SAN ANTONIO _ The Detroit Pistons have one more chance to prevent a winless trip.
The struggling San Antonio Spurs got well with a 96-86 victory over the Detroit Pistons Friday night at the AT&T Center.
The Spurs (6-3) ended a two-game losing streak behind 21 points from Pau Gasol.
Andre Drummond put up a 20-point, 17-rebound effort, but the Pistons (4-5) remain winless on the four-game trip with one game remaining, Saturday at the Denver Nuggets.
The Spurs led by 13 late before a Pistons 8-0 run cut the deficit to 89-84 with 2:59 left.
But Kawhi Leonard's easy three-pointer at the 2:06 mark and an Ish Smith turnover on the following Pistons possession ended all suspense.
Leonard added 17 points.
Pistons point guards Smith and Beno Udrih combined for 24 points on 10-for-17 shooting after struggling the first two games of the trip.
Gasol feasted in the first quarter with 11 points. He knocked down midrange jumpers against Drummond, and his three-pointer at the 6:25 mark completed a 7-0 run to give the Spurs an 18-11 lead.
The Spurs took several seven-point leads, but the Pistons managed to narrow the deficit to two at 28-26 on an Udrih jumper.
The Spurs led by seven, 38-31, when the Pistons bench fueled a 12-0 run to take a 43-38 lead in the second quarter.
A Kentavious Caldwell-Pope corner triple pushed the Pistons lead to 48-42 with 3:08 left.
The Pistons settled for a 52-49 halftime lead behind 17 points off the bench.
The game was tied at 65 late in the third quarter, but the Spurs closed on a 10-2 run, fueled in part by two Manu Ginobili three-pointers, to take a 75-67 lead into the fourth quarter.
