On the night that Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups found out they were named as reserves for the 2008 All Star game in New Orleans, it was Tayshuan Prince who played the part of one. Tayshuan led the Pistons with 22 points and hit the game winning three with 4.4 seconds on the clock beat the Lakers 90-89.
Key Points:
- The atmosphere at The Palace was pure gold. The place was packed, (as always when Kobe comes to town) and the fans in the building were into this game like it was the Championships in ’04.
- Chauncey’s first trey of the night went in like a bullet. Mr. Big Shot finished with 16 points on 5-10 shooting. He made a clutch play on the final possession, after Tay grabbed Sheed’s three point miss. Tay dished it to Chauncey, who drove the lane and let the defense collapse on him, then passed it off to an open Prince for the winning shot.
- This game had everything, behind the back pass from Rip on the break to Tay for a dunk, Stuckey and Amir dunks, great defense, the bench bringing the spark, again, a game winning three with seconds left and a Laker loss. Good times!
- Rip and Chauncey played light minutes because The Zoo Crew knows what to do. Sheed played just 29, but that had more to do with foul trouble than anything.
- I don’t care what you say, the Lakers 35 foul shots to the Pistons 16 was just wrong. The Pistons didn’t even get to the line until the second quarter. Wasn’t it enough that Jack Neiss gave everyone except Sheed a tech? Dumb fact, one of the original cast members on MTV’s The Real World Eric Neiss is Jack’s son.
- Tayshaun led the Pistons with 22 points on 9-for-18 shooting, with 4 boards and 3 assists. It was especially nice to see him have a good game and save the day all in one night. Do we still have to hear the trade scenarios that include Tayshaun?
Photo/Getty Images
- Solid night again for Arron Afflalo, who unfortunately was snubbed from the Rookie/Sophomore game. Arron put up 10 points in a hurry. His two treys came when the Pistons started to pull away in the second quarter. He is actually getting more minutes than Jarvis Hayes, and he deserves them. Unlike Jarvis, the kid can play some D. I am sure it was nice for him to have an impressive game against his hometown team and his idol (Bryant.)
- The refs really seemed to take over this game in the middle of the second quarter. They stopped Detroit from playing any sort of defense and helped the Lakers whittle down the Pistons 17 point lead.
- The Pistons introductions with the January version of “The Sheed Dance.”
- Kobe started off slow, but finished with a 39 point game. He really turned it up in the second half. He looked extremely upset when he didn’t get the ball on the final play of the game, thanks to Detroit denying him. He played 47.15 minutes. Why not just play all 48?
- Do you realize that The Pistons have a 7 and a half game lead against the Cavs in the Central Division?
- Stuckey had his breakthrough game…this dunk really set the tone for what kind of night he was going to have. He sparked the team every time he stepped on the floor and his fourth quarter play was clutch. He was so good late in the game he could have finished it out for Chauncey. He looked confident and his teammates loved it.
Courtesy of The Detroit Pistons and myTV20 Detroit
- Stuckey finished with 10 points, 3 assists, a takeaway and a rebound. This drive to the lane wasn’t too shabby either. The Palace crowd really showed him love.
- Rebound war won 43-38.
- “Our bench won us the game,” Billups said. “Tay hit the shot, but our bench won us the game.” Via Mlive
- Rare 0-4 shooting night for Jason Maxiell who hasn’t been very active (point wise) lately. Maybe it has to do with Amir getting some key minutes. Maxie finished with a point, 5 boards and a really nice block.
- I mentioned that I was worried about Tayshaun’s defense lately. I’m not the only one who’s been thinking about it.
- Heck of a job by Rip on Kobe in the first half. Hamilton finished with 14 points, 4 takeaways, 3 assists and one rebound.
- Quite night for Dyess, who never seems to get the benefit of the whistle. He didn’t put up a double-double, but he did gobble up 12 boards, with 3 takeaways and a blocked shot.
- I enjoyed this one so much that when I returned home from the game I watched the replay on TV and stayed up till 2 AM doing it. I consider myself lucky to be able to experience my favorite team in person. There’s nothing like walking out of the Palace after a win like that. Well the Championship tops it, but that’s a given.
- It’s the winner….You can see it on the NBA.com Highlights of the game.
Photo/Getty Images
- Brezec went nuts after Tay’s game winning three.
- Sheed was just 3-for-13 on the night and seemed a bit rattled by the way the ball game was being called. I can’t tell you how shocked I am he didn’t get T’d up.
- 38 points in the paint for Detroit.
- The Pistons were really rolling in the second half and it looked like they were going to cruise to a victory. The bench sparked things and helped the Pistons get 25 fast break points. The Zoo Crew outscored The Lakers bench 29 to 19.
- The Lakers haven’t won a game at The Palace since January 2002.
- Detroit capitalized on Los Angeles’s 22 turnovers, 11 of those came just from Kobe. The Pistons themselves had 17 on the night.
- Tay calls out Kobe after Bryant’s not so flattering triple-double.
- Amir has definitely proved himself worthy. Not only did he throw down this Amirzing dunk (courtesy of nice dish from Affllalo), but he grabbed 9 boards in just 13 minutes on the floor. He’s still having difficulty with fouls, but that will come with more time on the floor. Johnson also added a block and a steal on the night.
Courtesy of The Detroit Pistons and myTV20 Detroit
- Pistons fans in California are celebrating right this very moment.
I’ve been debating with another blogger who has been sick of hearing about Amir. I’m not too concerned about his fouls. They aren’t cheap and-ones or fouls he gets because he’s blowing assignments. The fouls he’s been picking up are mostly because he’s protecting the rim or going after offensive rebounds. He’s a bench player anyway, he should be taking fouls to make guys earn them from the stripe, so I can live with his fouls.
I’m a piston fan in California, and I surely did celebrate. Allthough in Cali the game didn’t start till 8:30 Eastern, so I peaked at the score on the Internet as I watched the delayed telecast. I should have just watched it through just for the thrill but I was just to anxious.
Go Pistons !!!!!!!!!!! ( And Go Tayshaun, not to put his business in the street but, he’s really not from Compton. He’s from Gardena. He just attended high school in Compton)
the way the game was being called still disgusts me. its not fair for the pistons to play against both the refs and a red hot Kobe.
I don’t do this often but kudos to Flip for sticking the kid squad when things seemed bad in the 4th.
someone must have had money on this game. usually i am the one most critical of our guys but what i saw was a disgrace. right when it got to 47-30 the refs decided to take the game over. hopefully we won’t see this assuming we make the ECF against Boston.
you are correct nat, pistons fan here in cali are definitely celebrating. i just finished my little celeb. i love this game, it was the moment i’ve been waiting for, stuckey’s breakthrough. those drive to the hoop especially the dunk made me got up from my seat. the performance of amir and afflalo was more addtion to it. the play from stuckey passed to amir was my number one favorite, its a beauty. the future (for the next few season) for the pistons are getting clearly bright, we got a peak at it tonight.
I read a comment on that article about Tay’s D that I thought was pretty good. It basically said that top opposing players know that Tay will barely ever block them straight up (most of his blocks come on help defense, fast breaks, etc.). So they don’t worry about his hands in their face as much when they go up to shoot. Anyway, what Tay needs to do is get more aggressive and be willing to get called for fouls once in awhile. We have Maxiell and Amir who can step up if he gets in to foul trouble. And it will be worth it because of the fear his presence will cause for the opposing teams’ stars.
This was just a great game to be at. I couldn’t talk last night after yelling at all Kobe’s cry baby calls and all the sissy Techs. But the atmosphere was awesome. Just to many Fakers fans. I got out of the house so fast I forgot to throw on a jersey. I didn’t like the feeling of walking out of the Palace without a jersey on after a game like that. What a game!
correction my first comment, a dish from afflalo to amir…but rodney ran the fastbreak. HEY GUYS! did you notice something about the slam dunk of amir? AMIR GAVE RADMANOVIC A LITTLE BRUCE LEE KICK!!!! HILARIOUS! I LOVE IT!!!
now that tay had a good game we can expect him to put up 6 points for the next 2 weeks and 3-13 shooting as well. Hes way to inconistent and goes through shooting slumps like crazy. i think its funny people complain about jarvis put in fact tay is just as bad sometimes worse.
tayshaun is never as bad as jarvis, tay find other ways to get in volved in the game when his shots not on, and thats what jarvis has to do, if he still wants to get solid minutes
^^^ That’s actually a very good point about Jarvis and Tay.
C’mon…
Were’s the trade Tayshaun talk and Rodney Stuckey a bust talk don’t stop saying it now…
C’mon were are the idiots at LOL!!!
People are out of there minds these days….
i dont think its stupid at all to discuss trades, none of our big times guys are gonna get traded this season, but honestly, can you say the same about next season, to me this is the year where joe says guys this maybe this whole groups last chance, I mean clearly chauncey will be here next year, but i could see some changes happening next season
Okay, I still think Rodney Stuckey’s a bust. What’s his shooting percentage on the season, 23%? That might just be the worst in the entire NBA. He doesn’t play good defense, he dribbles the shot clock out for no reason (like Arroyo used to do), and he seems to play to create points for himself, like he did in college. It’s easy to score a lot of points when you play selfish ball, and I think Stuckey is a selfish player. He wants to become a scoring superstar, and to me, that equates to get him off the Pistons. He’s a high first round pick and his trade value is huge. Someday when Chauncey and Rip are gone, if Stuckey is our starting point guard, the Pistons won’t be a title contender. Mark my words.
anybody else concerned about where Jason Kidd is going to be traded?
I feel the same way with this trade as i do about kevin garnett…i liked him better when he was putting up good numbers, but making no big impact with the team he was with.
NO Dave darko is a Bust LMAO!!!!
All of your point are nonsense and garbage…
???
He Will Be a Great Piston Because all that you have So Called Pointed out will(Most of it is nonsense) Will be the total opposite..shooting percentage ect.
way before the season is over…
So sit back and relax and watch the rise of a special Piston that has played one month in the league(a bust after one month please…)
LMAO!!!!!
Those are the best introductions in the game at the moment. Nothing else even comes close. Any of you guys ever seen this? It’s the New Zealand rugby team, consistently one of the best in the worldm performing a traditional Pacific Islander ceremony they do before each game.
ummm .. is anybody else worried about the fact that the lakers just acquired pau gasol
fisher, kobe, odom, pau, bynum
that’s a scary starting 5
ya….
im not liking all the trades going on.
t, yeah that “haka” routine is truly impressive. I was delighted when I first saw it here in NZ. It’s like they sending the message “we’re gonna kill you” to their opponents.
well, the Lakers are certainly better now with Pau Gasol. But we’ll let San Antonio, Phoenix, and Dallas deal with them in the mean time. Though, I wouldn’t call that a scary starting five though.
I kind of think the Gasol trade will be like the Iverson trade. I’m not too worried.
agree with dave, stuckey for me is a little-marbury, angry about his salary and wanting to be better than isiah or billups in the future.
I don´t see a guy unselfish in it, although he had some great solo moments this past weeks, I ain´t seeing the reason the pistons drafted him, not like aflalo, who seems to be quick, good defender, solid and also seems to enjoy the pistons style.
It´s always fun to talk about trades, everybody loves talking about this and that, it´s weird to criticize it, no one here has the power to trade someone, even Kwame got some years playing that idiot-style, we don´t decide, we just fantasize, and that´s pretty cool!
wow lakers got pau gasol and was able to get rid of kwame brown… that’s big… i hope there’s a pistons-lakers rematch in the finals this year… my fave team from each conference… and all of a sudden, it doesn’t look that unrealistic anymore!!
kobe, bynum, gasol, fisher, odom, farmar, walton… all of a sudden, wow… big trade
nice win last night btw!! glad to see amir playing big, and stuckey too
liked the article on Tayshuan’s defense it has been lacking since last season. Remember he was so concerned throwing up bad shots than guarding LeBron James. I blame him for it, but also I blame the offensive minded system of Flip Saunders, stop making the players spend so much time memorizing your thick offensive playbook, and focus on the D. D as in DETROIT BASKETBALL!!!!
LOVE THAT AMIR DUNK. And Dyess seemed to jump higher than the rim for some of those 12 rebounds.
Also doubt you have it, but did they replay that RAsheed putback dunk. They were showing a replay at the time and missed it and not sure if they replayed it. If they did could you please put it up? (think it was in the first or second quarter)
Thanks
davi alexander ????
little-marbury, angry about his salary and wanting to be better than isiah or billups in the future????
So were did you read that stuckey’s angry about his salary???
He likes D-Wade (althought I wouldnt mind if he models his game after isiah and billups because he has the ability). We can only hope that he does see the value in doing so…
And stuckey’s very quick, a good defender, and seems to enjoy the pistons style so what are you talking about???
LMAO!!! were do you people come up with this stuff???
I guess sense the grizzlies are having a fire sale that we should get darko back…LOL!!!
Get Darko and were championship bound!!!(idiot talk)
I think that piston fans don’t like prosperity…Stuckey will be fine unless idiot talk makes him feel unwelcome..he’s a piston and I hope a very good one…
anyone hear the Joe D. interview on The Ticket today? they were talking about the Gasol trade and Joe made it sound like the pistons are also working on a trade, i cant remember exactly what #4 said but he said it twice.
I’m sure Dumars is trying to get some value from those three expiring contracts.
I love all the bad mouthing of Stuckey. He’s shooting 34%, not 23, but I find it more amusing people are passing judgement on a poor shooting percentage for a player that has taken a whole (sarcasm) 101 shots in his NBA career (all 21 games of it). He’s logged 314 minutes, which would be about nine games if he was a starter.
Will people still be complaining when he’s averaging 3 assists per turnover? He’s at 2.1 to 1, now… which is good enough to put him at #34 for assists per 48 minutes of play. Remember, his college experience was mostly as a shooting guard, though Eastern Washington relied on him to do just about everything.
He’s averaging a steal a game. Maybe people haven’t noticed, but that’s good enough to put him at #4 in steals per 48 minutes.
He’s getting to the line, which isn’t all that easy for a Piston (see the Laker’s game for an example), let alone a rookie, and he’s hitting over 81% of his free throws.
Yes, it would be fantastic if Stuckey was shooting more like 40-45% and averaging around 3 assists per game while keeping his turnovers down to around one, but would it shock any one if he made it there? It wouldn’t require a lot of improvement, really. Think about it. He’s taking fewer than five shots per game, and hitting 1.6 of them. If he was shooting 40%, he’d be hitting 1.9 of them. Yeah, that’s a *whole* third of a basket per game ;p At 45%, the kind of percentage I expect him to get to when he gets some solid experience under his belt, that’d be a little over 2.1 baskets a game. That .5 basket difference is one point per game, roughly.
Every point counts, but so does progress. Dumars made the right call, getting younger, and quicker in the process.
I’m amazed people consider themselves fans and constantly whine about a bench player that has twenty whole games under his belt. The Pistons desperately needed a backup point guard. Mike Conley Jr. and Acie Law were gone long before the Piston’s #15 pick. That left Stuckey and Crittenton. Crittenton has enormous potential, but his lack of experience makes Stuckey look like a weathered veteran. Stuckey was the best move Dumar’s could make.
Lets not forget taking a small forward really wasn’t an option with Al Thornton, the only first rounder they really had a shot off snapped up by the Clippers with the #14 pick. Frankly, I was thrilled the Clippers didn’t take Stuckey ;p There weren’t a lot of talented point guards floating around the free agent market last summer, and certainly no one with the potential Stuckey has.
I guess I feel like I can be a fan without second-guessing every single decision Dumars makes. Go figure.
Hey Fans, its Jacqueline, its been a mintue since I have posted but trust me I’m still paying close attention to the games, I just have to say that this was definitely a great game to watch! Tayshaun has to be one of the most underestimated players in the league, even though he got a ring and stuff I will be so glad when he gets his chance in the All- Star game, I am so proud of Chauncey and Rip, but Tay needs to be there and soon! I was screaming at the TV so loud after he made that shot, It was his night, maybe this was his way of saying to the voting coaches of the all-star game, “I am a all-star with or without your votes”. We love you. Tay, keep up the good work!!!
i no it hasnt been announced yet but does anyone have any idea who will be in the three point shoot out this year? after hearing rip and kobe talk about it i really hope their both in it and rip kicks his a**
Natalie, I LOVE that you put up highlights of players like Amir and Stuckey, cause you can’t find ’em anywhere else. keep it up!