When you’re struggling to win on the road, it’s good to get one in place where they seem to be given away like free candy.
The Pistons survived a hot Eric Gordon, a beastly Blake Griffin, and another bad third quarter to get their first road win 113-107 again the Los Angeles Clippers Friday in at Staples Center.
Detroit was lead by Charlie Villanueva, who scored 30 points, but only pulled down one rebound.
The Clippers were lead by Gordon’s 28 points and Rookie-of-the-year candidate Griffin’s 18 points and 18 rebounds.
Unlike the previous game in Portland, the Piston starters got off to a great start, building a double-digit lead in the first quarter led by Austin Daye’s 9 points.
The lead would reach 10 at the break after a second quarter that saw Villanueva hit 3 treys.
Similar to the previous game (and seemingly all of the others) the third quarter saw the large lead evaporate faster than the Clippers last playoff appearance.
The Clippers surge back into the game thanks to Piston turnovers, rushed shots, and a series of Blake Griffin dunks that electrified the crowd.
[flashvideo file=http://nba.cdn.turner.com/nba/big/games/clippers/2010/11/12/0021000129_det_lac_play4.nba_nba_576x324.flv /]
The fourth quarter saw the lead change several times before the Clippers took a four point lead with just under 3 minutes to play.
Charlie V then knocked down two consecutive triples to pull Detroit within one each time. Then LA’s Rasual Butler hit one to put the home team 102-99 ahead with 29 seconds left.
After some free throw makes and misses both ways, the Pistons found themselves down 2 with 15 second remaining until Rip Hamilton tied things with a left corner jumper.
Rip then made a steal as the Clippers tried to inbound the ball after their timeout, and missed a pull-up jumper at the buzzer that would have won it.
In overtime, Rodney Stuckey and Jason Maxiell converted on free throws and field goals that put Detroit ahead for good.
Photo/Getty Images editing Need4Sheed.com
Key Points:
Being that I now live in Los Angeles, I took this one in.
- Charlie V was on fire in the first half, and clutch in the fourth quarter. Clipper fans were amazed or astonished by his shot making down the stretch.
- This was Detroit’s first road win in five tries this season.
- Blake Griffin has one of the ugliest jumpers I’ve ever seen.
- The Clippers played without two starters: Baron Davis and Michigan native Chris Kaman.
- Why doesn’t Ben Wallace finish games anymore?
- Hey, a Jason Maxiell sighting!
- Austin Daye was hot in the first, but disappeared the rest of the way.
- Fans at Staples Center began leaving at around the 3 minute mark for some reason although the game was still in the balance.
- Ben Gordon was non-existent, but picked up a technical foul for arguing with the official.
- There was a Clipper fan who was so into the game that during a timeout when the team dancers were on the floor, he stood in the aisle and followed the routine step-by-step as people were trying to walk to their seats. We were very entertained.
- Tracy McGrady gave to Pistons a brief lift in the second quarter.
- The Clippers seemed to get to the rim at will in that third quarter.
- Why did Will Bynum continue to shoot jumpers late in the game?
- Shout out to that drunken fan who kept screaming “Deeeee-troit Baaaaa-sketballllll Sucks d**k” at the Piston fans in the house. He was also trying to pick up teenage girls at the arena.
- Next stop: Sacramento Sunday Night.
- Tom Gores attends Pistons game – Says he still wants to buy the team. (hat tip EDT in the comments)
Tom Gores attends Pistons game, says he’s still interested in owning team
Vincent Goodwill / The Detroit News
Los Angeles — Tom Gores, once considered the “frontrunner” to buy the Pistons, sat courtside for the Pistons-Clippers game Friday night and expressed his love for the Pistons franchise.
“I’m a Michigan man, I love the Pistons,” Gores said. “And I’m only here for that.”
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Gores sat next to Clippers owner Donald Sterling, and Sterling introduced Gores to a friend as “The guy that wants to buy the Pistons.” Gores didn’t elaborate about possible negotiations with the Pistons ownership group, but spoke for the first time since being named a possible suitor.
“I can’t say anything about that, but I’m a big fan,” Gores said. “Would I love to own the team? Absolutely.”
Mike Ilitch, owner of the Tigers and Red Wings, was in exclusive negotiations with Karen Davidson, widow of longtime Pistons owner William Davidson. However, a source close to the situation said the negotiations have stalled and Davidson and her agent, Citibank, have decided to reopen the process to allow other bidders to negotiate.
Gores, a Michigan State alum, owns Platinum Equity. He’s made a habit of taking unsuccessful companies, changing their business model and making them successful again. He has great admiration for Ilitch.
“I think Mike Ilitch has been great to the Detroit community. If he’s able to buy the team, great,” Gores said. “If not, I’d like to be involved in a different way. I want to make a difference.”
Gores, a Flint native, attended the game with his wife Holly. He spoke of the youth teams he coaches in California and also the love he has for Michigan and the Detroit area.
“I’d like to be a part of the Detroit community in some way,” Gores said. “That’s what I’ve done my whole life. When I talk to my kids, I talk about doing the right things. I’ll make families better, I’ll make communities better.”
From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20101113/SPORTS0102/11130384/Tom-Gores-attends-Pistons-game–says-he’s-still-interested-in-owning-team#ixzz15Ah2MLe1
http://www.detnews.com/article/20101113/SPORTS0102/11130384/1127/SPORTS0105/Tom-Gores-attends-Pistons-game–says-he%E2%80%99s-still-interested-in-owning-team
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how cow. it is going to be a loooong season. karen please just take a haircut and sell the team, either Tom Gores or Mike Illitch would make fine owners but please just sell the team. quit trying to haggle so much already.
Thanks for the link EDT…I updated the recap with the link.
I thought the process is about to be done for Ilitch, now it’s all over again…
Hard times for the team, but as I think, it can’t be much worse than this, Pistons will rise in some time.
“Deeeee-troit Baaaaa-sketballllll Sucks d**k”, that’s true)))
But I love the team, we must just wait for good times to come, I hope it will be sooner than later.
I really care about Jerebko, when he will bу 100% it will be other team, trust me, he is our best player what comes to energy and hustle – that’s what we need
I thought this thing was a done deal for Ilitch too…especially since I saw Tom Wilson walking around the Palace like the good old days on opening night.
I was surprised when others pointed out that CV had but one rebound in the box score. He seemed to be active on the boards and contributing to me. I know he made some tips that resulted in the Pistons getting the ball, at least one to Stuckey and another to Gordon. So don’t be led astray. He contributed there as well.
I think the Pistons should come out of half time with a different line up, even if only for a few minutes. It will possibly throw off some of the half time adjustments of other teams by giving them a different look, and set the tone for the third quarter with high energy guys or scorers. Bynum, and CV have said they wanted to start this year. So throw them in a third quarter starting line up with Ben Gordon, Austin Daye at SF, and Monroe in the middle. This line up gives you a small but quick and versatile back court, a lanky 6’11 front court featuring two lights out shooters and a high quality passer. At any rate the formula for Pistons success is going deep into the bench with at least a ten man rotation every night letting every one get involved and wearing other teams down, so i’m glad Maxiel was able to get involved last night.
Coach Q Needs help with his lineups. Ben Gordon and cv need to be starting period. Rip should be coming off the bench and daye is not a better starting pf than Charlie. Rip couldn’t buy a basket all night but he played most of the fourth quarter and overtime even though Eric Gordon was burning him every play. Ben Gordon is our closer and if he’s not on the court at the end of games that’s just bad coaching. Rip would benefit from coming off the bench and playing with bynum a more pure pg and setup man. We paid cv and bg 90 mill they need to get minutes and shots cuz they are both playing well. this should be obvious to an NBA coach.
much rather start rip & tay so they have better trade value in january. theres a lot of baggage with those two, benching them sends the signal they are damaged goods and no team will want them.
I understand your point. I was saying what gives us the best chance to win ballgames. Tay is playing great and should be starting. Rip other than the 27 point game has played like junk and it’s not all his fault he needs to be taking a majority of his shots running off screens and curling and I don’t see those plays being called for him. Coming off the bench as the main scoring option with bynum to set him up he has a better chance to be effective. Everyone already knows he’s one of the best conditioned athletes in the NBA so to start him and have him be ineffective isn’t help showcase him to anyone.
maybe. I guess rip is not there mentally any more so it shouldn’t matter if we just cut him as a starter. you know rip is a lot better than ben gordon on defense so even when rip’s shot doesn’t fall he is still able to guard without fouling.
we are either last or next to last defense in the league starting ben gordon will make it even worse, but maybe that’s what you do
Ben gordon does make some ferocious fouls especially on the bigs, he nearly tackles them.
Did anyone see how the guys on the floor got bummed out when Q called one of those last timeouts? (kinda reminded me of how i reacted to my dad’s “lectures” when I was a kid)
Looks like someone else noticed:
And one: “Still some residual issues with Stuckey and Kuester http://www.mlive.com/pistons/index.ssf/2010/11/three-pointers_charlie_villanu.html “
Yeah I saw that too jayg108… At first I thought he said the F word when Kuester called timeout.. but still, there is still some beef between the two.