Trey Jemison, Maozinha Pereira scored 17 each as Grizzlies beat Pistons 108-90

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- — Trey Jemison had 17 points and 13 rebounds, Maozinha Pereira also scored 17 points, as the Memphis Grizzlies built a first-half lead and coasted to a 108-90 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Friday night.

Scotty Pippen Jr. had 16 points and seven assists, while GG Jackson and Lamar Stevens each added 15 points. Seven of the eight Grizzlies who played reached double figures as Memphis got its first three-game winning streak since late January.

“It was a great effort by the group,” Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins said of the Grizzlies' short-handed roster.

“It's more opportunity for us to step up and go out there and have fun with it,” Pippen said of playing with Memphis dealing with injuries and absences all season. He added: “When top guys go out, it mean more shots out there.”

The Grizzlies listed a dozen players unavailable with some type of ailment, while the Pistons were without seven on their injured list — including Cade Cunningham, the Pistons’ leading scorer at 22.7 points a game.

Pereira is an example of what the Grizzlies are up against. He is on his second 10-day contract with the Grizzlies, and Jenkins said the 6-foot-8 swingman has shown the ability to work into the team’s system.

“When you sign a 10--day, there's a lot of taking advantage of the opportunity,” Jenkins said. “You can do it on the court. You can do it off the court. I think he's done both. Another guy that plays extremely hard.”

Jaden Ivey led the Pistons with 31 points, and Jalen Duren finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds for his 42nd double-double of the season. Jaylen Nowell added 12 points as Detroit lost its third straight and 11th of its last 12.

Malachi Flynn, who had 50 points off the bench against Atlanta earlier this week, was limited to three points for the Pistons. Flynn missed all 12 of his shots in the game.

“Credit to our defense and our scheme on him,” Pippen said.

Part of the Pistons problems were attributed to 41 % shooting and 18 turnovers, seven of them from the starting backcourt of Ivey and Marcus Sasser.

“That's going to be a recipe for disaster if you are not shooting the ball collectively,” Pistons coach Monty Williams said of the backcourt turnovers.

After Ivey got the Pistons off to a quick start with 15 points in the first quarter, Memphis pushed the lead to double digits, extended it to 22 points and led 57-38 at the half. Memphis stretched the lead in the third when Pippen hit his first four shots in the quarter.

Duren scored 13 points in the third, and Ivey added 11 for the Pistons, but Detroit got no closer than 16 in the period. Memphis was never threatened in the fourth.

Ivey saw the problem as playing competitively. After getting out to an early lead, Detroit couldn't get a lot of rhythm. They did outscore the Grizzlies in the second half 52-51, but the first-half lead had already spelled trouble.

“Every single one of us in this locker room has go look at ourselves in the mirror and see what we can do better, ” Ivey said.

The game featured two teams limping to finish the season. Both have already been eliminated from any postseason hopes and were mired in the lower tier of their respective conferences. The rosters have been so fluid this season that each has surpassed the record for most players used in league history — 31 for each.

The lack of key players and sloppy play combined to put Detroit in a tough situation most of the game.

“We have to make sure we are aggressive within the system of what we are doing because of all the guys we have out,” Williams said.

UP NEXT

Pistons: At Brooklyn on Saturday.

Grizzlies: Host Philadelphia on Saturday.

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