Dallas — The Pistons hadn’t had many bad performances against bad teams this season.
In the first 30 games, they had lost just once to a team with a losing record.
Make it two — and an ugly two.
The Pistons followed their three-game win streak with a dud in Dallas, falling to the Mavericks, 110-93, on Wednesday night at American Airlines Center.
BOX SCORE: Mavericks 110, Pistons 93
Anthony Tolliver, in his second start of the season, had 18 points, Stanley Johnson added 16, and Andre Drummond had 11 points and 13 rebounds for the Pistons (17-14).
It’s just the second time the Pistons have lost to a team with a sub-.500 record — they fell to the Lakers by 20 on Oct. 31 — and the lack of defense was the primary reason. The Mavs (9-23) scored 43 points in the second quarter and the Pistons managed just 13 in the third quarter.
The Mavericks made 14 3-pointers in the game and shot 55 percent through three quarters, including 11 of 22 beyond the arc, to help turn a 12-point halftime lead into a 23-point bulge heading into the final quarter.
In the third quarter, the Pistons scored the first five points, with a tip-in and alley-oop by Drummond and Tobias Harris’ free throw on a technical foul. After a jumper by Wesley Matthews (10 points), Tolliver was fouled and made all three free throws to pull the Pistons within 67-61.
Dallas answered with an 11-0 run, with two 3-pointers from Matthews and another from Yogi Ferrell, plus an uncontested drive by Devin Harris. They outscored the Pistons, 11-5, in the final four minutes — including a lay-in by Harrison Barnes (25 points) for an 89-66 lead entering the fourth.
Rookie Dennis Smith Jr., who had missed the last six games because of an injury, returned and posted 15 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Here are some other observations from the loss:
■ Stan Van Gundy decided to go with a bigger lineup to counter the Mavs, with Tolliver starting in the frontcourt with Drummond and Harris, along with Reggie Jackson and Reggie Bullock in the backcourt. It’s the second start of the season for Tolliver, who is the preferred option when opponents start a larger front line.
■ Eric Moreland picked up three personal fouls quickly in the second quarter and was forced to head to the bench. When Drummond re-entered, he picked up his third foul with 3:34 left in the first half, sending Van Gundy scrambling to adjust the rotation with Boban Marjanovic in the final couple minutes. The Mavericks finished the half with a 17-4 spurt, with Tolliver playing some center to fill the void.
■ The Mavs had lost six of their last seven games, but Van Gundy remarked in his morning comments how hard they had been playing. It showed, especially in their 3-point shooting and effort.
■ Bullock cooled off from his 20-point performance against the Magic, managing just four points on 2-for-6 shooting in 24 minutes.
Twitter: @detnewsRodBeard