AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Jabari Parker scored 31 points and Giannis Antetokuompo added 23 points and eight rebounds as the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Detroit Pistons 119-94 on Wednesday night.
Greg Monroe added 14 points, six assists and five rebounds against his former team to help the Bucks win for the second time in five games. Tony Snell and Matthew Dellavedova each scored 11.
#Pistons LIVE Postgame 12.28.16: Stan Van Gundy pic.twitter.com/O3oX0AXUQK
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Tobias Harris had 23 points and 12 rebounds off the bench for Detroit, which has dropped six of seven. The Pistons ended a five-game losing streak Monday with a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, who rested LeBron James, but weren't competitive against visiting Milwaukee.
The Bucks (15-15) are two games ahead of the Pistons (15-19) in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Milwaukee led by as many as 11 points in the first half, thanks to seven 3-pointers, but Reggie Jackson's emphatic dunk at the end of the second quarter pulled Detroit to 62-54. The Bucks outshot the Pistons 54.5 percent to 50 percent, but Milwaukee had four more 3s and six more free throws.
The Bucks used their outside threat to get the ball to the rim in the third quarter. They scored 14 points in the paint and added enough jumpers to push the lead to 19.
The margin was 90-75 going into the fourth, and the Pistons never got enough stops to threaten a rally.
TIP-INS
Bucks: Milwaukee came into the game ranked 28th in the NBA in 3-pointers, after finishing 30th a season ago. They hit seven of 11 attempts in the first half. ... Monroe was booed when he entered the game. He started his career with the Pistons before going to Milwaukee as a free agent in the summer of 2015.
Pistons: Detroit coach Stan Van Gundy went to a little-used combination to try to change things up in the second quarter, playing Jackson and fellow point guard Ish Smith together. They came into the game having played only three minutes together all season. ... Andre Drummond had 16 points and nine rebounds. Jackson scored 14, but Smith had only two points on 1-of-5 shooting in 20:32.
RELISHING HIS ROLE
The Pistons are 1-2 since Van Gundy moved Jon Leuer into the starting lineup ahead of Harris, but Harris has done a nice job in his new role. Including his 23 points against the Bucks, he's scored at least 21 in each game as a reserve.
UP NEXT
Bucks: At the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.
Pistons: At the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.
Check out the team sites for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Detroit Pistons for more game coverage.
