The Golden State Warriors center James Wiseman (33) gets tangled up with the Detroit Pistons forward Blake Griffin (23) during their game Tue Dec 29, 2020 in Detroit (AP News photo)

By Jerry Feitelberg

The Golden State Warriors finished the four-game road-trip win a win over the Detroit Pistons 116-106 Tuesday night. The win evened the Warriors’ record to 2-2. The Pistons, coached by Dwayne Casey, dropped to 0-4.

Energized by their thriller one-point win over the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, the Warriors wanted the momentum to carryover Tuesday night against Detroit. Warriors’ head coach Steve Kerr hoped to see improved play from Kelly Oubre, Jr. and Andrew Wiggins.

He wanted to know if the second unit could put points on the board. He wanted to know if bench players Eric Paschall, Brad Wanamaker, Damion Lee, and Kevon Looney would mesh. Kelly Oubre had his best game as a Warrior.

He made his first three-point shot of the season. He was a terror on defense. In the third quarter, he blocked a shot and took it the other way for the score. Andrew Wiggins had a big night, too. Wiggins got hot in the fourth quarter as he paced the Warrior attack with 15 points. He made three threes as the Warriors went on a 17-4 run. Paschall, Looney, Lee, and Wanamaker all made their presence felt to help the Warriors win.

The teams played a very competitive first half. The Pistons won the first quarter, 29-24. The Pistons started the second quarter with a 9-2 run to lead 38-26. Detroit’s big men, Mason Plumlee and Blake Griffin were getting offensive rebounds. The Pistons had 13-second chance points to propel them into the lead. The Warriors fought back and finished the half trailing by three 51-48. Wiggins, Paschall, and Oubre all made buckets to keep the Warriors close.

The Warriors started the third quarter on a 10-3 run to grab the lead for the first time since early in the first quarter. The key play on the run was Oubre’s block and score to put the Warriors in the lead 58-54. The Pistons did not cave. The Warriors held the lead until Detroit passed them late in the quarter 76-75. The Warriors countered with a bucket to end the quarter leading by one 77-76.

In the fourth quarter, with Curry on the bench, Andrew Wiggins led the second unit on a 17-4 run to win the game for the Warriors. Wiggins played well on both ends of the court. Curry came back with less than five minutes on the clock. The Warriors increased the lead to 13 106-93. The Pistons refused to quit. They made a late run to close the gap to five with 1:42 left to play. Damion Lee, who hit the game-winner against the Bulls, drained a three to ice the win. The final score was 116-106.

Game Notes and Stats: The Warriors played well on defense. The Pistons shot 30% from the first half. They managed to hold the lead as they took more shots than the Warriors. For the game, Detroit shot 38%. Detroit took 92 shots. The Warriors were 38-for 76 from the floor, good for 50%. The Warriors made 14 threes in 33 tries. The Warriors outrebounded Detroit 58-53. However, Detroit had 16 offensive rebounds compared to the Warriors four.

Kelly Oubre finished with 14 points, five rebounds, and two blocked shots. He was six-for-ten from the floor and made a three. Andrew Wiggins had 27 points, seven rebounds, and three assists. He was nine-for 19 from the floor, and he connected on five threes.

 Curry had another big night. Curry, who finished with 36 against the Bulls, tallied 31. He connected on five threes to go along with five rebounds and six assists. James Wiseman had six points and six rebounds. Wiseman was limited to just 21 minutes of action as he committed three fouls in the first half. He picked up his fourth foul early in the second half and spent a lot of time on the bench. Steve Kerr let him play after he committed his fifth in the fourth quarter. He fouled out with 2:43 left. 

Eric Paschall had ten, Damion Lee eight, and Brad Wanamaker nine. 

Jerami Grant led the Pistons with 27. Josh Jackson had 17, Derrick Rose 15, Saddiq Bey 11, and Sekoy Doumbaya nine. Blake Griffin had eight points, five rebounds, and three assists in the first half. Griffin was injured when he caught an elbow to his mouth. He did not play in the second half.

The Warriors return home to face the Portland Trail Blazers on New Year’s Day to start a seven-game homestand.

The game will start at 7:30 pm at Chase Center in San Francisco.