(SportsNetwork.com) - The Detroit Pistons have won two straight for only the second time this season, but it'll be tough sledding in a bid for three in a row Monday night when they visit Staples Center to take on a Los Angeles Clippers team in need of a win.
The Pistons dropped 13 in a row until a victory over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night. Detroit continued the momentum Saturday with a 95-90 win over the Sacramento Kings.
Josh Smith scored 21 points with 13 rebounds, five assists and five blocks to help the Pistons to victory. Greg Monroe led the Pistons with 21 points and Andre Drummond checked in with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
"It's been a long time, and then we get two in a row," said Detroit head coach Stan Van Gundy. "The main thing was our defense. We rebounded, obviously, we've struggled badly, but defensively holding them to 36 percent, I think was good."
The Pistons forced 17 Sacramento turnovers en route to the victory.
Detroit will go searching for its first three-game winning streak since February. The Pistons haven't swept a three-game western trip since November of 2008.
The Pistons head back to Detroit for two straight, starting Wednesday against the Dallas Mavericks.
The Clippers return to Hollywood after a 1-2 road trip and the losses came in the last two stops. Los Angeles fell to the Washington Wizards on Friday night, then lost to the Milwaukee Bucks, 111-106, on Saturday.
The Clippers, who have lost two in a row on the heels of a season-long nine- game winning streak, got contributions from its role players while the stars struggled.
Matt Barnes scored a game- and season-high 26 points and J.J. Redick dropped 25, while Chris Paul and Blake Griffin netted 10 points apiece.
"The Bucks played well, but when you allow a team to shoot 56 percent from the field you probably lose the game and we did," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said.
Paul, the league's most sure-handed player, has committed six turnovers in back-to-back games.
LA fought hard in the game. Milwaukee's 12-point lead with 4 1/2 minutes to play was trimmed to five following a 7-0 Clippers run.
The Bucks held a narrow lead the rest of the way, but Jamal Crawford stepped into a deep 3-pointer with three seconds remaining to make things interesting. His heave made it a three-point game, and Brandon Knight's ensuing inbounds pass was deflected out of bounds.
Referees went to the video monitor to determine if the ball hit Knight before landing, but the Bucks were ultimately rewarded the ball. Knight made two free throws to seal the outcome.
The Clippers bested the Pistons by six at The Palace of Auburn Hills on Nov. 26 and have won seven in a row in this series. LA has taken three straight as the host against Detroit.
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