Path: utzoo!utgpu!watserv1!maytag!looking!clarinews From: clarinews@clarinet.com (RICHARD L. SHOOK, UPI Sports Writer) Newsgroups: clari.sports.basketball Subject: (Pistons 115, Jazz 83) Keywords: basketball, men's professional Message-ID: <1Rbkp-pistons_ab@clarinet.com> Date: 4 Feb 90 20:44:38 GMT Lines: 36 Approved: clarinews@clarinet.com Location: utah ACategory: sports Slugword: bkp-pistons Priority: regular Format: regular X-Supersedes: ANPA: Wc: 392; Id: s0589; Sel: sh--s; Adate: 2-4-140pms Codes: yskprut. AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (UPI) -- James Edwards scored 21 points and the Detroit Pistons showed some playoff-style defense Sunday in handing the Utah Jazz their worst loss of the season, 115-83, and winning their seventh straight game. Well-rested Utah looked as though it, and not Detroit, had played in Cleveland the previous afternoon as the Pistons literally ran away from the Jazz. Detroit took leads that ranged up to 34 points in the third quarter, 77-43 and 86-52, before starting to filter in the reserves before the quarter ended. Edwards made 7 of 8 first-half shots in getting 18 of his points to help Detroit win its 10th out of its last 12 games. He ended making 8 of 12 shots as the Pistons won their seventh in a row since Dennis Rodman replaced Mark Aguirre in the starting lineup. Isiah Thomas and Aguirre backed Edwards with 16 points, Vinnie Johnson had 15 and Bill Laimbeer 12. Karl Malone led Utah, which had won two straight and 11 of its previous 12, with 19 points while Darrell Griffith had 13. Big Mark Eaton was held scoreless as the Jazz were limited to their lowest offensive output of the season. The previous low was a 92-86 loss to the Lakers on Nov. 25. Eaton played just 10 minutes of the first half and had four rebounds -- all in the first quarter. He was just as ineffective in limited second-half playing time. John Stockton had only six points and did not play much of the second half. Detroit doubled Utah's score at 42-21 early in the second quarter with a stifling defense that on one Jazz possession swatted three shots in a row away. Utah was seldom able to get off an uncontested shot and the Pistons turned many into fast break baskets. The Pistons scored the first five points of the game, had the lead up to 10 by the midpoint of the first quarter and ran it out to 35-19 at period's end. Edwards made an assortment of jumpers good for eight of Detroit's first 18 points while Laimbeer made a pair of uncontested 3-pointers as Eaton declined to go out and cover him.