Desmond Bane erupted for 38 points and the Memphis Grizzlies overcame the absence of Ja Morant to edge the Detroit Pistons 109-103 on Saturday night.
With Morant sidelined due to illness, Bane carried the offensive load, shooting 15-of-23 from the field and 4-of-7 from deep in 38 minutes of action.
Memphis (46-32) halted a two-game slide and picked up its ninth consecutive win over Detroit, despite entering the night having lost seven of its previous nine contests.
Jaren Jackson Jr. added 27 points and 11 rebounds, while rookie big man Zach Edey controlled the glass with a career-best 21 boards in just under 29 minutes.
The Pistons (43-35), who remain sixth in the Eastern Conference standings, got 25 points and nine rebounds from Cade Cunningham in his return from a six-game absence due to a calf strain.
Ausar Thompson posted 18 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists, but was forced into mismatched minutes at center late in the game due to foul trouble and injuries in the frontcourt.
Jalen Duren missed the game with a peroneal nerve contusion, and Isaiah Stewart fouled out with 5:02 remaining, forcing the 6-foot-6 Thompson to guard the 7-foot-3 Edey in crunch time.
Detroit trailed by just two points with under four minutes left but couldn’t stop the Grizzlies at the rim and missed key chances at the line.
The Grizzlies closed it out at the stripe, making 22-of-29 from the line overall, compared to 18-of-23 by the visitors.
Memphis shot just 36.7% from the floor in the first half and went 4-of-18 from three, but stayed within striking distance by dominating the offensive glass.
They grabbed 11 offensive rebounds before the break and held a 10-2 advantage in second-chance points at halftime despite trailing 47-46.
Detroit took a 77-75 lead into the fourth, but Bane and Jackson combined for 20 of Memphis’ 34 fourth-quarter points to swing the momentum.
The Pistons finished the night shooting 38.5% from the field and 26.2% from beyond the arc, struggling to generate clean looks late without consistent paint protection.
Stewart contributed 16 points and eight rebounds before fouling out, while Dennis Schroder and Malik Beasley combined for 21 points on 7-of-24 shooting.
The Grizzlies out-rebounded the Pistons 64-44 overall, including a 17-8 edge on the offensive glass and 19 total assists on 39 made baskets.
Scotty Pippen Jr. chipped in 15 points and six rebounds in the starting lineup, helping offset the loss of Morant and giving Memphis its 22nd home win of the season.
