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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…)

As all of you know by now Joe Dumars and the Pistons stood pat at the trading deadline, so beyond the firing of a certain coach it looks like this team will probably stay just the way it is.  Oh wait…it can get worse, did anyone take a look at the next block of games?

Tonight vs San Antonio
Sun 22 @ Cleveland
Tue 24 @ Miami
Wed 25 @ New Orleans
Fri 27 @ Orlando
Sun 01 @ Boston
Tue 03 vs Denver

With the Pistons on a four game losing streak going into tonight’s Nationally televised game against the 35-17 Spurs if they can actually pull off the win tonight maybe, just maybe they can get some confidence going into the next stretch of difficult games.

Just think, if things go the way they have been, by the time Chauncey returns to the Palace the Pistons could be out of the Playoff picture.  I can’t believe I just said that.

Good/Bad News and More

• Curry is still in charge but he did manage to play Zone in the loss to the Bucks and go figure, it worked.  We may see it again.
• Ginobili is out got two to three weeks.
• The Spurs have lost their last two games.
• Don’t get overexcited for Chris Bosh.
• Don’t forget to try to win DIME MAGAZINE featuring Rodney Stuckey.  Leave the word STUCKTACULAR in the comment section of DIME with your correct email address.

Tip off is at 8:00 PM and will be Nationally televised on TNT.  If you can’t catch the broadcast you can listen locally at WDFN 1130 AM or follow/listen to the game at NBA.com.

Leave them in the Comments.

It came together last night for Detroit in San Antonio. It took almost the whole game to do it, but it finally did. On the heels of some great play by the bench, Allen Iverson’s shot falling and a Rasheed technical that fired him up to 17 second half points, Detroit took down the Spurs 89-77.

Key Points:

• Detroit started a bit flat footed but this time they didn’t let Spurs jump ahead to a big lead. The Spurs never lead by more than 10 points the whole night.
• Surprisingly Matt Bonner...yes Matt Bonner was holding his own against Rasheed Wallace. It wasn’t until Sheed had enough of him in the second half and started to dominate.
• Yes the Pistons won, but regardless of the final score it was a Pistons team that was fun to watch. It was the kind of effort we all hope continues.
• Five Pistons in double figures.
• Tayshaun Prince put up a double-double with 12 boards, 17 points, 5 assists and a blocked shot in 41 minutes on the floor. I think he made a point to Coach Curry last night. Are you voting for Mr. Prince for the All Star team yet?
• Maxiell always knows where to be, in fact he seems like he’s everywhere. Two handed throw down….no problem.

Video Courtesy of The NBA, The Detroit Pistons and FSN

• Richard Hamilton was 7-for-11 on the night for 16 points. Let’s hope this is a sign of things to come. I still believe he has a higher rate of success with Tay or Stuckey feeding him the ball.
• Unsung Hero – Arron Afflalo who locked down Tony Parker and Manu in the fourth when Rip was on the bench in foul trouble. Call Arron’s name and he delivers.
• Kwame Brown may not have scored a point but he was holding his own on the defensive end. Eight boards in 20 minutes.
• Amir, 4 points in 13 minutes with a seal and a blocked shot. Limited time because of the Spurs big men.
• Duncan went for 23 but Detroit didn’t let Parker explode after he got off to a hot start.
  Detroit shot 50% on the night to 39% for the Spurs.
• Allen Iverson was big in the fourth quarter. Nineteen points on 8-for-17 shooting in 41 minutes with 6 assists and 4 steals. Picking up the D was a big help, but nothing was prettier than the wrap around reverse layup in the fourth quarter when Detroit was pulling away. Allen Iverson highlights.

Photo/Getty Images

• Detroit 38 points in the paint to just 20 for the Spurs.
• How do you like the fact that this speedy lineup, yes speedy had 18 fast break points.
• Once again the bench brought us back. And the starters plus Stuckey finished in the fourth quarter.
• The clincher, Detroit scored 28 points in the fourth quarter and limited the Spurs to just 14.
• Blaha was in rare form in the fourth quarter when Detroit was putting the game away. In fact so was I when Sheed was going off. I am pretty sure my dog things her name is SHEEEEED from screaming it out so many times last night during the second half.
• This Maxiell dunk may have more to do with the Rodney Stuckey feed, but pretty none the less.

Video Courtesy of The NBA, The Detroit Pistons and FSN

• Stuckey played 30 minutes, scored 10, has 7 assists and 2 steals. Oh and the play of the Game.
• Don’t mess around anymore fellas we love games like this. This is the team we love to love. “It’s just us knowing we have to play hard like that every night,” Rasheed Wallace said. “Some nights we’re out there (messing around) and some nights we bring it. We just got to keep it on a consistent level.” Via Detroit News.
• Sheed should be able to get a break when Dyess gets back. From what I’m told the Pistons can’t negotiate with Dyess until the 7th so for all of you (me) who want to be at the Palace for his return, it looks like it will be Friday the 12.
• Detroit out rebounded by 1, 32 to 31. But they did a good job limiting the Spurs to just about one shot per possession.
• Sheed was HUGE in the fourth quarter, he along with Iverson put up 19 points for the night. But Sheed’s three’s late in the game where huge. His domination started late in the third quarter and didn’t stop until the buzzer sounded. The three – three pointers were more than SHEEDtastic.
• POW

Video Courtesy of The NBA, The Detroit Pistons and FSN

• The SHEED takeover!
• “I knew what it was going to be out there and I didn’t want our team to fall into that,” Wallace said, referring to what he felt was one-sided officiating. “We knew what it was. Bottom line, we already knew how it was going to be, especially playing one of the league darlings. So we knew how it was. “But we should have played hard like that right from the gate. If we did, we wouldn’t have been in that deficit.” via The Detroit News
• This game stands beside the Laker win as one of the best games Detroit has played this season.
• Amir a Spur?   “When (the Spurs) gave me the offer, I was thinking about going there,” Johnson said. “But I wanted to stick with the team that I had been with for years, so I stuck with Detroit.” Even though he no longer is a starter, Johnson said he has no regrets about his decision. “They’re kind of the same team, like Detroit,” Johnson said. “But I’m happy where I’m at. I’m glad I stuck with the team that was developing me.” Via MLive
• Bill Davidson, is in the Top 10.
• This is the way it should be, we are spoiled aren’t we?

We know the McDyess situation. Antonio left a ton of money on the table when he was bought out by the Nuggets.

To be exact, no NBA player has ever left so much money on the table in a contract buyout.

SI’s Ian Thomsen:

“League sources believe the three bidders to be Cleveland, San Antonio and Boston. The team offering the most money to McDyess is the Cavaliers, according to one league source. They could offer McDyess multiple years starting at more than $5 million this season.”

I think like many of you, if McDyess goes to the Cavs that would be a huge blow. Please come home Antonio!