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AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- The Detroit Pistons are a much-improved team after Joe Dumars rebuilt the roster once again over the summer. That doesnt mean they are ready to knock off teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder. Detroit played the Thunder tough into the third quarter Friday night, but Oklahoma Citys superior depth took over down the stretch, especially once Andre Drummond and Josh Smith got into foul trouble. Rookie Steven Adams finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while fellow post reserve Nick Collison had nine points and four rebounds in a 119-110 victory. "We were just trying to keep it simple and try not to make mistakes," Collison said of his partnership with the New Zealander. "I thought we were really locked in defensively. It was a different situation than most nights, but our bench played really well." Thunder coach Scott Brooks thought his entire second unit played a key role in the victory. "Nick, Steven, Derek (Fisher), Jeremy (Lamb) and Reggie (Jackson) did an outstanding job," he said. "They gave us a great effort, they moved the ball and took care of it. Steven and Nick did a really great job of playing together and understanding what we needed them to do. They protected the paint and they took care of the pick-and-roll. Detroits biggest problem, though, was trying to stop Kevin Durant. Their only hope of that was Smith. He sat out large portions of the second half and Durant finished with 37 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. "We werent hitting shots and they were hurting us on the offensive glass, but it is really hard to adjust your lineup to fix those things when you are facing Kevin," said Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks, who spent the last four years as an assistant with the Thunder. "You always have to have someone on the floor that can guard him, so that limits your options when you want to change things." Smith finished with 25 points for Detroit before fouling out, while Greg Monroe (20 points, 15 rebounds) and Brandon Jennings (22 points, 11 assists) added double-doubles. "Its always tough against that team, but especially when you get into foul trouble," said Monroe, who found himself playing with Kyle Singler, Gigi Datome and Jonas Jerebko instead of Drummond and Smith. "They kept making plays, and they kept getting to the free-throw line. It is hard to win games like that." Leading by 10 early in the fourth, the Thunder struggled to put Detroit away. The Pistons got within 88-84, but didnt have an answer for Durant down the stretch. Smith committed his fifth foul trying to guard him with 5:07 left, and Durant hit both free throws to give him 30 points and move the Oklahoma City lead to 101-89. Smith fouled out moments later, and picked up a technical foul on his way off the floor. Oklahoma City threatened to break the game open in the second quarter, leading by as many as 11 as the Pistons continued to struggle to score from outside. Jennings and Monroe, though, combined for 10 points in the final two minutes of the half, pulling Detroit within 55-51. Durant and Russell Westbrook combined for 27 points in the half, while Monroe had 13 points and eight rebounds for Detroit. The Pistons went ahead on back-to-back three-point plays by Monroe and Smith midway through the third, but Smith immediately committed his fourth foul and had to join Drummond on the bench. Six straight points by Durant forced Drummond back in with four fouls, but Lambs 3-pointer at the buzzer let Oklahoma City take an 84-76 lead into the fourth. Westbrook scored 20 points despite missing 14 of his 19 field-goal attempts. NOTES: Detroit Tigers President Dave Dombrowski had one of the best seats in the house, sitting courtside just two spots away from the halfcourt line. ... Cheeks got an enthusiastic pregame welcome from the Thunder. Durant grabbed Cheeks in a playful headlock, while Thunder coach Scott Brooks and several players rushed over to embrace him. ... Durant earned a spot on the nightly blooper reels when he lost his grip on the ball while driving for a baseline dunk. As Durants empty hands came down on the basket, the ball looped over the Pistons bench and into the stands. Wholesale Stars Jerseys .Y. - Alex Rodriguez paid $305,000 for evidence that could be used in the case involving the Biogenesis of America drug clinic, the Daily News reported Saturday. Cheap Stars Jerseys Authentic .C. - Steve Clifford isnt exactly singing his teams praises after the Bobcats won for the sixth time in seven games. http://www.cheapstarsjerseys.com/.Pete Morelli said the back judge threw a flag on Cowboys linebacker Anthony Hitchens on a pass to Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew in Dallas 24-20 wild-card win Sunday. But the head linesman said there wasnt enough contact and that Hitchens was face-guarding, which isnt a penalty in the NFL. Cheap Adidas Stars Jerseys . Ending a nine-game losing streak? That gave the Milwaukee Bucks veteran forward a reason to smile. Cheap Dallas Stars Jerseys .J. Ellis have avoided arbitration, agreeing to a one-year contract.SAN DIEGO -- Tony Gwynns sweet swing was matched only by his incandescent smile. The Hall of Famer was saluted at Petco Park on Thursday night in a ceremony that would have made "Mr. Padre" light up. Though, that wasnt something Gwynn had trouble doing. "It was so engaging," former teammate Steve Garvey said of Gwynns grin. "There are a few guys in sports that have it. You always think of Magic (Johnson), and Tony was baseballs Magic as far as that smile was concerned." Gwynn, a Hall of Famer who spent his entire 20-year career with the Padres, died on June 16 from oral cancer, a disease he attributed to years of chewing tobacco. He was 54. The 15-time All Star averaged .338 over a career in which he had 3,141 hits and won eight NL batting titles. A two-sport star at San Diego State before getting selected by the Padres in the third round of the 1981 draft, he was beloved for his achievements on the field and his humility on and off it. Gwynn never hid his affection for San Diego, embracing his "Mr. Padre" nickname and declining to leave San Diego as a free agent on numerous occasions. After retiring from the Padres following the 2001 season, Gwynn became SDSUs baseball coach. Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson and ex-Padre Trevor Hoffman were among the speakers who addressed the crowd of about 20,000 from a stage erected in right field, just in front of the No. 19 carved into the outfield grass. A podium was placed between three No. 19 Gwynn jerseys, two from the Padres World Series appearances in 1984 and 1998 and one from San Diego State. The left-field scoreboard showed a collage of pictures that ranged from Gwynn tipping his hat to the crowd and to him clutching his Hall of Fame plaque. And, of course, one displaying that warm smile. "We all know Tony was a great player, a great Hall of Famer," Jackson said. "That is known when he got 97 per cent of the vote -- that puts him in the top four or five. ... "He was a genuine man, a quality man, a 100 per cent family man. A great son, a great husband, a great father, a great friend and a great teammate. He was an example of whhat we all want to live and emulate as a person.dddddddddddd" Thursdays tribute, which started when 19 white doves were released, was open to the public following the private service Gwynns family held Saturday at SDSU. Gwynns fans, many wearing his brown-and-yellow No. 19 jersey, were given a chance to pay their respects to someone they felt they knew. He was an anchor of not only the Padres two World Series teams, but in the community as well. After leaving the Padres, he coached at SDSU, was a member of the Padres broadcasting team and remained active in various charities. A stream of people walked past Gwynns statue in the adjacent Park at the Park, with a line snaking past memorabilia of his storied career. Gwynn, whose No. 19 is retired by the Padres, batted at least .300 in 19 straight seasons. In 1994, he was hitting .394 in August when the season ended prematurely because of the baseball strike; in 1995, he struck out only 15 times in 577 plate appearances. But it was the way Gwynn carried himself that endeared him to countless fans. And not just those in San Diego. Gwynn has been honoured around baseball since his death. Tony Gwynn Jr., his son, was given a standing ovation Tuesday in Philadelphia in his first at-bat with the Phillies since taking a leave following his fathers death. "Even though he was on the other team you still had to admire the way he went about his business," said Joe Torre, an executive vice-president for Major League Baseball and former Yankees manager. "Unfortunately we dont have many, maybe any -- maybe Derek Jeter -- that conduct themselves in a similar fashion. "Honestly, what you saw is what you got: he was a good hitter and never tried to show anybody up." Gwynn became and stayed a star in San Diego. He never thought it would shine brighter elsewhere. "Im a Padre, a San Diego Padre," Gwynn once said. "And Im proud of it." Near the end of the tribute Hoffman, in a halting voice, talked straight to Gwynn, his former Padres teammate. "Thank you for representing San Diego," Hoffman said, "with such class." ' ' '