The Pistons had one of three back Saturday night, when Richard Hamilton returned after being out six games with a groin injury. The Pistons are thanking Rip today after a tight one that came down to the wire in Washington. The Pistons needed all of Hamilton’s 31 points in their 96-98 victory of the Wizards.
Key Points:

• If you watched the game (or were there, like many Pistons fans) you noticed something that you haven’t seen in quite some time.  Rasheed Wallace and Allen Iverson were in uniform and on the bench, but did not see any minutes in Saturday’s victory.
• Give it up again to Kwame Brown, who made some key defensive plays to help seal this one.  None bigger than the last play of the game when Arenas had a chance to win the game with a three after a purposely missed free throw. Kwame finished with 11 boards, a blocked shot and a steal in 25 minutes.
• “I saw Gilbert already going into his shot,” Brown said. “He was loading up before he got the went up for the shot, so I just jumped. Then he tried to kick his leg out to get the foul. Good job by the ref not calling it. He tried to initially throw it off me, but I kind of blocked it a little bit. Caron got a clean look. That was the longest 4 seconds I’ve ever seen.” Via NBA.com
  
• Pre and  post game Richard Hamilton made it clear that with the Pistons in the playoff predicament that they are in, he had no choice than to return to help his team. “No choice.”  If only everyone shared Rip’s mentality.
• Gilbert Arenas, who played for the first time in what seems like forever for the Wizards. Arenas finished with 15 points on 3-for-12 shooting and 10 assists in 30 minutes and was the key to the Wizards rally from a 15 point, second half deficit.
• Richard Hamilton led the Pistons with 31 points, on 11-29 shooting in his return to the court.  Sixteen of those coming in the third quarter alone and for what seemed like forever, Rip just kept knocking down threes(3) from the same spot in the corner in the third. He went 5 for 9 from downtown with 4 boards, 3 assists.

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• Will Bynum’s minutes may have been cut short with Rip’s return but that didn’t stop him from throwing down a monster slam that wowed the Wizards crowd. So good, it was NBA.com’s DUNK OF THE NIGHT. Will finished with 9 points in 17 minutes, with 4 assists, a steal and 5 turnovers.
• Allen Iverson is looking at a Tuesday return against The Cavaliers, but if that means he has to take medication to play, he’s not going to do it. “That’s what I don’t want to do,” Iverson said of being medicated for the pain. “As bad as I want to get out there on the court, I just want to do what’s right for me. I don’t want to go out there and feel good while I’m out there, and feel awful when the game is over and not heal at all.” Via MLive
• We all know turnovers have been an issue all season for Detroit, they had 16 for the game. The problem seems to be in pressure situations though. Detroit gave the ball away 8 times in the fourth quarter, which helped the Wizards crawl back from a 15 point deficit to take the game to the wire.
• NBA.com Highlights of the Game
• Feels funny to be fighting with Larry Brown’s Charlotte Bobcats for the last playoff spot. Twilight Zone….
• Good thing, the win moved the Pistons within percentage points of Chicago for seventh place in the Eastern Conference. Now if they can just keep on winning.
• Jason Maxiell was a spark plug in Saturday nights victory. He doesn’t put up huge numbers, but the ones he does are deafening.  Maxiell finished with 10 points, 7 boards, 2 blocked shot and 2 assists in 25 minutes.  I am actually surprised Maxiell hasn’t pulled the rim down yet.

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• The Pistons were off to a quick start Saturday, scoring 60 points by halftime and shooing over 62%. The problem was it’s had to keep up that pace and shooting percentage and it caught up with them in the fourth quarter when the couldn’t make a shot.
• Tayshaun Prince scored 19 on 8-for-13 shooting with 3 assists, 2 blocks a steal and one board. When Tayshaun’s numbers are stable, the Pistons have a good chance to win. You have to cut Prince a little slack since he’s been the only one Detroit can really count on with the injury plagued season they have had.
• Amir Johnson got his chance Saturday night with Kwame and Dyess in foul trouble early. His stat line… 0 points (he didn’t shoot), 2 assists, a steal and 3 personal fouls in 7 minutes.
• Surprisingly Antionio McDyess didn’t put up a double-double for Detroit, but it may be because his scoring to a back seat to Rip. Dyess scored 8 on 4-for-8 shooting with 11 boards, an assists, a steal and a blocked shot. His two clutch jumpers in the fourth quarter broke the Pistons out of their drought in the fourth and helped the Pistons lock this one up.
• Stuckey put up 13 with 6 assists and 2 turnovers in 31 minutes. A much more solid game for Rodney who has been struggling with all aspects of his game of late.
• With all the drama of the season aside, what truly is sad is the fact that the team that we could always count on to pull out a victory it far from what it used to be. No lead is ever safe and no one player can be counted on take over. It seems like so long ago when we used to be so confident in this team going into the fourth quarter…even if they were losing. Their killer instinct is dead.
• Sunday game, second game of a back to back, at home against the 6th seed (Sixers) in the early evening. This game is a must win with Cleveland on Tuesday.

The Pistons take on the 17-56 Wizards tonight in Washington.  The struggling Wizards will have Gilbert Arenas in their lineup for the first time in 16 months for the Wizards after undergoing three surgical procedures on his left knee since injuring it in April 2007.

We know the plight of Detroit and their playoff hopes right now.  The Pistons have lost seven of their last nine games which has put them at the bottom of the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference.

It looks like Richard Hamilton will finally take the court for Detroit, but the return of Sheed will most likely be a game time decision.

Since Sheed started his career in Washington I thought this YouTube blast from the past would be appropriate.  Now let’s hope we see Rasheed on court tonight for Detroit.

Tip off is at 7:00 PM and will be broadcast locally on FSN. If you can’t catch the broadcast, listen locally on WDFN 1130 AM or through your computer at NBA.com

It took until the mid fourth quarter for The Pistons to finally put the Wizards away in their 74-88 victory at The Palace Wednesday night, but at least they did it. This looked like the Pistons team we have come to recognize late in games. Though they let the Wizard get within one with nine minutes left in the game, they shifted their defense in high gear and put the Wizards away.

Key Points:

• The Pistons’ hard-nosed defense allowed the Wizards just 13 second quarter points and just 16 in the fourth.
• Detroit did their best closing the paint and limiting the Wizards to 30 points down low.
• From starter to riding the pine in consecutive games, Amir Johnson had another DNP. I know that Herrmann, Brown and Bynum didn’t get any burn but is there something up with Amir? From what I have seen of him lately his energy does wonders for the team. On a side note….I’m not complaining because Detroit is winning.
• Curry understands Amir and Kwame’s frustration – “First of all, when I was a player … I had a couple teammates that didn’t care if they played or not,” Curry said. “I wouldn’t want guys around me that didn’t want to play. As a coach, I don’t want no guys on this team that don’t want to play.“So, I know we got guys that want to play. On the flip side of that, guys have to understand for their role, it’s not called upon on a night-to-night basis. When they’re called upon, they need to be ready, and when they’re not called upon, they need to handle it the right way.” Via The Detroit Free Press
• Tayshaun Prince had a quiet double-double with 14 points and 10 boards. It was nice to see him play well after being a bit silent the past few games.
• Sheed on the other hand was just 1-for-8 for 2 points, the two coming from a dunk set up by Stuckey. He also was assessed his ninth tech of the season.
• A three game winning streak from the Pistons has us cheering today. How things change so quickly.
• Even Iverson is ecstatic about the Pistons’ third consecutive win.

Video Courtesy of The NBA, The Detroit Pistons and FSN

• The play that led Iverson to Skip to his Lou.
• Dyess was a board shy of a double-double with 10 points, 9 boards and 3 blocked shots in 29 minutes. How happy are Pistons fans that Diggity is back? I know I am, I made sure I got a new McDyess jersey last night for the Holidays. And no, I didn’t get the red. I’m still not a fan of the red uni’s, in fact they have been nothing but bad luck for quite some time now.
• Curry isn’t worried that Rasheed isn’t putting up offensive numbers.
• Rodney Stuckey just keeps playing well and putting up double-doubles like they give them away for free. He seems to adjust to this team a little better after every game. Just 2 turnovers on the night while putting up 18 and 11 assists.  Here are the Stucktacular HL’s.
• The pass……..

Video Courtesy of The NBA, The Detroit Pistons and FSN

• It’s my job of sorts to keep an eye on all things Pistons on the interweb and let me tell you that there is a serious buzz about Stuckey. And don’t get me started with the Fantasy numbers he’s putting up.
• Detroit held the Wizards to a 33% shooting on the night.
• Richard Hamilton did a fine job on the defensive end. He scored 12 with a steal and a blocked shot.
• It was nice to get the win and I’m happy that my drive home from the Palace was a happy one, but it really shouldn’t have taken what it took to hold the Wizards down. Sure they won the game, but the Wizards have won just 4 games on the season (one of those courtesy of the Pistons) so I don’t think we can take this win as a sign of things to come.
• I will tell you this, if the Pistons play defense like this the rest of the way things will be changing quickly.
• FSN Highlights of the game by quarter. Please take note of the Iverson pass to McDyess.
• Iverson had probably his best game as a Piston, leading the team with 28 points, with 6 boards and 3 assists,  and knowing just when to be AI when Detroit needed him in the fourth quarter.

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• Rip held Jamison to 14 but don’t give Tay’s defense too much credit holding Washington’s leading scorer Caron Butler to just five points. I didn’t really pay much attention to it until the drive home when Rick Mahorn suggested Butler was mailing it in trying for a trade.
• With the small lineup comes rebounding issues. Once again Detroit lost the battle of the boards 41-43.
• Pistons led by as much as 18.
• I have to give it to the Palace crowd last night who were pretty loud throughout the game. It may have something to do with the group of kids that were sitting a couple of rows behind me who were so excited to be at the game that their biggest argument of the night wasn’t who the best Pistons was, but what Super Power would be the best to have. Four voted flying, two wanted to be indestructible and one chose bulletproof.
• Best defensive effort this season.
• The true test of this team’s turnaround…Friday’s game with the Jazz. I can’t remember the last game Detroit has taken from the Jazz.  The Pistons may even get a little push  if Carlos Boozer (strained left quad tendon) isn’t on the court for Utah. It’s as good time as any to start fresh.
• Great SLAM Game writeup – The Temptations! (Thanks to Senior Team N4S member TJ for the link and for other things as well)
• Gilbert Arenas Loves Motown.
• Thanks for the Votes!

Detroit hosts the (4-18) Washington Wizards at the Palace tonight. Detroit is on a hefty two game winning streak and would love to do their best not only to extend it, but to exact some revenge against the Wizards after their miserable showing in Washington.

Detroit needs to pounce on them when they are down, even though they didn’t a few nights ago.

“It is really frustrating,” Washington center Andray Blatche said. “I’ve been in this locker room for four years. In the four years, this is the worst it’s been for us. … Even though we started slow some of the seasons, we always managed to turn it around. The difference between that is we always had effort.” Via USA Today

Rip Hamilton sounds optimistic about Detroit’s new lineup that have won their last two games.

“It’s a learning adjustment for us, too,” Hamilton said. “We’re playing a lot more guys, and we’re putting guys in different situations that they ain’t used to. So, yeah, you might have slippage, especially early. It’s nothing we’re concerned about.” Via The Detroit Free Press

Glad Rip isn’t concerned like the rest of us.

Tip off is at 7:30 P.M. on FSN. If you can’t watch the FSN broadcast, tune into 1130 AM The Fan where you can catch our friend Matt Dery with the Pre-Game starting at 6:30 (my pre-game ritual on the way to the Palace). Can’t do either, follow the game on NBA.com.

Chat, comments and Contest!

Antonio in red, white and blue.
Stuckey starting.
Richard Hamilton with 29 points.
A 15 point lead gone to waste.
Amir and Maxiell and Kwame Brown with DNP’s.
A loss to the 3-and-15 Wizards……………….

Priceless

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FSN VIDEO Recap by the quarter.

Coach Curry’s post game comments.

Discuss! I know it’s not going to be good Pistons fans.

Detroit is visiting the 3-15 Washington Wizards tonight. Two big things to note, Rodney Stuckey will start along with Allen Iverson, Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Rasheed Wallace AND Antonio McDyess (who should play) will be back in a Pistons uniform.

Detroit should be able to handle the Wizards, but with what is going on in Motown you can’t count on much of anything.

This nose dive in the power rankings should have the players taking notice.

Me, I say this is the game that turns things around (fingers crossed).

Tip off is at 7:00 P.M. and will be broadcast on FSN . If you can’t watch the television broadcast, tune into 1130 AM The Fan. Can’t do either, follow the game on NBA.com.

You know what to do either in the comments or chat.