The Detroit Pistons (7 - 5) defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves (5 - 8) 96 - 86 on Friday. It was a tale of two halves, with the Timberwolves jumping out to a 44 - 38 halftime lead while holding Pistons superstar center Andre Drummond largely in check. However, Detroit came back with a strong third quarter, outscoring Minnesota 30 - 21 in the third period led by Drummond's 11 points over that span. The Pistons then hung on in the fourth, with Reggie Jackson, Marcus Morris, and rookie Stanley Johnson making sizable contributions to help seal the victory. Drummond came back after a lackluster first half to extend his impressive double - double streak to 12 games. He posted 21 points and 11 rebounds over 29 minutes. Morris got in on the act as well, collecting 16 points and 11 boards, while Jackson (18 points) posted double - digit scoring for the 11th time in 12 contests. Johnson enjoyed the second - best outing of his rookie campaign with 15 points off the bench. The Pistons improved to 7 - 5 and reside in third place in the Eastern Conference’s Central Division. They head home for a Saturday night showdown with the Wizards. Karl-Anthony Towns took another notable step in his development by holding his own against Drummond. The rookie collected 18 points, seven rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocks, while helping to hold the Pistons center to his second - lowest total of boards in a game this season. Andrew Wiggins pitched in a team - high 21 points, the fifth consecutive contest that he has tallied at least 20 on the stat sheet. Ricky Rubio was the other T-Wolves’ starter to post double - digit points (12), while his backup Zach LaVine continued to produce despite coming off the bench, totaling 14 points to pace Minnesota’s reserves. Minnesota fell to 5 - 8 and resides in third place in the Western Conference’s Northwest Division. They remain home to face Philadelphia on Monday.
["TeamStat(G,'Timberwolves') has 8 Losses ,has 86 Total points ,has 21 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 5 Wins ."
 "TeamStat(G,'Pistons') has 5 Losses ,has 96 Total points ,has 30 Points in 3rd quarter ,has 7 Wins ."]