The Brooklyn Nets traded big swings with the Detroit Pistons, who held on to their double-digit fourth quarter lead by a slim margin in a 113-109 Brooklyn loss.
The Pistons outscored the Nets 39-12 over a 10-minute stretch in the second half, turning a 14-point deficit into a 13-point lead with 8:38 to go in the game. Brooklyn was still trailing by 12, 99-87, with 5:45 remaining.
An 11-2 run capped by a Spencer Dinwiddie floater brought Brooklyn within three points with just over three minutes remaining, and a Joe Harris 3-pointer 90 seconds later made it 105-103, Detroit. The Nets would get within a point twice in the final minute, only to be held off by the Pistons.
Kyrie Irving posted his third career triple-double with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. Taurean Prince also had 20 points, while Joe Harris had 18, making 4-of-6 3-pointers.
Dinwiddie had 16 points and six assists and Caris LeVert had 14 points and six rebounds. DeAndre Jordan posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Trailing by 12 early in a shaky first quarter, the Nets punished the Pistons in transition, attacking for a 54-46 halftime lead.
The early offense that kept the Nets hanging around came mostly from Harris, whose 3-pointer brought Brooklyn within 26-21 on the way to trailing 33-26 after one quarter.
But the Nets quickly claimed the lead in the second quarter, opening the period with a 14-1 run that included six points from LeVert. After Detroit got a three from Tony Snell, the Nets answered with three more scores in the lane, two from LeVert and one from Irving, pushing their run to 20-4 and their lead to 46-37.
A Jordan dunk and a twisting transition finish by Garrett Temple — both off feeds from Irving, who had six assists in the first half — gave Brooklyn a 54-43 lead before Luke Kennard’s 3-pointer made it an eight-point game at the half.
But Detroit ripped the momentum back in the third quarter, after the Nets took a 66-52 lead. The Pistons went on to outscore Brooklyn 25-4, including a 15-0 run, and took a 78-72 lead into the fourth quarter.