In seasons past what happened on Sunday wouldn’t mean much to the Pistons or their fans, but as we all know things can change quickly in the NBA. The Detroit Pistons, who are fighting for a playoff spot, accomplished quite a feat, a win on the second half of a back to back, to make it two wins in a row, against the Philadelphia 76ers, at home, in a game with an early tip, on Sunday. Doesn’t seem like much, but the 101-97 victory may just be the biggest win for Detroit this season.

Key Points:

• The victory moved Detroit up to the 7 spot in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.  If the Playoffs were to start today, Detroit would match up with an Orlando team that they have had their way with for quite some time. The Pistons’ magic number to secure a spot is seven and it seems as though Dwight Howard wants Detroit in the first round.
• The win also stopped an 8 game Sunday home losing streak at The Palace.
• Detroit came back from deficits in every quarter except the fourth.
• The Pistons turned the ball over nine times in the first half, which helped the Sixers stay in the game.  They buckled down in the second half adding only two more for the rest of the game.
• Iguodala scored a game high 27 points, but it was his uncontested dunk that wowed the Palace crowd.
• The Pistons fourth quarter defense looked much better.
• Tayshaun Prince was red hot in the first half scoring 19 points on 7-for-7 shooting.  Prince carried the team in the first half and finished with a team-high 21 points and 3 assists.

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• 46 points in the paint for the Sixers to Detroit’s 36.
• NBA.com Highlights of the game.
• Amir Johnson played some key minutes and did a fine job helping the Pistons lock this one up. He finished with 5 points, 4 boards and a steal in 18 minutes. It was with the help of Amir’s defense that the Pistons locked things down for the Sixers in the fourth quarter. No foul trouble for Johnson in this one.
• Rodney Stuckey seems to be getting back to his old form. He put up 16 points on 7-for-13 shooting, with 5 assists, 3 steals and zero turnovers.
• The Sixers looked like the Pistons of old, racking up 4 technical fouls during the game. I guess it helps Detroit in terms of Techs when Sheed and Rip aren’t playing
• How bout 40% shooting from downtown for the Pistons. Tayshaun himself was 3-for-4.
• Five Pistons in double figures.
• Allen Iverson made his debut after a long absence, with 8 points, on 3-for-9 shooting with 2 boards, and 2 assists in 21 minutes on the floor.  I don’t know about you but he looked good out there alongside Will Bynum.

Photo/Getty Images

• “The most important thing is we got the win,” said Iverson, who scored eight points in 21 minutes. “I have a lot of respect for guys that come off the bench, even more now than ever. It’s hard to get yourself going. Sitting there for a long period of time, then having to jump right into the fire — that’s different for me. It’s hard. But I honestly feel I can get through it. I am a professional. I can figure out a way to do it and be effective.” Via The Detroit News. That was part of Iverson’s post game press conference, which I watched from start to finish, and despite this quote it rubbed me the wrong way. He started his comments about how he was telling his friends that a man with his resume really had no business coming off the bench. That aside, I give him credit for finally hitting the floor for Detroit when their playoff fate is on the line.
• Iverson is not happy about being questioned on his injury.
• We wondered what would happen to Will Bynum’s minutes once Allen and Rip were back, well it was Arron Afflalo who didn’t play in Sunday’s win.
• Fantastic scoop pass from Iverson to Will Bynum who was running the floor. Will didn’t make the layup, but he did make his free throws.
• Will Bynum scored nine points during a 14-2 run in the fourth that took the Pistons from five points down to six points up with 4:03 left. He finished with 12 points, 4 assists, 5 boards and 3 turnovers in 22 minutes.

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• Will Bynum on the court in crunch time instead of Rodney Stuckey. “Will could be in there or (Rodney) Stuckey could be in there,” Curry said. “But the big key is, we have to run stuff through Will regardless of who is on the court.” Via The Detroit News
• Another solid performance from Mr. Kwame Brown, who scored 13 points for Detroit in 21 minutes on the floor. The big man trying to do his thing and working down low made 7 of his 13 points at the free throw line.
• This one was close, the game was tied 12 times with 20 lead changes.
• Happy Birthday to my main man George Blaha.
• Eight points and six boards from Antonio McDyess. When you look at his numbers the past two games with Rip back and then AI, it’s obvious that Dyess just about carried the team when they were short handed.
• A relatively quiet night for Jason Maxiell, who scored 4 points, grabbed 5 boards, and had a blocked shot in 19 minutes.
• “Now my whole thing is trying to be the best sixth man I can be, the best sixth man in the league.” said Iverson.  Via MLive. If that indeed is the case, this team has a chance come playoff time.
• A Battle with the Cavs in Cleveland, where they have only lost one game at home all season long should be rough.  If Sheed indeed comes back, the Pistons chances skyrocket. At this point we know every game is crucial.

The Pistons take on the 56-14 Los Angeles Lakers tonight at The Palace of Auburn Hills. At this point, especially after the loss in Chicago, the Pistons need every game to help secure a spot in the Playoffs. The Pistons, who have lost six of their last eight, are in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, one game ahead of Chicago.

Detroit will again be without Allen Iverson, who wall called out on Tuesday during the TNT telecast about the validity of  his injury by Reggie Miller. Whatever the the reason Allen Iverson is not with this team right now I always had the same feeling about Allen Iverson that Reggie Miller does.

I was never a huge AI fan, but the one thing I always thought about him, besides his great game, was the fact that he played no matter what.  When he got here I specifically said that anything short of a bullet wound, Iverson would play.

Do you remember this?

Rasheed Wallace and Richard Hamilton will not play in tonight’s game against the Lakers.

Something special about tonight’s FOX Sports broadcast of the game:

“For the first time, FOX Sports Detroit’s collection of channels will present simultaneous telecasts of the same game, but from two different perspectives, when the Pistons take on the Los Angeles Lakers at the Palace on Thursday, March 26.

The traditional game coverage will appear on FOX Sports Detroit and in high-definition on FOX Sports Detroit HD.

Meanwhile, FOX Sports Detroit PLUS presents a “Match-up Cam” telecast, with a devoted camera isolating on key battles throughout the game among the many stars on each team.”

Now that sound great, hopefully this becomes a regular feature for FOX.

Tip off is at 7:30 PM and will be locally broadcast on FSN. If you can’t catch the broadcast, listen locally on WDFN 1130 AM or trough your computer at NBA.com

Leave your thoughts in the comments and feel free to be as descriptive as can be while I’m on the disabled list, your comments will help keep me in the loop. I thought I would be up an running a bit quicker, but I had a little setback the last couple of days. And if you need a doctors note I can give you one. My injury actually shows up on an MRI, so there should be no questioning my condition. Thanks for being patient.

There were two big stories in Orlando Friday night. Richard Hamilton returned to the starting lineup for the Pistons and they won. It was a familiar and cohesive looking Pistons team that took the floor and didn’t back down until the job was done. The 93-85 victory over a strong Orlando team on the road could be just what the Pistons need to get them into gear and try to salvage what’s left of this season.

Key Points:

• Tayshaun Prince started things off for Detroit from the tip. He looked to score in this one and he did, finishing with 17 points on 7-14 shooting in 41 minutes on the floor.  He played the role of scorer and defender last night, just 2 assists for a Tayshaun Prince who’s had to run this offense a lot this season.
• Just three Pistons in double figures, while all five of Orlando’s starters scored 10 or more.
• If you were watching the game you saw something quite familiar that we have come to know and love as Pistons fans. DEFENSE! Dwight Howard scored 21 but not many of them came easy.  And holding Lewis to 10 and Turkoglu to 13 was just what the Pistons needed to to to get the job done.
• Rasheed, Maxiell, McDyess and, yes, Kwame Brown did a nice job defending Howard.
• 15 Turnovers for Detroit really would have stuck out more had they lost this one. Ten of those came in the first half.
• Richard Hamilton led all scorers with 31 points on 11-for-18 shooting in 41 minutes on the floor.  Rip was aggressive and looking for his shot all game long.  He added 6 assists and a board and him coming off screens and hitting his shot was a thing of beauty.  Richard Hamilton Highlights.

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• Hamilton again reiterated the comments he made the other day and said he wasn’t cool with coming off the bench unless his team was winning. Something had to change and it did, Rip made sure of it. I think he made it clear by his words and his actions that that’s not going to happen again anytime soon.
• Allen Iverson returned to Detroit to get his back evaluated and wasn’t even in Orlando for the game. He will not be in Boston for tomorrow’s game against the Celtics either. This is just the way my mind works so bear with me. Anyone else think the “injury” (not saying he doesn’t have one) to his back may help him save a little pride going to the bench? Think it may be milked more to help AI make the transition? It was just the first thing that popped into my mind because AI seems to take a lickin’ and keep on ticking, so the fact that he wasn’t in Orlando and won’t be in Boston just made me wonder. I always used to say the only way to stop him from playing was a bullet hole, and my guess is if it was superficial he’d still take the court.
• Chris McCosky – “Curry, who gave Iverson the news Thursday night, said Iverson wasn’t happy but that he expects him to handle it like a pro.” “He’s been trying to play hurt and he’s been frustrated with that,” Curry said. “He didn’t react any different than Rip did when I talked to him about coming off the bench earlier.” “It’s nothing on Allen,” Curry said. “He’s a guy that needs the ball, and because of that it reduces the time Rodney Stuckey has the ball in his hands. That has taken away some of Rodney’s aggressiveness.” Via The Detroit News
• Will Bynum and Walter Herrmann saw extended time, but it was the hustle of Jason Maxiell that stood out most. He may not have filled the stat sheet, but Maxiell made his presence felt. Just ask Dwight.
• Amir Joshnson – DNP
• BALL MOVEMENT!
• Rodney Stuckey looked like the he did the first half of the season.  Whether this game helps him get out of his rut remains to be seen but he looked great in the Pistons’ win.  Stuckey scored 22 on 9-15 shooting with 6 1 assist in 40 minutes.  Great game for Stuckey, besides his 4 turnovers. Rodney Stuckey Highlights.

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• The Pistons outrebounded the Magic by 10, 38-28.
• Haven t heard George Blaha this excited on a broadcast in quite some time. Boy was he animated down the stretch when it looked like the Pistons weren’t going to give this up in the final minutes.
• The Pistons outscored the Magic 28-14 in a dominating third quarter that helped Detroit put the game away.
• FSN Highlights of the Game by quarter.
• All heart from Antionio McDyess who did the dirty work in the Pistons’ win. Dyess scored 8 with 13 boards and a blocked shot in 40 minutes.
• Sheed, 10 boards, 8 points and 2 steals.
• “One thing with Orlando is that if we continue to play Dwight straight up with Rasheed there, it allows us to stay on their 3-point shooters,” Prince said. “And if we can eliminate that, then we put ourselves in good position to get the game.’‘ Via NBA.com
• Friday Rasheed Wallace was fined $25,000 by the NBA for throwing a towel into the stands and another in the direction of referee Bill Kennedy.
• Maybe this is a solid answer to who is really running the show. This is what Rodney Stuckey had to say. “My teammates were getting on me,” Stuckey said. “When the boss man’s getting on you (Joe Dumars, Detroit’s president of basketball operations), you know you have to change something.” Via MLive

Too bad the Pistons couldn’t pull out the win in last night’s game against the Spurs. The 83-79 home loss marks the Pistons’ fifth in a row and puts them under 500 at The Palace with 15 losses at home, equaling what they had all of last season.

Key Points

• The crowd at the Palace was great and it was a very entertaining game. The Pistons came to play, starting the game focused and forcing Pop to call an early time out after the Pistons went on a 9-0 run.
• The trade I would have liked to see before the deadline…..Antonio McDyess shipped to a contender.  He’s got more heart and will in his little finger than that whole team does right now. And I’m pretty sure he helps old ladies cross the street when nobody’s looking.  We are sorry Antonio.  Ice for Dyess seems futile now, doesn’t it?
• A great first quarter followed by a second quarter where Detroit was outscored 24-16.  They fought the rest of the way.
• What did Afflalo do to be in his current dog house position? Probably the same thing Maxiell did a while back. Nothing.
• Second time this season they’ve lost four straight at home.
• Allen Iverson led the Pistons with 31 points on 13 for 28 shooting.  He added 7 assists, a steal, a blocked shot and was taking it to Tony Parker like he was invincible.  Nothing was as pretty as this reverse.

(more…)

And the blows just keep on coming.  The Pistons added another loss to their now 27-24 record at home to the Atlanta Hawks Wednesday night at the Palace.  Detroit was in this one from start to finish, but once again couldn’t put things together enough to get the win.  The 99-95 loss to the Hawks was Detroit’s last game before a much-needed All Star break.

Key Points:

• When Flip Murray is the game maker and burns you over and over again is it time to give up?  Seriously, Flip Murry lit the Pistons up for 23 points on 10-18 shooting off the bench for the Hawks.  Still a little funny to me that Flip took more shots for the Hawks than Joe Johnson did. Johnson led the Hawks with 27 on 10-for-16 shooting.
• Has Sheed given up? I was at the game and I was bitching (to myself) that we were going small down the stretch, again, and wondering why Sheed wasn’t in the game. On the ride home I heard Curry explain that he said that when he asked to return to the game Rasheed said he wasn’t able.  An old injury re-aggravated or is there something we don’t know? Maybe he just wanted to rush home to catch the rest of the North Carolina – Duke game.
• Allen Iverson led all scorers with 28 points on 11-for-20 shooting. Great performance from AI who missed Tuesday’s game against the Bulls with Flu like symptoms. He added 3 steals and just one turnover, but the one he did give up was a critical possession late in the game that could have made a big difference in the outcome of the game.

Photo/Getty Images

• AI highlights complete with the diving assist to Rip.
• If the playoffs started Wednesday, the Pistons and Hawks would face each other. And Detroit would NOT have home court advantage.
• The Pistons actually won the war of the boards 40-35.
• They even had 45 points in the paint.
• They really have no defensive identity.  Oh how we miss the Wallace x2 days.
• Rodney Stuckey struggled a bit after suffering a slight ankle sprain in Tuesday’s game with the Bulls.  Rodney scored 12 on 5-for-11 shooting in 30 minutes on the floor.  A complaint by many Pistons fans is that our point guard doesn’t distribute the ball…and his one assist last night is a shining example.
• Feel bad…some Jason Maxiell Highlights will make you feel good. At least it did for me when I was putting the video together. Dunk you very much Jason for easing our misery just a little with your hustle and heart.

Video Courtesy of The NBA, The Detroit Pistons and FSN

• Jason finished with 6 points, 4 boards, 2 blocked shots and a steal in 17 minutes. You can ask yourself all you want why he didn’t get more time when he was a difference maker when he was on court and when Sheed couldn’t return.  Should Need4Sheed have a “mail bag” of questions for Michael Curry to answer?  I think we would keep him pretty busy.
• Tayshaun Prince 12 points on 4-10 shooting, with 8 assists, 5 boards, and a steal.  Thank goodness someone is racking up assists.
• 17 lead changes with the game tied 8 times.
• Double-double for Antonio McDyess with 10 points and 10 boards.
• FSN Highlights by the Quarter.
• Jason Maxiell likes to block shots, and we like to watch him do it.  Al Horford……..not so much.

Video Courtesy of The NBA, The Detroit Pistons and FSN

• “For some reason, when we come home, we have a lull,” Curry said. “When we’re on the road, we’re all together and you have to fight, that’s all you got. (At home) everyone is finding reasons why we’re losing.” Via The Detroit News. Dear Mr. Curry, just so you know, in case you haven’t paid attention, IT’S NOT JUST AT HOME!
• Richard Hamilton 14 points on 6-for-16 shooting with 5 assists, 4 boards and zero turnovers.
• It may be every bit of reality that the Pistons don’t even make the playoffs. There, I said it. Just look at the standings and see for yourself.  They have the same record as Miami and Philly and the only team below them in the hunt are The Bucks.
• Did you know that Antonio McDyess hit the Bulls Derrick Rose so hard that he was in tears?  I knew he was hurt when watcing the game but apparently the Bulls think action should be taken against Dyess.
• Anyone have the feeling Joe Dumars is just some kind of Evil Genius and something just might happen?  I am thinking if something does go down it will be after the All Star break.  For all we know a deal is already put in place, but the NBA wants All Star weekend to take precedence.  Just me thinking to help stop the madness in my head.  But I could be right.

The Pistons are not in an ideal situation today.  No NBA player likes to play the second day of a back-to-back, but the fact that Detroit played a hard-fought overtime game against the Bucks that ended just before midnight and then they had to travel back to Detroit in the early morning hours to play tonight’s game against the Suns at The Palace.  Oh yeah….and it’s Sunday.

With the rumors surrounding Detroit and Phoenix in the Amare sweepstakes, the Pistons have to be all business to pull out a win against The Suns.

Each team currently has the same 27-21 record going into tonight’s game.

Good News/Bad News/and More

• Look for Shaq to take a cheap hard foul on one of The Pistons’ smaller players.  He’s good at that. He took out Rodney Stuckey with a hard foul that got him ejected in the Suns last meeting with the Pistons and leveled Amir Johnson last season.
• Detroit is seeking a third straight victory for the first time since its season-high seven-game winning streak from Dec. 23-Jan. 4.
• Again, it’s Sunday.
• The Pistons had lost 10 of their previous 14 games before winning their last two.
• Amare has pledged to elevate his game.

Tip off is at 8:00 P.M. and will be Nationally televised on ESPN. If you can’t watch the broadcast, tune into 1130 AM WDFN The Fan.  Can’t do either? Follow the game on NBA.com.

Comments and  Chat.

Just when it looked like the Pistons were going to suffer back to back home blowouts something clicked at The Palace. Down 12 early if the first quarter, Jason Maxiell entered the game and sparked a Pistons run in a high scoring first quarter (39 Houston 27 Detroit). Both teams had hot shooting nights, while Houston led most of the way, Detroit made it a game in the mid third quarter but couldn’t force overtime in the fourth.

The Pistons had two chances to send the game into OT after Artest missed a free throw with 10 seconds left. The first on a rushed Rasheed Wallace three pointer and then another from Arron Afflalo. Final score108-105.

Key Points:

• How is this to start things off, with the loss, the Pistons clinched their first losing month since February 2004.
• Yes that Dyess foul late in the game was an And 1, had it counted like it should have thing may have ended different.
• Sluggish right from the opening tip, it took the enthusiasm, athleticism and baby eating to get the Pistons right back into the game.  He played just 18 minutes going 4-for-4 for 8 points, 3 boards and a blocked shot. Babies were had for lunch (via Tate Lowe, team N4S member)

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• The Rockets led by as much as 15 points, Detroit had the lead just once by one.
• Houston, who had McGrady and Artest (who got booed every time he touch the ball) back for the first time in a long while didn’t look like they missed a game between them. Artest led Houston with 24 and McGrady put up 15.
• Houston killed the Pistons from beyond the arc going 12-for-25 (48%).
• Looks like it took just one game coming off the bench for Richard Hamilton to get things going. Rip led the Pistons with 27 points on 11-for-21 shooting in 31 minutes on the floor.

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• Rip coming off the bench means 46 Bench points for Detroit.
• Like it or not, a hot Richard Hamilton left Allen Iverson on the bench for the final minutes of the game. It could mean trouble…can’t make everyone happy.
• “I just feel like I can offer a little more to the team,” said Iverson, who scored 17 points on 5-for-10 shooting. “I can help us do more to win basketball games. When the opportunity presents itself, I’ll be right here to take on the challenge. I’m going to stay positive, stay focused, keep believing in my teammates when I’m not in the game and keep trusting them when I am in the game.”But Iverson isn’t used to being an afterthought after 13 seasons of what likely will be a Hall of Fame career.“Just when I thought I’d seen it all, something else happens,” Iverson said. “That was just different. Via The Detroit Free Press
• Iverson scored 17 on 5-for-10 shooting with 8 assists a steal and 2 boards in 34 minutes. Great numbers for a guy who sat in the fourth.
• With the awful way Detroit took care of the ball in the Dallas game, just 5 turnovers against Houston is promising.
• Rodney Stuckey was in foul trouble and didn’t even play a minute in the second quarter. Stuckey scored 14 on 7-for-12 shooting, with 8 assists and five boards.
• Liked what Rip and AI did on court together when Stuckey was out.
• Why isn’t Herrmann backing up Tayshaun at all? Small ball when Tay was resting. (more…)

For the first time this season The Detroit Pistons actually put a hurting on the opposing team. In his first game coming off the bench for Detroit, Rip had a hard time getting acclimated to his new role so Tayshaun Prince and Jason Maxiell stole the show in this seldom seen (this season) 95-76 blowout of the Raptors.

Key Points:

• Give a hand to Rip Hamilton for making the move to the bench even if he didn’t really have a choice in the matter.  Rip sat courtside on his stationary bike to keep warm during the first quarter.  He had a rough time getting used to his new role, scoring 7 on 3-for-9 shooting in 21 minutes on the floor.  Three of his misses game from behind the three point line, but he stayed in the action picking up 4 assists.  Had the game been closer in the fourth Rip would had played more minutes.
• Rip on coming off the bench (audio) via The Detroit News.
• Rip has had a difficult time since his partner in crime was traded so a move to the bench is just another obstacle he needs to deal with. Time people.
• The Fluidics noticed something I didn’t last night (probably because I was busy talking to a good friend). “About Rip though. He didn’t do his pre-game antics in the corridor with the team, punching their chests. When they ran out of the tunnel, Rip was nowhere to be seen, he was the last to the court, walked out by himself.”
• Sure we made mincemeat out of a bad Raptors team, but we have to look at the bright side of things. We were losing to teams like the Thunder, so this is a welcome change no matter who it was.
• Nice start to the new lineup change, but lets see if the Pistons can transition to a new beginning.
• Jason Maxiell started the show in the first quarter throwing down dunks like he was playing nerf basketball in the basement of his mother’s house when he was 10. The man should never put up a DNP, but we have said that plenty of times before. (more…)

And the hits just keep on coming for Detroit. The Pistons are now on a three game losing streak after a 110-106 overtime loss to the Pacers.  Detroit went into Indiana having won eight straight against the Pacers, who currently have the second worst defense in the league. Despite a 30 point performance from Stuckey and the ball in their hands multiple times at the end of regulation, the Pistons came up short.

Key Points:

• Small Ball Part II: 0-for-2
• DNP Jason Maxiell and Kwame Brown. I know Indiana is fast but come on.
• Another loss to a team that we should beat. As of now can we say the Pistons “should” beat anyone at this point?
• Another fantastic night from Rodney Stuckey that gets soured by losing a game like this. A game high 30 for Stuckey who was 12-for-20 with 9 boards, 6 assists and just one turnover. Thank goodness George Blaha is so animated when Rodney is playing, it’s the best part of watching these days.

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• A few Stuck HL’s.
• Not a good night for Rip 4-for-13 from the floor for 9 points in 29 minutes.
• Tay 4-for-12, it’s clear he is not the player he can be when he’s playing out of position.
• Sheed put up a double-double with 17 points and 15 boards with a steal and a blocked shot. Yes great numbers but 3-for-11 from downtown (1-for-5 in OT)….Do we really need Rasheed to be taking 11 from beyond the arc? Stick to the post and witty banter Rasheed.
• Outrebounded 48-50.
• This lineup is messing with Dyess who had been one of the reasons we were winning since his return to the team.

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• First overtime win for Indiana all season.
• Iverson 23 on 9-for-19 shooting, that’s probably one of the best shooting nights he’s had percentage-wise in quite some time. Add 7 assists to that and it’s a nice line for AI. Yes he had 4 turnovers, but I’ll take a game like this over a 30% shooting night any day.
• FSN Highlights by quarter.
• Friday in Oklahoma should be interesting.

Detroit let another lead slip away in the fourth quarter and lost at home to the Charlotte Bobcats for the first time since 2006.  Detroit ran cold in the fourth, letting the Bobcats go on a 13-2 run to finish the game and put them in a place for Ramond Felton to hit a jumper to take the lead with 0.7 on the game clock. AI had a quick chance three to win the game, but Detroit fell 78-80 to Larry Brown’s Bobcats.

Key Points:

• Small Ball
• The Pistons scored just 10 points in the fourth quarter.
• Out-rebounded by a horrible rebounding team, 41-44.
• Sheed not only was called for his 13th technical foul of the season, this late game offensive foul call that took the ball (and Sheed) away from the Pistons when the game was on the line wasn’t the cause of the Pistons collapse, but it was tough to swallow.
• Rodney Stuckey led Detroit with 22 points on 8-for-11 shooting with 6 boards and 5 assists in 38 minutes. Another big night from Rodney who must have blamed the loss on the team at least three times in his post game interview…”it was on us not the coaching.” When asked about the small ball lineup, he said it didn’t play a part in the loss.

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• Stuckey Highlights.
• Long gone are the days when Detroit clamped down in the fourth quarter and got it done.  Take it however you want to, but it’s not just about how the lineup changed or the small ball. Think about how many games or playoff series the Pistons have lost in the past few year that they had no business losing.  Charlotte at home is just icing on the cake.
• FSN Lowlights of the game by the quarter. Want to see the mess unfold? Just watch.
• Sheed’s 16 points, 7 boards, 2 blocks and a steal didn’t even tell the whole story of how he played. His defense at times on Okafor was stellar and he hit a couple of huge threes just when Detroit needed them.

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• Sheed was also a key part of The Play of The Game.
• Maxiell 10 minutes, Amir 9. Combined they scored ZERO points and pulled down 2 boards.
• Missed shots, critical turnovers and an offense that looked horrible in the fourth was to blame.
• Fourth Quarter – 10 points on 2 for 13 shooting with 5 turnovers. Really?????
• Rip looked pretty good in his first game back although I was surprised he logged so many minutes (35).  He was just 4-for-12 on the night with 5 boards, 2 assists a steal and a SHOCKING block on the 6″10 Okafor.

Video Courtesy of The NBA, The Detroit Pistons and FSN Detroit

• It’s real cute to put Tayshaun at the point for a play or two, but it takes away from his game. The recently settled and productive Tayshaun Prince flirted with a double-double going 4-for-12 for 11 points, 9 boards, 5 assists, 2 blocked shots, a steal.  Now that’s stepping up for your team, especially when your playing out of position. Put him back in the paint where he belongs and see his shooting percentage go right back up again.
• Just six minutes from the only true point guard on the team. Will Bynum was 2-for-4 with a board and no assists.
• Dyess, 9 boards and just 2 points.
• Iverson 5-for-12 shooting for 13 points with 5 turnovers in 38 minutes.  Can’t really hold the last shot of the game against him, how many times is he going to be put in that position to win a game?
• AI – “We just got beat, we lost a game we should have won easily.” Via MLive
• Rip is now all for doing what’s best for the team. That came before the Bobcats game.
• Fun with Small Ball.
• Hit me with your comments, I know there are a ton of frustrated Pistons fans today. Maybe even more after tonight’s game in Indiana. Oh, and my apologies to those of you at the game last night. On a miserably cold night the last thing you want to do is drive home in sub zero temps after losing to the Bobcats on a last second shot.
• BTW Steve is ready to put up an open letter to Michael Curry here on N4S and I’m all for it if things keep going south.  Want in on it….by all means leave ‘em in the comments.

A thriller in Denver, Pistons steal one 93-90.

The Pistons won their first game against their old friend Chauncey Billups in Denver. With Denver leading the entire game it was Tayshaun Prince’s hook in the lane with 20 seconds on the clock that gave the Pistons their first lead of the night. Tayshaun started it and Arron Afflalo’s clutch free throws to end the game sealed it.

Key Points:

• Chauncey was at his finest with a game-high 30 points on 11-for-19 shooting with 4 assists and just one turnover. Rodney Stuckey tried to keep up but a sore back held him to just 30 minutes and nine points. Miss Chauncey? I do, but it’s clear he’s doing well with his new team, taking them places they haven’t been in quite some time.
• Billups had 20 points by halftime and 26 at the end of three quarters. That’s when Prince told Pistons coach Michael Curry he wanted to guard Billups down the stretch.  Billups managed just four points in the fourth quarter as Prince’s long arms and size bothered the hot-shooting Billups.
• “There was nobody on the court at the time that knows Chauncey’s game like me,” Prince said. “When you have a 6-foot-9 guy like myself that’s pretty quick off my feet, I’m able to contest Chauncey’s three, plus keep enough space because he’s so fast where I can back up a little bit.” Via The Detroit Free Press
• Had Chauncey been as hot down the stretch as he was to start, no way the Pistons win this one.  Also thank Detroit’s defense for clamping down on Billups so he had to defer to Smith who turned over the ball on a Antonio McDyess strip.

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It was a tough way to put an end to the Pistons’ seven game winning streak. Iverson was once again put in the spot to take the last shot, but this time AI’s last-second shot didn’t go down and the Pistons lost to the Portland Trail Blazers 84-83.

Key Points:

• Exciting game, yes – but you just can’t keep squandering double digit leads (14) and expect to keep winning games.
• One word……..Turnovers. Thirteen to be exact. It was the ones late in the game that helped Portland go on a run and take this game away from Detroit.
• Travis Outlaw hit the game winner for the Blazers with 8 seconds on the clock. He’s burned the Pistons before so I wasn’t surprised when he hit that shot.
• No Rip, no Sheed and foul trouble for Amir.
• Say what you will about Kwame Brown but he looked as good as we need him to be. Thirty minutes with 9 points on 4-for-5 shooting with 4 boards, a steal and 2 blocked shots.
• 13 boards for Dyess, who is stunned the Pistons lost this one. “I can’t believe we lost, I am still in disbelief, stunned, the way we played, how well we played on defense — but we just let it slip away.” Via The Detroit News
• Forget the fan call-in voting that had Rodney Stuckey as the Player of The Game. Tayshaun Prince led the Pistons with 26 points looking so sharp early. Tayshaun played 44 minutes going 13-for-21 with 8 boards, an assist, a steal and a block. Player of the game in my book and solid play from Prince since he was put back in his SF position.

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• Tayshaun Prince Highlights.
• Tayshaun was hot, Allen was not (6-for-19). If I’m the coach, I put the ball in Tay’s hands for the last shot.
• 32 points in the paint for Detroit to 38 for Portland.
• Aldridge looked great again for Portland, dropping 26 on the Pistons and making it look easy.
• Just three Pistons in double figures.
• Was the game a little too late for you? FSN did a fine job with the quarter by quarter break down of the game.
• Maybe it was nerves……. He started off just fine and it looked like it was going to be another great night for Stuck, but maybe it was all the family and friends in the crowd that led to Rodney’s (sub par for him) game. Thirteen points on 4-for-12 shooting with 6 turnovers.

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• When you win the war of the boards 40-28 and have 2 double digit leads in a game you should win, right?
• More Maxiell please! Is it me or is Curry not utilizing the Baby Eater?
• The Pistons need to make their late game free throws. Detroit was 9-for-16 on the night at the stripe.
• I know we lost, but I’m still impressed with how Detroit has played without Rip and Sheed. And Dyess for that matter. I would think Rip and Sheed would be back by now! Right?
• Is it me or do you have the feeling something is brewing in the front office?
• Ben from BlazersEdge got a glimpse of the Carolina AF1 Sheed’s.
• It’s always nice to hear from Pistons fans at road games, Jennifer Peal was at the game last night and had something nice to report. ” I was at the game tonight and ran into none other than the man himself, George Blaha. He was the nicest most kind person i’ve truly ever met. He signed my t-shirt along with Special K and I also got a picture with him, which I am sending your way. As if that wasn’t great enough, as I am sitting in my seat chatting with fellow pistons fans around me (there were many by the way), I come to find out I am sitting next to Rodney Stuckey’s Jr. High school teacher. She had driven all the way from Seattle to come to Portland to see him play.  And Blazers fans just “loved” my ball don’t lie shirt.”

• Another Pistons fan, Nicolas King, a Detroiter now living in Portland wasn’t at the game but he did work at the hotel that the Pistons were staying: I’ve run into a few players, McDyess, Stuckey, Tay, even MR BLAHA!! and they are very nice and polite. I thanked McDyess about bringing the energy back to the stones and for just coming back, I told Blaha about how i remember lambs lowdown and Kenny’s Key’s to winning he was loving it, I asked Mr Kelser if he wore any powder blue yet from the Sheed MSU-UNC bet and he said Sheed hadn’t provided him the gear, the list goes on. Another tidbit, I saw Sheed a few times, and we are an art themed hotel so we have to pick our favorite artist for our name tag, naturally i picked “Rasheed Wallace” as mine, I’ve been dying for him to see it here but he’s just too intimidating when he walks by, but nonetheless my Name Tag is Sheedtastic. Rasheed came to the front desk and asked me for another key to the room, so I made one and then showed him my name tag and explained how I had his name on my name tag for my favorite artist, he smiled and thanked me, as that happened the front door man asked me in front of him how long was I reading need4sheed today and Sheed started to crackup.

• Classic….leave them in the comments, West Coast trips always have me up late, but I just finished watching the replay of this one.
• PistonsNationBlog gathered Pistons bloggers to ask the question “Rip or Iverson to the Bench?”, I bet you can guess my answer.