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.

Photo/Getty Images

• 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.

Photo/Getty Images

• 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.

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.

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.

Photo/Getty Images

• 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

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.

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

• “Iverson, who scored 12 in the fourth, including a layup that put the Pistons up 79-78 with 1:21 left, missed his last three shots, including a 3-pointer with 5.9 seconds left that would have tied the score.
  “A play like that matters so much, but just getting to the point where we needed a desperation shot to tie the game is the frustrating part,” Iverson said. “We put ourselves in a bad predicament.” Via The Detroit News
• We all would have loved for Iverson to have taken that shot because Sheed’s 17 footer over Duncan just looked awkward.
• Matt Bonner…really?
• Stuckey, 2 points, 8 assists in 28 minutes.  He may not have lit it up, but remember he only took three shots.
• I wont bore you with the DNP’s.  Curry went with a seven man rotation.
• This Jason Maxiell dunk sent the Palace crowd WILD.  It looked even better on TV.

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

• Jason Maxiell, 25 minutes, 10 points on 4-5 shooting with 9 boards and a blocked shot. And intensity. Max, Dyess and AI came to play.
• NBA.com Higlights of the Game.
• 16% from downtown. Yuck
• When we needed a three wasn’t there a better option than AI?  Just putting that out there.
• Sheed 4-for-17, Rip 2-for-10, Tayshaun 3-for-10. Can’t win like that.
• “I don’t mind playing iso-basketball, but I like to run,” Iverson said. “I don’t want to have to play iso-ball. I would rather us get baskets in the first four or five seconds of the shot clock. That’s the way I want to play. I want to run up and down the court so we don’t have to play against a big defense like that.” Via The Detroit News
• ANOTHER double-double for Antonio Mcdyess with 13 points and 13 boards, a steal and 2 blocked shots.  The man is playing like he’s got the weight of the team on his shoulders.  Good thing because nobody else is taking things to heart like Dyess.  And the man recorded his 1000th career block.
• On just one reason why Michael Curry can be blasted…….From Chris McCosky of the Detroit News. “.. Curry only played two reserves, Hamilton and Jason Maxiell (10 points, nine rebounds). His reasoning: The Pistons don’t play again until Sunday night and with the game on TNT, there were longer timeouts.
• That says it all…..with that kind of logic, Sunday against Cleveland should be a mess.
• Honestly, I think a Ouija board would produce better results than Curry at this point.

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.

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.

Photo/Getty Images

• 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.
• Amirzing block that led to an AI Alley Oop for Rasheed. When is the last time you can say you saw Sheed jump like this?

Video Courtesy of The NBA, The Detroit Pistons and ESPN

• First quarter blues, Detroit has to start coming out of the gate strong to contend throughout the game.“It’s been I don’t know how many games now where we’ve had rough first quarters,” Prince said, when asked if there was confusion about assignments at the start of games. “At some point you have to put all that aside and not worry about the X’s and O’s and just do what you have to do defensively as far as taking a challenge. I don’t think we are doing that in the first quarters.” Via The Detroit News
• Tay was missing last night, in his 30 minutes he had 6 points, 2 boards and five assists and a blocked shot.  Not the numbers we have been used to from Prince when he’s play his position. He had a rough time on the defensive end too. But they all do, so it’s tough to focus on Prince in that department.
• Anybody pay attention to the Houston and Pistons huddle that ESPN aired? MC sounded like he was rambling, while Adelman had a plan of action. I know it’s just on huddle out of plenty but it just didn’t make me feel any better about what has been going on.
• Sheedtastic night for Rasheed, who the Pistons really needed to start playing well. He was jawing with the Houston bench and Luis Scola claiming “he can’t check me”, and he couldn’t. A double-double for Sheed with 22 points, 11 boards adding 2 assists and a blocked shot in 39 minutes. If the Pistons could get just half of the passion out of him as he had in the Rockets game things would be very different.

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• ESPN Highlights of the Game.
• Hey Allen why aren’t the Pistons getting it done?  ” Have you talked to MC yet?” Allen Iverson asked, referring to coach Michael Curry. “He should have the answers. He knows better than me why we’re not getting it done.” Via The Detroit News
• Putting the game aside, these comments by Allen Iverson after yesterday’s loss are a bit disturbing. He looked happy cheering his team on as they mounted their comeback in the fourth quarter, but he’s clearly upset with not being on the floor. This could mean more trouble for the Pistons.
• “Small Ball” is now Weee-troit Basketball – When I read that over at Detroit Bad Boys.com I just about fell on the floor. At this point, we have to laugh about it because it’s so bad. Thanks for putting a smile on our faces Matt!
• It however is NOT funny when Pistons fans check the news every morning to see if Coach Curry has been fired yet.
• I will announce the winners of the Suite night contest later today.

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.

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

• Jason put up a double-double with 16 points and 11 boards with 2 blocked shots in 24 minutes on the floor. The highlights were plentiful and babies were in danger.
• Amir Johnson, who started the game, scored just 2 points, grabbing 5 boards and a blocked shot in 21 minutes. Mark my words, he going to fit into his new role just fine. Give him time.
• A less than quiet night from Rasheed Wallace who went 1-for-6 with 3 points, 2 boards and a blocked shot in 24 minutes.
• Finally Tayshaun Prince is back to where he belongs….his position.  To commemorate the occasion, he led the Pistons with 24 points on 11-for-16 shooting in 32 minutes on the floor.  When he’s where he’s supposed to be things happen.

Photo/Getty Images

• The Tayriffic Highlights.
• Five Pistons in double figures.
• Detroit shot 50% from the floor and 80% from the line.
• 37 points for the Pistons bench who really haven’t put up those kind of numbers save a couple of times this season.  Most of that was due to playing time so you really can’t fault them much for that.
• “We’re just a more balanced team,” coach Michael Curry said of the starting lineup of Prince, Amir Johnson, Rasheed Wallace, Allen Iverson and Rodney Stuckey. “So when you have a quarter when you don’t play great basketball in that first quarter, you can go to the bench and be really good.” Via The Detroit Free Press
• It was nice to see the Pistons finish a game in convincing fashion.  Someone tell me the last time they did that.  It was especially nice after starting the game down 10 to 2 to Toronto.
• Poor Jason…. He has a big game and just when he’s getting some face time with Matt Dery, Rasheed Wallace strikes.

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

• A surprisingly quiet 17 points and 7 assists for Rodney Stuckey.
• FSN Highlights by the quarter.
• Rebound war won convincingly 40-28.
• Not much from Allen Iverson who scored just 11 on 3-for-9 shooting. He did however have 6 assists in his 38 minutes.
• Rip or AI are both upset, trust me. AI isn’t getting the number of shots he’s used to and Rip has got to be pulling his hair out coming off the bench. I just hope if this translates into wins they will be able to deal with it better. You would think so at least.
• I was lucky enough to get invited to the game by Matt from DBB.  It was actually his suite night, so meeting his readers and enjoying this win made last night that much better.  Thanks Matt!

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.

Photo/Getty Images

• 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.

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.