AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Marc Gasol didn't know he had a chance to set a career high in points when he stepped to the free-throw line with 36.4 seconds remaining. He wasn't at all disappointed that he only tied his previous mark by missing one of the foul shots.

"I never care one bit about career highs or points," the Memphis Grizzlies center said after his 38-point outburst. "To me, that's just numbers. They don't explain the story. They just show a portion of it."

Gasol's offensive display was more than just a footnote. It allowed the Grizzlies to snap a three-game losing streak with a 98-86 victory over the slumping Detroit Pistons on Wednesday at The Palace.

He shot 14 of 17 from the field and 8 of 11 from the free-throw line. Gasol, who added five rebounds and four assists, had a 38-point game against New Orleans last season.

"That's his level," Memphis coach David Fizdale said. "He's a great player, and I'm always going to continue to challenge him to be the best. He just really wanted this game tonight."

Gasol did most of his damage against Detroit's All-Star center, Andre Drummond. His 14-point third quarter powered the Grizzlies to an 18-point lead, and the Pistons never got closer than seven points the rest of the way.

"When your jumper is going, it opens up many different options," Gasol said. "They tried to put Jon (Leuer) on me a little bit. In the second quarter, that worked for them because they double-teamed right away with the pass. That took away from my rhythm, but there's different ways you can attack. Obviously, when you're making shots, everything looks a lot easier."

JaMychal Green was the only other Grizzlies player to score in double figures, finishing with 10 points and nine rebounds.

Grizzlies forward Chandler Parsons returned after an 18-game absence caused by a bone bruise on his left knee. He scored two points in 15 minutes.

Memphis (19-12) is now 8-0 in the second game of back-to-backs. The Grizzlies lost 112-109 in overtime to the Boston Celtics on Tuesday.

"We just think about the task we have that night," Gasol said. "We don't think about the game last night. We just try to accomplish our goals for the game we have in front of us and move on. That's why it works for us."

Leuer recorded 18 points and six rebounds off the bench for the Pistons (14-17), who have dropped four straight.

Coach Stan Van Gundy was planning to insert Leuer into the starting lineup, but that decision was delayed because Leuer was involved in a car accident Wednesday morning.

Detroit point guard Reggie Jackson also scored 18 points and added seven assists. Jackson retreated to the locker room in the opening minutes after experiencing left knee soreness but returned later in the quarter. Drummond added 13 points and 19 rebounds.

The Pistons shot 36.1 percent from the field and 26.1 percent from long range.

"I thought our guys fought," Van Gundy said. "Offensively, we just couldn't get anything going whatsoever. They are a good defensive team, but I thought we got plenty of good shots."

The Grizzlies hit 42.7 percent of their field-goal attempts, 40 percent of their 3-point tries. Detroit's defense held all players not named Gasol to 32.3 percent shooting.

"That's a bad boy right there," Pistons forward Marcus Morris said. "I told him when he started to add the 3(-point shot), he's tough to guard. He was making some tough ones."

The game got away from Detroit during the third quarter. Down 65-61, the Pistons went scoreless for over five minutes while Memphis reeled off 14 unanswered points. Gasol capped off that stretch with a 3-pointer and a layup.

Leuer finally ended the Pistons' drought with a jumper, but Detroit trailed 79-63 when the quarter ended.

The Pistons had one more run in them, as they closed the gap to 88-81 midway through the fourth. Troy Daniels' 3-pointer re-established the Grizzlies' double-digit lead.

NOTES: Home losses to Sacramento, Utah and Boston made Memphis coach David Fizdale question the team's veterans. "Our leadership stunk the last three games," he said before the game. "That's the truth. I'm a truth machine. I don't dodge anything." ... Pistons C Andre Drummond is just one of two players with at least 10 20-rebound games since the 2013-14 season. He has 31, and Los Angeles Clippers C DeAndre Jordan has 29. ... Grizzlies G Andrew Harrison leads NBA rookies with an average of 3.5 assists per game. He had six helpers Wednesday. ... The teams were ranked 1-2 in preventing second-chance points entering the game. The Pistons were allowing 9.8 per game, and the Grizzlies were giving up 11.3. ... Detroit lost for the eighth time in its past nine home games vs. Memphis. ... The teams don't meet again until April 9.