Key Points:

• Another game without Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Ben Gordon.
• The Pistons, thanks to some hot shooting from Chucky Atkins, got off to a quick 9-4 lead to start the game, but within minutes the Lakers took control and never really looked back.  The Pistons (sort of) threatened late in the fourth quarter cutting the Lakers lead to 8 with less than two minutes left, but Kobe made sure that the Pistons had no chance to win this one.
• Quite honestly of all the games the Pistons have played with their core group sitting on the bench injured, this one really showed the Pistons weaknesses.  They looked like a JV team at times.
• The Lakers lived at the line, scoring 40 of their points from the stripe.
• Rodney Stuckey led the Pistons with 16 points in just 27 minutes on the floor with 1 assist, 3 boards and 2 steals. Early first quarter foul trouble sent Stuckey to the bench, but it didn’t seem like he Kuester was quick to put him back in the game.

Photo/Getty Images

• At one point the lineup consisted of Ben Wallace, Jason Maxiell, Jonas Jerebko, Chucky Atkins, and Austin Daye. One had to wonder who the go to guy for buckets was…it just so happened to be Jason Maxiell for a few possessions.
• Maxiell’s jumper is really coming along, some of those shots he’s making (that he never used to) look effortless. Jason finished with 8 points, 2 boards and a blocked shot.
• Three Pistons in double digits, JJ, Daye and Stuckey.
• Rebound war won 44-43.
• Will Bynum just 6 points on 2-for-7 shooting with 4 assists and 7 turnovers…yes 7. That is not BYNUMITE. Will just hasn’t looked like himself since his ankle injuries.
• Austin Daye with 10 points on 5-for-10 shooting with 4 boards, 3 assists in 20 minutes on the floor. This may have been the biggest highlight of the game for Detroit.

Video Courtesy of The NBA, FSN and The Detroit Pistons

• The Pistons still working the paint scoring 42 down low.
• Andrew Bynum gets better with every game he plays.
• Is it me or does Gasol seem to cry about every call or non call?
• When Stuckey was sitting out with foul trouble, Kobe alone outscored the Pistons crew that was on the floor.
• The Piston looked outmatched for about all but  about 8 of the 48 minutes.
• Highlights of the Game via NBA.com
• 
• The Pistons could have used a lot more than what Charlie Villanueva gave them Sunday evening. Charlie finished with 6 points, 8 boards and 2 assists in 28 minutes. This was his first game without the mask, I’m thinking he may want to go back to it. He was putting up his best numbers of the season while wearing Rip’s trademark.
• Minutes for DaJuan Summers who scored 5 with a blocked shot and an assist in 23 minutes.
• Solid night for Kwame Brown who finished with 7 points on 3 for 3 shooting  with 8 boards, an assist and a blocked shot in 21 minutes.  Nice to see Kwame with a good game against his former team.
• Jonas with 11 of his 15 points in the third quarter…pure hustle from JJ.
• Jonas Jerebko said it best – “Shit Happens”
  
• Don’t forget, right in time for the Holiday Season the Need4Swede T-Shirt.
• Hopefully the Pistons can get back to winning with a game against the Bobcats on Tuesday, because this one wasn’t fun to watch.

The 11-15 Pistons are finally home to host the World Champion 21-4 Lakers Sunday evening at The Palace of Auburn Hills.  The Pistons would love to take this one to avoid a four game losing streak and the first season sweep by the Lakers in eight seasons.

The Pistons have won five straight at home, but are 3-10 against West opponents.

Jonas Jerebko (The Need4Sweed) has a task tonight guarding Kobe, who is playing unbelievable basketball, putting up double-doubles like they are nothing.

Injury Report:

• Gordon is  listed as questionable for the game against the Lakers, Ben continues to battle a sprained ankle and will test it in the morning shootaround.
• Tayshaun Prince and Hamilton will not play.
• Charlie Villanueva is dealing with plantar fascitis in his right heel but will be on court against LA.

The crazy that is Ron Artest:

This will be the first time the Pistons meet the Lakers this season after “Ron Ron” opened his mouth and said he still wanted to fight Ben Wallace.

“I see Ben, I’m on my guard now. I’m always in the mood to fight him. … I’ll get suspended 10 games, 15 games (because) I’ll just fight him right there. It won’t go into the stands.” Via The Sporting News

He later backed down from that statement, I am sure after Lakers or NBA brass had a chat with him.

That same article quotes him as saying this about that infamous night at The Palace.

“It wasn’t my fault. … I don’t see anything I could have done different. The only thing I could have done was have God pause time so I could have said, ‘Oh, look, you’re about to run in some stands, so stop.’”

The Scouting Report via Pistons.com

Tip is at 6:00 pm EST and will be televised on Fox Sports Detroit. For the radio broadcast tune into 950 AM WWJ where our good friend Matt Dery is calling tonight’s game, or follow the action on NBA.com.

NEED4SHEED GAME CHAT

The 5-5 Pistons are in Los Angeles to take on the Lakers to start a very difficult stretch of games. The reigning NBA Champions are 7-and-3 on the season and will look to bounce back on their home court to avoid their first three game losing streak in nearly two years.

Stuckey is good to go, but still no word on Rip

The Lakers game, plus Tayshaun talks about him making the road trip out West with Detroit  via Pistons.com

The Scouting Report via Pistons.com

Tip is at 10:30 pm EST and will be televised on FOX Sports in HD. For the radio broadcast tune into 97.1 The Ticket or follow the action on NBA.com.

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.

Back to backs are never easy and Detroit’s game with the Lakers tonight is no exception. Detroit, who are still trying to find their way together, will try to take down the last unbeaten team in the league tonight in LA.

A. Sherrod Blakley at MLive:

“Pistons guard Richard Hamilton understands a win over the Lakers at this point in the season could very well be a statement-type victory.

But as far as the impact of tonight’s game on Detroit moving forward, that’s the least of his concerns.

“We just want to win,” Hamilton said. “However we can get the win, that’s what we want to do.” “

Stuckey will be available tonight, but for how long we won’t know until he goes out there. Kwame Brown, well he’ll need all the help he can playing in front of an LA crowd that doesn’t look fondly upon him.

I know plenty of the Pistons fans will be in the house rooting for Detroit and giving them plenty of love.

Tip is at 10:30 on FSN and ESPN. As always you can catch it on the radio at WDFN 1130 AM The Fan or stream it live at NBA.com.

Leave them in the comments or enjoy the Chat Room during the game.