Morris game-winner pushes Pistons past Wizards

LOS ANGELES, USA – Marcus Morris delivered a game-winning putback as time expired on the clock to lift the Detroit Pistons to a 113-112 win over the Washington Wizards on Saturday.

Detroit squandered a 16-point lead in the final quarter before the clutch basket by Morris who finished with a game-high 25 points and 11 rebounds.

The Pistons launched 3 desperation shots during a mad scramble in the closing seconds leading up to the final buzzer in front of a crowd of 18,200 at The Palace arena.

“I just stayed basically on my side,” he said. “I just stayed with it, crashed the glass and happened to be in a good spot.”  

He leaned over his twin brother, Markieff Morris a Wizards forward, while scoring the basket.  

“I grabbed him. I put my hand on his shoulder and I got him back because he blocked my shot the play before that,” Marcus Morris said. “I knew that was him and you can’t make that call at the end of the game.” 

Reggie Jackson had 19 points and 8 assists and Tobias Harris supplied 18 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists for the Pistons, who have won 3 straight.

Joe Leuer came off the bench to score 10 points after missing the previous 5 games with a knee injury.

Pistons centre Andre Drummond was held to 3 points because of foul trouble.

John Wall had 19 points, 10 assists and 8 rebounds for Washington. Markieff Morris contributed 19 points and 9 rebounds, Bradley Beal had 17 points and Jason Smith scored a season-high 16 for the Wizards.

In Charlotte, North Carolina, Nicolas Batum converted a 4-point play and hit another 3-pointer in a span of 31 seconds down the stretch as the Charlotte Hornets toppled the Brooklyn Nets 112-105.

Batum nailed a three-pointer, was fouled and converted the free throw to give the Hornets the lead for good at 101-98 with 3:21 left.

Then he hit another three-pointer on the Hornets’ next possession to extend the lead to 104-98 with 2:50 remaining. The Hornets stretched the lead to nine from there and never let the Nets get closer than 5 again.

Hornets coach Steve Clifford has often lamented his team’s fourth-quarter difficulties, but he was pleased with how his team found a way to make plays down the stretch. 

Fourth quarter struggles

“The fourth quarter tonight was really a big deal to me,” Clifford said. “They had the momentum, and we fought hard. Our defence got better. You know, 31-24 in the fourth quarter is what you want. You’ve got to play your best in the fourth quarter.  

“It’s been a struggle for us. Offensively, we’ve been good, but defensively we haven’t been, and tonight we were good in both.” 

The Hornets won their third straight after a recent 5-game losing streak.

Elsewhere, James Harden delivered his now familiar double-double with 29 points with 10 assists and forward Sam Dekker finished with a career-high 30 points as the Houston Rockets routed the Memphis Grizzlies 119-95. 

Harden was almost perfect from the foul line, making 11 of 12. He finished 7-of-9 from the floor and 4-of-6 from 3-point range. He also had 6 rebounds, 3 steals, and 6 turnovers.

Dekker made 12-of-19 shots and was 6 of 11 from 3-point range.

Center Marc Gasol led Memphis with 32 points. – Rappler.com