DETROIT _ Blake Griffin missed his third straight game, and the Detroit Pistons' struggles continued as they desperately try to clinch a playoff spot.
The Indiana Pacers (47-32) held the Pistons to 15 points in the first quarter on the way to a 108-89 victory at Little Caesars Arena on Wednesday _ two nights after taking nine-point win over the Pistons at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
The Pistons _ obviously missing their most important offensive player _ shot 38.8 percent and 11-for-41 (26.8 percent) from 3-point range, and saw an 11-game winning streak at Little Caesars Arena end.
Wayne Ellington tried to keep the Pistons in the game.
He scored 20 of 24 points in the second half, and Reggie Jackson added 16 points after fighting foul trouble in the first half.
Andre Drummond scored 28 points, grabbed 19 rebounds, had three steals and three blocked shots.
The Pistons (39-39) are sixth in the Eastern Conference playoff chase, but competitors Brooklyn and Miami are playing in games yet to be completed.
The Pacers had five players in double figures, led by Thaddeus Young's 21 points.
The Pacers were missing their starting backcourt on Darren Collinson (sore groin) and Wesley Matthews (hamstring) for the second straight game.
The Pistons managed 11 points in the first quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday, the first game of Griffin's absence.
They were slightly better Wednesday, scoring 15 points in trailing by three after one quarter.
The Pistons were an offensive mess the entire first half, trailing 44-36 at halftime. They committed 10 turnovers and shot 31 percent from the field with Luke Kennard's 10 points keeping them afloat.
Jackson only played seven minutes.
With Griffin sitting for the third straight game, some are wondering if the Pistons are playing the seeding game, going for the seventh seed to potentially face the Raptors instead of the 76ers, who are currently third.
Casey called such thinking nonsense before the game.
"We just want to be in the dance," Casey said. "This is a year everybody has us eighth anyway, our thing is to just get there and make some noise. Sixth seed is great, seventh seed is great, eighth seed is great."
