SALT LAKE CITY _ Blake Griffin struggled Monday night.
And his teammates couldn't pick him up.
Two days after destroying his former team with 44 points, Griffin managed 19 points in the Detroit Pistons' 100-94 loss to the Utah Jazz at Vivint Smart Home Arena.
The Pistons (18-24) were held to 35 points in the second half as they lost for the 17th time in 22 games.
Griffin, who expended a lot of energy in leading the Pistons to victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday, was 7-for-17 from the field.
His four-point play with 1:28 left gave the Pistons life, cutting the deficit to 90-89.
But Joe Ingles' free throws and a Donovan Mitchell three-point play gave the Jazz a 95-89 lead with 48.9 seconds left.
Mitchell led the Jazz (24-21) with 28 points, and Jazz center Rudy Gobert was dominant with 18 points and 25 rebounds.
Pistons coach Dwane Casey stunned by closing the game with Ish Smith and rookie Khyri Thomas.
It was Smith's first game back after missing 18 games with a right torn adductor, and Thomas' first time receiving meaningful minutes this season occurred against the Clippers.
Smith struggled down the stretch, missing shots on three straight possessions.
He was fouled on the fourth possession, but split two free throws, cutting the deficit to 88-85.
Thomas, the No. 38 overall pick last summer, did a great job defending Mitchell, forcing several tough shots.
The Pistons led by 12 points and controlled the first half with a 59-53 halftime lead, but the Jazz surged in the third quarter, outscoring Detroit 22-15.
The Pistons committed five turnovers in the quarter and shot only 33 percent. The Jazz took a 75-74 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Pistons were 5-16 in the 21 games before Monday night, but the main issue was the bench in the absence of Smith.
The starting unit has played well, and the trend continued.
The Pistons jumped to a 9-2 lead with Griffin the only starter not to score.
Bullock sparked the surge, scoring 11 points on 2-for-2 shooting from 3-point range in the first quarter.
Drummond lived in Jazz passing lanes, snatching two steals in the first quarter, as the Pistons took a 31-27 lead after the first quarter.
For the second-straight game, Thomas made a late appearance in the first half.
With 3:59 left in the second quarter, Casey called for Thomas.
He didn't get a shot attempt, but was tasked with defending Mitchell.
Thomas was caught on a screen and Mitchell made the Pistons pay, hitting a 3-pointer to cut the Jazz deficit to 59-51.
But Thomas blocked a Korver jump shot and forced Mitchell into a tough shot on the Jazz's final possession of the first half.
