AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Setting career highs seems to be the new trend for the Detroit Pistons.

Just one game after shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope set a personal best with 38 points, both of the team's starting forwards reached new heights.

Marcus Morris scored 36 points and Jon Leuer pumped in 24 -- both career highs -- and the Detroit Pistons collected a 116-108 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night at The Palace.

"That's really big for us. One of the strengths of our team, on any given night, somebody can have a career high," said Leuer, a seventh-year forward whose previous best was 23 points. "Like tonight, Marcus stepped up huge, and KCP did the last game.

"We're a balanced team. The main thing is just to get quality looks. You get good looks at the basket, regardless of who the ball finds, you're going to score."

Morris, a sixth-year forward, reached 30 points for the first time this season. He scored 34 points against Utah as a member of the Phoenix Suns on Feb. 6, 2015.

Morris shrugged off his achievement.

"It happens. It's a long season," he said. "Shots went down."

Andre Drummond contributed 12 points and 18 rebounds and Tobias Harris chipped in 14 points for the Pistons (23-27), who have won two straight after a three-game slide.

Detroit opened a 13-point lead with just over four minutes remaining, then held off the Timberwolves' late charge.

"For the most part, we were pretty good down the stretch," Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said. "We're capable of playing really good defense, we just don't do it nearly enough."

Same with the forwards' long-range shooting. Detroit's trio of forwards, including sixth man Harris, had all of the team's 11 3-point baskets.

"We've been on them to shoot from range," Van Gundy said. "I think they're all a lot better shooters than what they've shot from three all year."

Karl-Anthony Towns led Minnesota (19-31) with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Andrew Wiggins had 21 points, Zach LaVine tossed in 20 points and Ricky Rubio added 16 points and seven assists for the Timberwolves.

LaVine suffered a knee contusion and played just one minute in the fourth quarter.

Wiggins guarded Morris a majority of the game.

"They were hitting tonight," he said of Detroit's starting forwards. "Tough shots. You just clap your hands. We couldn't do a great job defensively."

Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau was also disappointed by the team's 13 turnovers, including two during Detroit's pivotal 10-0 run in the fourth quarter.

"The turnovers weren't high, but those to me were very costly," he said. "That's what we're talking about, understanding the intensity and the decision-making that's necessary to not turn it over."

The third quarter was tight, with neither side leading by more than six points. Morris made 3s on back-to-back possessions to give the Pistons a 74-70 lead. After Minnesota forged a tie, Morris scored two more baskets during a 7-0 Detroit spurt to end the quarter as it took an 83-76 lead into the fourth.

A transition layup by reserve guard Ish Smith nudged Detroit's advantage to double digits at 89-79. Rubio then scored five points during a 7-0 spurt that pulled the Timberwolves within three.

After a timeout, the Pistons regained control. They reeled off six quick points, including a fast-break basket by Morris, prompting Thibodeau to call timeout.

That didn't halt the Pistons' run, as Morris finished the string of 10 consecutive points with two free throws to make the score 102-89.

The Timberwolves pushed back and when Wiggins completed a three-point play, Detroit's lead was down to 106-101. Morris then fired in a contested 20-footer to provide some breathing room. He added two free throws in the final minutes.

NOTES: Minnesota rookie point guard Kris Dunn was a late scratch because of a hand injury. ... Minnesota F Adreian Payne missed the game with an illness. ... The Pistons assigned F Henry Ellenson and G Michael Gbinije to their D-League affiliate in Grand Rapids, Mich. ... Detroit F Tobias Harris recorded his 2,000th career rebound against New Orleans on Wednesday. ... Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau wants C Karl-Anthony Towns, F Andrew Wiggins and G Zach LaVine to emerge as better defenders. "When you look at the teams that win in this league, they're strong on both sides of the ball," Thibodeau said. "That's what we're striving toward. We know we have a lot of work to do and the tone has to be set by those three guys." ... Both clubs were on the front end of back-to-backs. The Pistons play at Indiana on Saturday night and Minnesota hosts Memphis.