There were two big stories in Orlando Friday night. Richard Hamilton returned to the starting lineup for the Pistons and they won. It was a familiar and cohesive looking Pistons team that took the floor and didn’t back down until the job was done. The 93-85 victory over a strong Orlando team on the road could be just what the Pistons need to get them into gear and try to salvage what’s left of this season.
Key Points:
- Tayshaun Prince started things off for Detroit from the tip. He looked to score in this one and he did, finishing with 17 points on 7-14 shooting in 41 minutes on the floor. He played the role of scorer and defender last night, just 2 assists for a Tayshaun Prince who’s had to run this offense a lot this season.
- Just three Pistons in double figures, while all five of Orlando’s starters scored 10 or more.
- If you were watching the game you saw something quite familiar that we have come to know and love as Pistons fans. DEFENSE! Dwight Howard scored 21 but not many of them came easy. And holding Lewis to 10 and Turkoglu to 13 was just what the Pistons needed to to to get the job done.
- Rasheed, Maxiell, McDyess and, yes, Kwame Brown did a nice job defending Howard.
- 15 Turnovers for Detroit really would have stuck out more had they lost this one. Ten of those came in the first half.
- Richard Hamilton led all scorers with 31 points on 11-for-18 shooting in 41 minutes on the floor. Rip was aggressive and looking for his shot all game long. He added 6 assists and a board and him coming off screens and hitting his shot was a thing of beauty. Richard Hamilton Highlights.
Photo/Getty Images
- Hamilton again reiterated the comments he made the other day and said he wasn’t cool with coming off the bench unless his team was winning. Something had to change and it did, Rip made sure of it. I think he made it clear by his words and his actions that that’s not going to happen again anytime soon.
- Allen Iverson returned to Detroit to get his back evaluated and wasn’t even in Orlando for the game. He will not be in Boston for tomorrow’s game against the Celtics either. This is just the way my mind works so bear with me. Anyone else think the “injury” (not saying he doesn’t have one) to his back may help him save a little pride going to the bench? Think it may be milked more to help AI make the transition? It was just the first thing that popped into my mind because AI seems to take a lickin’ and keep on ticking, so the fact that he wasn’t in Orlando and won’t be in Boston just made me wonder. I always used to say the only way to stop him from playing was a bullet hole, and my guess is if it was superficial he’d still take the court.
- Chris McCosky – “Curry, who gave Iverson the news Thursday night, said Iverson wasn’t happy but that he expects him to handle it like a pro.” “He’s been trying to play hurt and he’s been frustrated with that,” Curry said. “He didn’t react any different than Rip did when I talked to him about coming off the bench earlier.” “It’s nothing on Allen,” Curry said. “He’s a guy that needs the ball, and because of that it reduces the time Rodney Stuckey has the ball in his hands. That has taken away some of Rodney’s aggressiveness.” Via The Detroit News
- Will Bynum and Walter Herrmann saw extended time, but it was the hustle of Jason Maxiell that stood out most. He may not have filled the stat sheet, but Maxiell made his presence felt. Just ask Dwight.
- Amir Joshnson – DNP
- BALL MOVEMENT!
- Rodney Stuckey looked like the he did the first half of the season. Whether this game helps him get out of his rut remains to be seen but he looked great in the Pistons’ win. Stuckey scored 22 on 9-15 shooting with 6 1 assist in 40 minutes. Great game for Stuckey, besides his 4 turnovers. Rodney Stuckey Highlights.
Photo/Getty Images
- The Pistons outrebounded the Magic by 10, 38-28.
- Haven t heard George Blaha this excited on a broadcast in quite some time. Boy was he animated down the stretch when it looked like the Pistons weren’t going to give this up in the final minutes.
- The Pistons outscored the Magic 28-14 in a dominating third quarter that helped Detroit put the game away.
- FSN Highlights of the Game by quarter.
- All heart from Antionio McDyess who did the dirty work in the Pistons’ win. Dyess scored 8 with 13 boards and a blocked shot in 40 minutes.
- Sheed, 10 boards, 8 points and 2 steals.
- “One thing with Orlando is that if we continue to play Dwight straight up with Rasheed there, it allows us to stay on their 3-point shooters,” Prince said. “And if we can eliminate that, then we put ourselves in good position to get the game.’‘ Via NBA.com
- Friday Rasheed Wallace was fined $25,000 by the NBA for throwing a towel into the stands and another in the direction of referee Bill Kennedy.
- Maybe this is a solid answer to who is really running the show. This is what Rodney Stuckey had to say. “My teammates were getting on me,” Stuckey said. “When the boss man’s getting on you (Joe Dumars, Detroit’s president of basketball operations), you know you have to change something.” Via MLive
Oh how I wish Iverson wasn’t stuck in Detroit.
I love when we beat the magic, so in the morning i can go check out our old friends at the orlando sentinal crying as usual..they called us the detroit bullys today not pistons..and wow do they ever hate us with a passion. its so funny they are trying to be our rivals and we jus pummel them everytime and they just cry every time.
Just what they needed.
A win…
No A.I….
Curry actually utilizing a lineup that any coach with common sensse would use….
Hmmmmmm….Did I mention a win….
Coincidence…..I think not….
Fire Curry…Ship off AI…Keep Sheed, Dyess, add another guard…..let Hermann play more so he canactually get accustomed ……FIRE CURRY
I don’t know if I agree there was ball movement, I think making shots made it look that way. I mean similar to earlier in the season, the big guys did not get any shots, and there was a lot of 1 on 1 basketball. I mean tay 4-14? That is bad to me I’m sorry.
Natalie I think you were hoping too much, Stuckey only had 1 assist the whole game not 6. Surprised Will Bynum didn’t have any. I think Orlando wasn’t being aggressive more than it was us taking it to them. We’ll see from the Celtics if my hunch is correct.
I could be wrong but is something wrong with Sheed’s knee? It looks a lot more bandaged than usual.
I think the shot of the night for me was when the cameras went to Sheed and Dyess for their “bromance” half hug as they were walking off the court. Haha.
But I wanted this win as much as everyone else so yippie.
Also want to add this is why I said Pistons would be better in the 6th spot than 5th, we match up well with the Magic even though they weren’t 100% last night
Welcome back Pistons. Where the heck have you been!
Sheed should retire as a Piston, yes he’s only 34 but it’s only right, not alot of teams are gonna drop what they have to get him, Dumars needs Sheed around, him and Rip are the 2 leaders of that team
I was looking at Rip’s line…thanks American Prince and yes. Maybe I was hoping a bit too much. Still a better showing.
And I didn’t catch the Sheed – Dyess hug..was it ESPN or FSN?
Nat, Tayshaun shot 7-14 not 4-14. A big difference lol
Stuckey hogs it out there, Never seen a point guard getting 0-1 assists a game. Bench Stuckey give AI and Rip the starting spots they have earned from years of playing the game, Rodney has plenty of time to be a starter next year…when he learns how to pass.
Finally! I’ve been screaming to start that lineup since December, it only took 18 losses to gather enough ammunition to finally put him on the bench**, it felt like an eternity! I wonder if he’ll come back at all? Anyways, with Garnett out, Pierce’s sore right thumb and a new “acquisition” of their own, and, in addition, Rip on a mission, along with the other core players (Dyess, Tay & Sheed) also trying to make the same statement (Rip should have been starting all along), do I smell an upset coming on Sunday???
**Posted 01/13–Ideally, Iverson would have stepped up and taken the bench roll so Rip didn’t have too. If he had, he’d be scoring at least 25 per game, taking his 20-25 shots a game and we could play Detroit basketball. But he didn’t.
So Joe, say it ain’t so. Please stop the bleeding!
^^^ I wouldn’t consider it an upset if they win against Boston with all that stuff going on NYPistonsfan.
Last nights game was the first time in a long time that I felt like I was watching a Pistons game. And sadly I think it all has to do with AI not being in the game, or even with the team. I don’t hate the guy, but he’s had a really negative affect on this team. They all seem to genuinely get excited and play better when he’s not around.
Hopefully AI will be gone after this season. And even if Sheed decides to resign with the Pistons with AI’s money they could still get someone really good. You could be looking at a pretty good team next year if that’s how it goes down. The question will be whether Curry can coach them or not.
RIP: Great!
DEEEETROIT BASSSSKETBAAAAALLLL IS BACK! (Hopefully)
AI: I think he’s going to be great off the bench, why? because all the plays are going to be at AI’s hands. AI-(Bynum/Afflalo)-Hermann-Max-Kwame.
Excellent 2nd unit, scoring from AI, Defense and rebounding, 3 point shooting from Hermann… I think we are going to make a good run with this line up change, (AMIR WHO?)
^^^ I wouldn’t consider it an upset if they win against Boston with all that stuff going on NYPistonsfan.
Considering we haven’t beaten them since game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals last season and also, the fact that less than 24 hrs ago the whole NBA world had us in the garbage can, beating Boston would still absolutly be an upset.
hopefully this is the beginning of the post-all-star run we were talking about.
Natalie it was on FSN. It wasn’t a huge Chauncey Dyess after game 3 against Chicago a couple seasons ago. It was more a quick walking thing. But I thought it was cool because those are my two favorite players, and I still find it so intriguing how those two ended up on the same team after battling each other in the Western Conference. Then they come here and are like buds despite the completely different personalities.
I hope so too mobious909 and Cone #1 Mexican Pistons Fan.
Remember the pistons beat Orlando when Rip was out. This isn’t anything different. When Rip was injured, the team won 7 straight. Since Rip came back, the team only won 2 games, one with AI. So this is no big deal. AI made a big mistake by coming to Detroit. He ran into a Den of wolves. By the pistons playing what you call Detroit ball since AI been out, shows they have been retaliating. They never welcomed AI to the team. AI is being treated very unfairly, and has been humiliated by this organization. He should sit the rest of the season like Marbury, and go to a welcoming team like the Celtics. They welcomed Marbury with opened arms. Stop blaming this on Iverson. He has been playing harder than all the players. The piston’s organization sucks. AI needs to demand to be traded now.
“Remember the pistons beat Orlando when Rip was out. This isn’t anything different. When Rip was injured, the team won 7 straight. Since Rip came back, the team only won 2 games, one with AI. So this is no big deal. AI made a big mistake by coming to Detroit. He ran into a Den of wolves. By the pistons playing what you call Detroit ball since AI been out, shows they have been retaliating. They never welcomed AI to the team. AI is being treated very unfairly, and has been humiliated by this organization. He should sit the rest of the season like Marbury, and go to a welcoming team like the Celtics. They welcomed Marbury with opened arms. Stop blaming this on Iverson. He has been playing harder than all the players. The piston’s organization sucks. AI needs to demand to be traded now.”
Ha! When are people going to wake up and realize that AI plays hard, he just has a game that’s impossible to win with. I swear, the dumb stats that the NBA tracked before there was any thought behind what is actually a valuable statistic has really ruined this sport. AI’s a great player, but he will NEVER win a title because his game is impossible to play with as a team. It is the cold hard truth but no one wants to listen to it because we are all convinced that if someone can put up 30 consistently that must make him valuable and an asset. Sorry it doesn’t.
thatz true. itz too late for ai to ask for a trade now. if he went to cleveland or boston he’d have a real chance of winning. pistons expect him to take 10 to 15 shots nd thatz clearly not enough. they dont know how to use him. the only way i see this team doing something in playoffs is if larry brown came back. he knows how to use iverson nd the pistons.
Pistons won against Orlando without RIP and with AI in starting lineup on December… but most of people here still think that yesterday won against Magic was only because AI didn’t play.. LOL
One win can responsible all this shit and losses on AI. But most of you forgot, than without RIP and Sheed Pistons had longest winning streak in this season. This is so subjectiv and sic.
Isn’t it clear the three Pistons, Rip, Sheed, and Prince, lost 8 games in a row on purpose, in order to bring Rip back to the start lineup? How many Pistons fans complained that during the losing streak, these three guys were sluggish and showed absolutely no intention to win (as if they actually intended to lose)? Go back to check the games against Spurs, Hawks, for example.
Now that the goal was reached, they immediately played like what they were supposed to be. Speechless.
“pistons expect him to take 10 to 15 shots nd thatz clearly not enough”
Of course its not enough for Iverson. He needs at least 20 to get decent numbers. Before the injury he was 8-18 and 6-16. This season he has worse FG % than for example Hamilton, Wallace and Prince, probably the whole team. And the best part is that shooting supposed to be his main advantage!!! LOL
AI is never a very high FG% shooter (even though last season his FG% was very decent), simply because AI drew lots of fouls made the most free throws in the team.
Yeah
I cant wait to see how AI does being the 6th man.
Tracy said “Isn’t it clear the three Pistons, Rip, Sheed, and Prince, lost 8 games in a row on purpose, in order to bring Rip back to the start lineup?”
So true. Bunch o Brats. Too bad AI has to deal with this BS.
Couldn’t Stuck come off the bench? I know that was the beginning of this fiasco, but Curry didn’t try AI, Rip, Tay, Dyess, and Sheed.
iverson is a volume shooter nd if u keep subin him in nd out he is not going to have a good feild goal percentage. nd u say he’ll need 20 shots to get decent numbers. kobe nd lebron take way more than 20 shots most of the time to get their numbers.
Why is every A.I. fan getting mad about the move? Why not wait a game or two and see how it works? Maybe Iverson will embrace his new role and start dominating. Just because he doesn’t start, doesn’t mean he won’t be out there when it matters most -> end of the 4th.
Let’s just be happy that we put great 48 minutes of basketball together yesterday to beat the Magic.
The blind date had all their teeth AND just ate a tic tac, I’ll gratefully take it. 🙂
“AI is never a very high FG% shooter (even though last season his FG% was very decent), simply because AI drew lots of fouls made the most free throws in the team.”
What a BS Lebron draws 2 times more fouls than AI and he has way better percentage
“kobe nd lebron take way more than 20 shots most of the time to get their numbers.”
Please do not compare Iverson to Kobe or Lebron. First of all their FG is almost 50%, and that’s why when Lebron takes more than 20 shots he is not CAPABLE of dropping 30 points, he HAS 30. AT LEAST.
Secondly unlike AI they actually do something more than just being a ballhog.
AI’s stats (including FT) at DET are not meaningful simply because DET took the ball out of AI’s hand for the development of Stuckey. They don’t intend to win with AI at all. Why don’t you have a look at AI’s stats last season?
Also, how can you compare a guard’s FG% with
a forward/center’s FG%? That’s totally meaningless. Lots of big men’s FG% is over 60%.
March Wallpaper yet? I can’t wait to see it. ;]
AI is nothing but a ballhog? Go back to check the game against Hawks, AI (who played with flu): 28 pts, and Bibby (who was defended by AI): 5 pts. what did other Pistons do at that time – did they score? did they play defense? Same thing happened in the loss to Spurs. Shame on these Pistons.
ok tracy… you only say all this stuff cause your an AI fan.. but FACE IT..
the Pistons play better without AI… they are not trying to play against him. Why would they do that?
ANY AI team has sucked. and you can say the Philly team that he took to the finals, but in the end they lost. Cause no team wins with a player who needs the ball in his hands 45 minutes a game. The Pistons play better without him. Denver plays better withotu him. Philly plays better without him. He just isnt a tema person. PERIOD.
Psst hey guys
Stop defending AI. He’s gone after this year never to return to Detroit. How about we pull for the players that will be back next year after this “rebuilding” yes?
Stuckey, Prince, Rip. How about we give them credit?
AI can go blow a hard one. His type of game is useless here. He can’t play well with us, we can’t play well with him. Isn’t that obvious?
So “Pistons fans” that are defending AI, what are you going to do next year when he’s gone and all the players you’re bitching about are still here? If you’re turning on the core players, then guess what? YOU AREN’T A FUCKING PISTONS FAN.
GO Stuckey, Prince, Rip, Bynum, Maxiell, Afflalo, Hermann, and Sharpe!
pssst, for those of you who don’t get my last comment
AI: WILL leave after this year. No duh.
Sheed: Why would a GM and a coach that don’t like this man keep him? With the cap space they’ll get with him gone, I don’t see them keeping him. Shame that he wants to retire a Piston. Funny how we trade those guys guys away…
McDyess: He doesn’t want to be in Detroit anymore. At his age, he wants to win a championship and needs to do this before he retires. He doesn’t feel he can do that here, and with the Celtics interesting in him, guess I can’t blame him.
Brown: Why do we have him again?
Johnson: Sorry, but his potential won’t be filled here. For his sake, I hope he’s traded somewhere were he can shine.
I HATE THE FACT CURREY IS BABYING STUCKEY.
When he can shoot a freakin three, THEN I’ll like him. PG that can’t drain them? WTF?!?
AI should be benched cause RIP IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN HE IS.
Hell throw AI on reserve and get Walter Sharpe some time 😛
Why is everyone so pissed off about AI going to the bench? Something different had to happen, because otherwise they’d keep losing games. And then you’d probably bitch about that. He’s gone next year anyway so why should the team try to work around him if he’s most likely not in their future plans?
Agree with pistons 4 life. He chasing a ring and we need to rebuild to get a ring. Send AI to LA, get a coach who can take charge and sign and/or trade for some Detroit ballers (Hard working defensive minded players.) Cause we gonna miss out on 7 ECF apperance I think!! Damn damn damn
finally! wow that was a long streak.. 1 assist? yes, it was PARTIALLY Stuck’s fault.. but if he passes but the guys don’t make the shot, it’s the same thing.. but yeah, he needs to step it up.. been struggling lately. good job, rip! welcome back to the starting unit! i hope this gives the team some confidence so we could have a WINNING streak!