Hobbled Pistons defeat Rockets, 108-101

DETROIT _ No Andre Drummond.

No Reggie Jackson.

No Stanley Johnson.

No problem for the Detroit Pistons, who, for the second time in a week, beat a Western Conference power.

And it was Tobias Harris leading the way.

Harris scored 27 points to lead the Pistons to a 108-101 victory over the Houston Rockets on Saturday night at Little Caesars Arena.

The victory snapped a two-game losing streak for the undermanned Pistons (22-17).

Drummond missed with a right rib contusion and Jackson will be down until at least mid-February with a severely sprained right ankle. Johnson missed his fourth straight with a hip flexor injury.

But six scored in double figures for the Pistons, who improved to 9-5 against the Western Conference.

The Rockets (27-11) were without star James Harden (hamstring).

But as Stan Van Gundy said before the game, they have another Hall of Fame guard in Chris Paul, who finished with 16 points and 13 assists.

Ish Smith scored 17 points and Reggie Bullock added 14 points.

The Rockets have lost seven of nine games.

Two-way contract player Dwight Buycks produced solid minutes again.

Late in two first-quarter possessions when the offense was stagnant, he bailed the Pistons out with 3-pointers. And a mid-range jumper later gave him eight points in the first half. He finished with a career-high 16 points _ four nights after scoring 14 points at Miami.

Only 11 rebounds were available in the first quarter when both teams shot over 60 percent.

Harris and Bullock got over to hot starts with Harris scoring 11; Bullock had 10 as the Pistons shot 61.1 percent from the field and 62.5 percent (5 for 8) from 3-point range.

But the Rockets were better, shooting 62 percent with Paul directing the attack for six assists.

Six players knocked down 3-pointers for the Rockets, who shot 53.8 percent from the 3-point line (7 for 13).

Free-agent pickup Langston Galloway did not play for the second time in five games since Jackson went down.

On the first day of free agency, the Pistons signed Galloway to a three-year, $21 million deal to provide shooting and serve as the third point guard.