Key Points:

• Detroit started the game off strong and went on plenty of runs throughout the game.  What changed in this game was Detroit didn’t let the runs that Boston went on get out of hand.
• Remember when we used the word poised when describing the way Detroit played? Well this is the first I’ve seen of it all season long.
• Detroit had lost five straight regular season games to the Celtics and 9-of-11 including a six-game Eastern Conference final.
• Detroit is back to playing .500 ball and has the same record as the Sixers. They are currently holding on to the 7th playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Get this….16.5 games back of Cleveland.
• Detroit played a solid 48 minutes.
• Rip Hamilton once again led this team to victory with 25 points, an assist away from a double-double. He added six boards in 39 minutes, while shooting 50% from the floor and went 11-for-12 from the line.  Is he trying to emphasize the fact that he should have never lost his starting job?  If he is, and this is the outcome we get…..keep it up Rip.

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• Rip Hamilton’s post game comments. (video)
• “We played our type of basketball,” Hamilton said. “That’s the thing for me with Tayshaun, Rasheed (Wallace) and (Antonio) McDyess, I always know they’re going to be at all times.” Via NBA.com
• Thank you NBA Referees, we bitch when you’re wrong (like when you missed Rip getting mauled at the end of the game) so it’s only right when we thank you for your fine work. That’s just how we roll in Detroit.  Detroit made a season-high 34 free throws, in 40 attempts.
• Sheed 15 points, 6 boards, 2 blocked shots and a steal. Solid defensive game for Sheed. I still wonder if he thinks he can make some of the crazy threes he jacks up.  Maybe it should be Jack ….instead of Roscoe?
  
• Outrebounded 35-31.
  
• Iverson still questionable for Tuesday’s game against Denver.
• Tayshaun Prince again asserted himself in a big game.  Prince scored 15 with 8 boards, 3 assists and 3 steals. How about the kind bounce on the three in the third quarter…nice.
  

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• NBA.com Pistons vs Celtics Video Recap.
• God love Hubie Brown and his pronunciations.
• Pistons led at the half 55-47 and didn’t give the lead up at all until Boston went on a run. Boston led 85-81 when Rasheed hit a tree pointer with 7:04 left to start a 13-4 run that left the Pistons ahead 94-89. They never looked back.
• Maxiell making clutch free throws with under three minutes left in the game.
  
• Rodney Stuckey held his own Sunday afternoon with 10 points, 5 assists, 3 boards, a rebound and just one turnover.
• Will Bynum made a bigger splash and is making a case for more playing time with 9 points, 2 assists, and 3 steals in just 12 minutes.  The takeaway from Marbury that lead to a layup was a thing of beauty, not to mention hard work.
• I will never understand the head tattoo.
• How about Detroit’s determination to come back and regain the lead in the fourth quarter and close the game out?
• 40 points in the paint for Boston to 18 for Detroit.
• Can we just say all hail to The Mighty THOR!  Walter Herrmann was a huge boost for Detroit making 4 of his 5 shots for 11 quick points for Detroit.

Original Thor Drawing/Marvel Comics

• Say what you will, but that inbound pass he tried at the end of the half still has me laughing.  Remember MIGHTY THOR!

• 15 lead changes and this one was tied 20 times.
• Defense…the Pistons had 8 steals  and 3 blocked shots
• 15th technical foul for Rasheed Wallace.
• Stat line of the night, just 6 turnovers for Detroit.
• Look I’m usually not one to bash other teams or their fans, (except Varejoke) but I think Celtics fans have it coming. I can’t tell you how many vile comments I deleted all day by the classy people of Boston. So when I saw this picture of Glen “Big Baby” with that look on his face I found it quite amusing that even the fans reacted with the cry big baby dramatics.

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• Antonio McDyess 10 points, 5 boards and a blocked shot while Jason Maxiell had 8 points in 17 minutes.
• For the second game in a row the ball movement was flowing and the team looked in sync. Be careful to judge these two games as “the Pistons are back,” in fact it may be more difficult once Allen Iverson is back from injury and the rotation issues become prevalent. The problems haven’t disappeared just because of a big win. If the egos can handle what’s going on and they commit to playing the way they did the last two games then they just may have a chance to become respectable again.
• 30 Bench points for Detroit.
• “You can tell they’re playing the system they played before Iverson got there,” said Celtics forward Paul Pierce, who scored 26. “When Iverson is out there they’re still trying to figure out how to use each other, how to all be successful. But that group that’s out there is definitely comfortable because they’ve played together for years.’‘ Via NBA.com
• I’m loving the Blind Date comparison in the comments of the game thread. Feel free to keep them coming.

Key Points:

• The Palace had quite a different atmosphere in comparison to Wednesday night’s opening. The crowd was really into the game, it could have been the fact that it was Kids Night, or the flow of the game, but if I had to put my money on it I would say it was Walter.
• The Walter Herrmann chant from the crowd late in the fourth was great.
• Curry scored a point with me by leaving the hot Walter on the floor the whole fourth quarter when he was getting the job done. Last season that wouldn’t have happened.
• Herrmann mystified the crowd with this hustle, circus shots and clutch three pointers. Herrmann finished the game with 16 points off the bench with 7 boards, 4 assists and a steal and the play of the game.

• Walter Herrmann’s highlights. I think a ton of people have jumped on his bandwagon already, and you can’t really blame them after his showing the past two games. Put Hermmann in the rotation last season and who knows what could have happened in the playoffs.
• Walter Herrmann’s post game interview.
• The Wizards’ Nick Young (taken right after Rodney Stuckey in the 2007 NBA Draft) put up 23 off the bench and looked great. Stuckey on the other had 11 points for Detroit. The Wiz are happy with their pick and we all know how Detroit and the rest of the league feels about Stuck. Well drafted for both teams.
• Detroit shot 53.2% to Washington’s 51.9%.
• It was a high scoring fun game to watch except when Detroit squandered two 17 point leads in the first half letting Washington hang around all game long.
• Detroit owned the boards ripping down 49 to The Wizards 24.
• NBA.com Video Highlights.

• Rasheed was a monster putting up his first (of many I hope) double-doubles of the season. The man was dangerously close to a triple double with 17 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, a steal and 6 blocked shots. The man just couldn’t be stopped.

• Poor Songaila, Ra stuffed him every chance he could. That’s got to do something to a baller’s confidence level. Like I said, couldn’t be stopped.

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• I don’t know if Curry is going to make it a habit, but he played 11 players again on Saturday.
• Huge bench numbers, Detroit’s bench put up 55 points. Deep.
• As for the big lead the Pistons squandered, they went on one of “those” droughts that we all hate. Detroit handed the Wizards the entire lead plus some in the closing minutes of the second quarter. They went six minutes without a field goal and made six turnovers. Miserable to watch.
• Amir and Stuckey both got into foul trouble. Amir logged just 10 minutes with five fouls and 2 points.
• Chauncey struggled with his shot going just 2-for-8 but made all 10 for his free throws allowing him to finish the game with 12 points and 8 assists. It was almost a multiple double-double Piston night.
• Maxiell’s teammates need food. Maxiell meanwhile put up 11 with 7 boards in just 16.
• My new friend Kwame Brown inked his first points as a Piston, going 4-for-4 for 8 points and a board against the team that drafted him.
• Rip led the Pistons with 24 points on 9-21 shooting with 7 boards and 3 assists. Looks like Rip wants to remain the Pistons leading scorer this season.

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• No matter what Affllalo does he make good with his time. Three minutes, three points.
• Detroit is lucky to come away with the win after turning the ball over 17 times. Good thing they owned the boards.
• Glad to see the Chat Room is a hit.
• Detroit hits the road for three games at Charlotte, Toronto and New Jersey. The Pistons start with the Bobcats on Monday. Next home game….The Celtics on Sunday!

Kwame Brown is quite a character and Walter Herrmann has a new Nickname.

There is quite a great deal of back and forth between Kwame and myself that I caught on tape, but I had to get this clip out as quick as I could because of how much I loved the new nickname. Let me tell you it really did fit. It was 40 degrees outside with freezing rain and Mr. Herrmann was decked out from head to toe in a black suede Pistons warm up suit with matching sneakers, no gloves or coat and some killer sunglasses

What an experience, classics to come Pistons fans.

“The Pistons have agreed to terms on a one-year deal with backup Walter Herrmann.

The 6-foot-9 small forward was an unrestricted free agent and salary information was not disclosed.”

Nothing better than some floating layups form the Argentinian baller for another season in Motown. Let’s just hope he gets a little playing time to show off his moves…and his hair for that matter.

You must have missed this shot that made everyone a believer in Herrmann, who was instant offense off the bench for Detroit. Walter was 3-for-4 from downtown for 11 points in 19 minutes.