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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Al Jefferson scored 33 points just 24 hours after his grandmother's death and the Utah Jazz defeated the Detroit Pistons 105-90 Monday night.
C.J. Miles added 15 points, including three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, to help the Jazz end a two-game skid and snap Detroit's three-game winning streak.
Rodney Stuckey scored 29 points for the Pistons, who have not won in Salt Lake City since 2002 -losing their last nine visits here.
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The win ended a drama-filled day for the Jazz that started with a closed-door meeting between guard Raja Bell and team brass. It came two days after Bell was sent home from a road trip following a verbal clash with coach Tyrone Corbin, but both sides proclaimed the matter closed. Bell started, but had just one point.
With the game in hand and the clock winding down, Jazz teammates fed Jefferson a shot at the arc. He nailed it for his first career 3-pointer, then walked off the court emotionally drained.
Jefferson had been excused from shootaround earlier Monday but told coaches he wanted to play in honor of his 82-year-old maternal grandmother, Gladys Jefferson, who died Sunday night.
He said she had essentially raised him in Prentiss, Miss., and continued to watch every one of his games on television - even when he played late on the West Coast. He is expected to attend her funeral Friday and miss weekend games against Golden State and the Los Angeles Lakers, but he said she would have wanted him to play Monday.
He spoke fondly of the "special" lady, recalling days he got up early in the hot Mississippi summers, and played hoops alone while she watched and washed clothes.
Despite his jumbled emotions, Jefferson started strong, hitting 6 of 9 shots in the first half as the Jazz took a 52-48 lead into the break. He powered Utah's inside game in the first half as the Jazz held a 30-18 edge on points in the paint. His jump shot also was on, and he helped Utah to 60 percent shooting in the first half.
The Pistons countered with Stuckey, who had 17 points in the first half on 7-of-11 shooting. He finished 10 of 17 and added seven assists.
Greg Monroe added 14 points and Ben Gordon 12 for Detroit. Devin Harris added 19 points for Utah, while Paul Millsap had 12.
The Jazz outscored Detroit 30-13 in the final quarter to run away with the victory.
It was a different story early as Utah fell behind 11-4 thanks to early turnovers, but went on a 10-0 run, with Josh Howard hitting back-to-back jumpers, Millsap jamming off a steal and Jefferson adding a shot in the paint.
The Pistons used an 11-2 second-quarter run to regain the lead, 30-26. Gordon hit three shots and Damien Wilkins added a 3-pointer, only to see Utah counter with a 7-0 run, started by Jefferson's turnaround jumper.
The Pistons used a 29-point third-quarter to take a 77-75 lead into the fourth
NOTES: Utah entered Monday tied for 11th in the Western Conference, but needs only a few wins to get back in playoff contention. ... The Jazz have a favorable schedule this week before facing the Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder next week. ... The loss started a grueling stretch of 10 games in 10 cities for the Pistons.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
