SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) Josh Smith had 21 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, and the Detroit Pistons snapped a four-game skid with a 97-90 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Friday night.
The Pistons built a 10-point advantage after three quarters and their lead remained in double figures for much of the fourth quarter as Detroit won its first road game of the season.
DeMarcus Cousins had 26 points and 13 rebounds for the Kings, who have lost six of seven games. Isaiah Thomas had 18 points and seven assists and Greivis Vasquez had 13 points.
Rodney Stuckey scored 16 points and Andre Drummond had 15 points and 18 rebounds for Detroit, which concludes a four-game trip Sunday against the Lakers. Brandon Jennings had 11 points and nine assists, and Kyle Singler added 11 points.
A jumper by Stuckey and a basket by Drummond gave the Pistons a 95-82 lead with 3:02 remaining.
Smith also contributed on the defensive end with five steals and four blocks. He was coming off a two-point game in a lopsided loss at Golden State on Tuesday, when the veteran forward made 1 of 6 shots in 19 minutes.
The Pistons went ahead by 14 points on a 3 by Smith early in the fourth quarter.
Both Drummond and Smith had seven points in the third quarter and the Pistons scored the final six points of the period to take an 80-70 lead into the fourth.
Vasquez connected on consecutive 3s, putting the Kings ahead 64-62 at the 5:04 mark of the third.
The Kings, who are 2-4 at home, are in the midst of a five-game home stand with two games remaining against Memphis and the Lakers.
Smith had 11 first-half points and five assists for the Pistons, who took a 54-5 lead into halftime. Cousins had 12 points and seven rebounds for Sacramento.
Notes: Inspired by Sacramento's only scheduled nationally televised TV game, a raucous sellout crowd at Sleep Train Arena set a Guinness world record for loudest noise at an indoor arena at 124.5 decibels. ... The Kings had a season-high seven turnovers in the first quarter and trailed 27-21. . Veteran Pistons guard Chauncey Billups missed the game due to a sore knee. He is day to day. Rookie Kentavious Caldwell-Pope made his first start of the season in Billups place. ... Kings reserve forward Patrick Patterson left the game in the opening half with knee contusion and didn't return. . Sacramento rookie head coach Michael Malone got his first technical of the season in the second quarter for arguing a no-call against Cousins.
