled down eight offensive rebounds as the game was tied at 20 after one.

With the contest knotted at 24 early in the second, the Pistons used a 9-0 spurt to take a 33-24 lead with 7:24 to play in the opening half. Walker Russell had five points while Jerebko added four during the spurt.

Brandon Knight's three-point play with a second left in the quarter gave Detroit a 51-39 lead heading into the break. New Jersey made just 1-of-10 shots from beyond the arc in the half.

"That second quarter was really lopsided and that's where they got their confidence," Williams said.

A 6-0 Detroit flurry to start the third pushed the lead to 64-46, but New Jersey whittled the lead down to seven, 74-67, heading into the fourth.

Game Notes

This was the first game of a home-and-home series between the clubs. These two will play again on Friday in Detroit...The Nets made 10-of-27 shots from beyond the arc...Jordan Farmar had 22 points off the bench for New Jersey.