Warriors Pistons Basketball

Warriors guard Jordan Poole drives past Detroit’s Cade Cunningham during Golden State’s 105-102 win Friday night in Detroit. Carlos Osorio/Associated Press

DETROIT — Jordan Poole stepped up in Stephen Curry’s absence to score 22 of his season-high 32 points in the first half, Andrew Wiggins finished with 27 and the Golden State Warriors beat the Detroit Pistons 105-102 on Friday night.

Golden State started the fourth quarter with a 16-point lead and held on, as Detroit’s Jerami Grant and Frank Jackson missed 3-pointers in the closing seconds.

The NBA-leading Warriors sat out Curry because of a bruised hip, a night after the two-time MVP and the league’s leading scorer had 20 of his 40 points in a fourth-quarter comeback victory at Cleveland. They were also without Draymond Green because of a bruised thigh after he had 14 assists in 29 minutes against the Cavaliers.

Detroit’s Cade Cunningham, this year’s No. 1 overall pick, had 19 points, six rebounds and six assists. Jackson scored a season-high 27 points, Grant had 19 and Hamidou Diallo added 10.

HORNETS 121, PACERS 118: LaMelo Ball had a season-high 32 points along with 11 rebounds and eight assists, and Charlotte held off visiting Indiana for its fifth straight victory.

Gordon Hayward added 25 points, and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 16 to finish off a 4-0 homestand that included wins over Golden State and Washington.

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Jeremy Lamb scored 23 points for Indiana, which fell to 2-9.

Unlike the season opener when the Hornets needed a 24-0 run to erase a 21-point deficit and beat the Pacers 123-122, Charlotte jumped out to a 25-point, third-quarter lead.

When the deficit reached 25, Pacers Coach Rick Carlisle benched many of his starters for the remainder of the game with his team playing on the first night of a back-to-back.

But Indiana’s reserves rallied to cut the lead to three as the Hornets got sloppy with the ball. Charlotte had just one turnover in the first half, but committed 16 in the second half.

NETS 115, MAGIC 113: James Harden had 36 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, and Brooklyn overcame a 19-point deficit and the absence of Kevin Durant to beat visiting Orlando.

Durant did not play because of a right shoulder sprain.

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Harden was 19 for 20 from the free-throw line. Patty Mills added 22 points and LaMarcus Aldridge got 11 of his 15 in the fourth quarter.

BUCKS 96, THUNDER 89: Giannis Antetokounmpo had 21 points, 19 rebounds and seven assists and Milwaukee withstood a comeback by visiting Oklahoma City.

Milwaukee never trailed but nearly allowed Oklahoma City to come all the way back from a 20-point deficit.

Shea Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City with 17 points.

PELICANS 94, CLIPPERS 81: Jonas Valanciunas had 26 points and 13 rebounds and host New Orleans overcame a 20-point first-half deficit.

After challenging the Pelicans to “grow up” after they’d blown double-digit leads at Washington and Miami earlier this week, Josh Hart had 19 points, 10 rebounds and two steals, helping New Orleans win for just the third time in 17 games this season.

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NOTES

CAVALIERS: Collin Sexton is done for the season after injuring his left knee and undergoing surgery.

Cleveland’s leading scorer tore cartilage in his knee on Nov. 7 in a game against the New York Knicks. The Cavs didn’t provide an update until Friday, when they said Sexton had an operation on Wednesday in Atlanta.

Before getting hurt, Sexton averaged 16.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists in Cleveland’s first 11 games.

NUGGETS: Denver played without reigning MVP Nikola Jokic against the Chicago Bulls because of a sprained right wrist.

Jokic appeared to hurt the wrist the night before in a home loss to Philadelphia. The Nuggets big man is averaging 26.4 points, 13.6 rebounds and 6.4 assists.

Jamal Murray (knee) and Michael Porter Jr. (back) were also unavailable.

PELICANS: Didi Louzada has been suspended 25 games for violating the NBA’s performance-enhancing drug rules.

The 6-foot-5 Louzada, who joined the Pelicans last season, has played in just two games this season and has not scored.


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