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AUBURN HILLS, Mich. Markus Wheaton Eagles Jersey . -- Andre Drummond knows hes a poor free-throw shooter. He still doesnt like it when teams make an effort to remind him. On an afternoon when the Philadelphia 76ers started intentionally fouling him in the third quarter, the 20-year-old forward responded with a performance the NBA hasnt seen in 23 years. Drummond sat out the end of the third quarter after missing nine of 12 free throws in the period, but in the 34 minutes he did play, he became the first player to have 31 points, 19 rebounds and six steals in a game since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1990. He set career highs in all three categories, two days after Maurice Cheeks left him on the bench for the last 21 minutes of Detroits loss to the Lakers. "Thats a slap in the face for any player, so you get fired up," said Drummond, who also blocked two shots. "You cant get angry and lose your focus, though. I just told myself it was a good chance to work on my free-throw shooting and put some points on the board." Philadelphia coach Brett Brown, who watched Gregg Popovich use the strategy during his days as an assistant in San Antonio, said he didnt enjoy the idea, but thought it was his teams only chance when it trailed by 24 points at halftime. "It is one of the ugly parts of the game," Brown said. "You do not really like doing it, but it is a rule and it helped our team." The Pistons are used to the strategy -- Popovich was one of several coaches to use it against Ben Wallace -- but not usually in the third quarter. Drummond, though, is a unique case. He might be the worst free-throw shooter in league history -- he entered the game shooting 27 per cent from the line -- and Detroit collapsed late against the Lakers with him on the bench. "Andres a great young player, but I told him tonight that he needs to learn from this," Cheeks said. "If he becomes a better free-throw shooter, no one will be able to knock him out of a game." At one point, the Sixers immediately fouled Drummond on three straight possessions, forcing Cheeks to take him out of the game. The strategy worked, as Philadelphia cut the margin to 94-82 going into the fourth, and the Pistons had to put Drummond back into the game. "I left him in there long enough to see how well he was going to shoot, because he was having a great game, but there comes a point where you have to take him out," Cheeks said. "They broke the rhythm of the game -- thats why you do it -- and I didnt want that to keep happening." Drummond, though, changed things in the fourth. He finished off a three-point play and then swished a pair of free throws to give the Pistons a 103-85 lead with 9:04 to play. That kept Brown from intentionally fouling him until they trailed by 19 with 4:03 left. Drummond split a pair of shots before coming out of the game, just short of Detroits first 30/20 night since Dennis Rodman in 1991. "When you do anything over and over, you get better at it," he said. "My teammates kept telling me to take my time, and I hit more of them toward the end." Brandon Jennings and Josh Smith each added 20 points for the Pistons, while Thaddeus Young had 24 for Philadelphia before fouling out late in the game. The Sixers play at a much higher pace than the Pistons, so a up-tempo first half should have played right into their hands. Instead, it was Detroit that dominated, scoring 40 points in the first quarter and leading by as many as 25 on the way to the 70-46 lead. The Pistons outshot Philadelphia 55.1 per cent to 39.1 per cent, and had a 31-14 advantage on the boards. Jennings dominated his matchup with rookie Michael Carter-Williams in the half, outscoring him 13-8 and dishing out 11 assists to just three for Carter-Williams. Drummond also had a first-half double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. The Pistons had five players score in double figures in the half, while Philadelphia didnt have any. "Its pretty obvious that we need to come out better," Carter-Williams said. "Were fine scoring the ball, but we need to play defence. Its a team thing, and we have to put the pieces together." NOTES: Detroit native Bob Seger was in attendance and conducted the crowd in a sing-a-long of his hit "Old Time Rock-n-Roll" during a first-half timeout. ... Detroit wore its dark-blue "Motor City" jerseys for the second straight home game, while Philadelphia wore its white jerseys. Michael Bennett Eagles Jersey . Gerald Green and Miles Plumlee? Green had bounced around the NBA when he wasnt playing overseas. The Pacers gave up on Plumlee after just one season. Now Green and Plumlee are key cogs in the Suns surprising breakout season. Mike Wallace Jersey . - Titans quarterback Jake Locker will miss the rest of the season with a Lisfranc injury to his right foot, leaving Tennessee trying to rally with Ryan Fitzpatrick. http://www.eaglesrookiesproshop.com/ .J. Hardy to avoid a three-game sweep after blowing a big early lead. Odour had a leadoff single in the seventh and scored the tiebreaking run with the help of two errors by Hardy as the Rangers went on to beat the Orioles 8-6 on Thursday night.Mitchell Johnson has questioned Virat Kohlis ability to handle pressure ahead of Australias pivotal World T20 clash with India on Sunday. The winner of this key Group 2 match in Mohali will progress to the semi-finals and, despite being retired, Johnson could not resist the opportunity to take a swipe at the 27-year-old batsman.Kohli, whose T20 average is a remarkable 52.5 from 41 international matches, will be a marked man when the Aussies take to the field. However the 34-year-old Johnson, who retired from the international game in 2015, tweeted on Saturday: Went missing in WC semi last yr when it really counts.The former Australian fast bowler was referring to their World Cup semi-final meeting in Sydney last March, over 50 overs, when Kohli made just one run off 13 deliveries before being one of Johnsons two victims. Aussies set for ultimate test Australias Shane Watson says playing India in a knockout match will be the ultimate challenge He was also replying to comments made by the Delhi-born player, who believes he will be prepared for any amount of sledging that may come his way at the hands of the Australians.India have beaten Australia in each of their last five T20 meeetings - including three this year - and Kohli said: Debate on the field or not, it doesnt really matter to me. Haloti Ngata Jersey. Im pretty sure of the plans I take into the middle.If I get into a debate with anyone and if I have to take a certain stance, that doesnt necessarily put me off my game. If anything, that motivates me more. Mitchell Johnson celebrates taking the wicket of Kohli during last years World Cup semi-final Its something that Ive come to terms with, that not every team is going to have a go at you.Its better to plan your innings without that situation and if that situation comes in, you have to take it as more fuel to the fire.Australia are a strong side that play with a lot of passion and I believe in playing in the same way. I like that challenge, Ive always enjoyed playing against Australia.Watch live coverage of Australias clash against India from 1.30pm on Sky Sports 2 on Sunday, following Afghanistans encounter against the West Indies at 9am. Catch the action for £6.99 on NOW TV. No contract. 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