Denver dealt the the #Pistons probably one of the biggest blows in quite some time as they narrowly escaped with a 116-115 victory at home over Detroit.
In a drama filled game, after the Pistons came back from a sluggish first quarter to come back from a 25 point deficit, it came down to Arron Afflalo taking it to the hole to get fouled. Arron made the shot to put the Nuggets within one point of Detroit 114-115 with 5.6 seconds on the clock. His free throw however missed, but JaVaile McGee rebounded the miss and dunked it home to put the Nuggets up 116-115.
Gordon had on last shot with 2 seconds left, but missed. Making this game one of the toughest losses to most of us will remember in a while.
Key Points:
- Ben Gordon with his best game as a Detroit Piston carried the team on his back after taking his place in the starting lineup for and injured Rodney Stuckey. Ben Gordon not only orchestrated the Pistons 31 point turnaround on his red hot shooting, but tied a league record of NINE consecutive made three-point shots.
Gordon put up 45 points with 21 on then coming in the second quarter alone and 27 at the half. Ben was 13-for-22, making 10-for-11 from the line. He also had 8 assists on the night.
- The Pistons have still never come back from a 25-point deficit to win.
- Initially when McGee tipped in Afflalo’s miss all most of us watch could think was, “how do you not box out?” After seeing the replay, you notice that Greg Monroe slips and McGee gets by him. Either way, it stings.
JaVale McGee: I just went hard and pushed Monroe under the rim and I was just wide open. I was trying not to goaltend it and I just dunked it. It was definitely exciting — my first game-winner.”
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- Why didn’t the Pistons foul before letting Afflalo go to the basket for an and 1?
- Bynum the first guard off the bench played well for Detroit. Will, who hasn’t seen much playing time at all this season was quite Bynumite at time. Bynum put up 10 points and six assists in 22 minutes. He had a huge backcourt steal he converted into a dunk for Jonas Jerebko to put the Pistons ahead by two with under 10 minutes to play.
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Via NBA.com
- After the Pistons miserable first quarter in which they scored just 18 and gave up 40 points, it looked like it was over before the second quarter horn started.
- Anyone miss Arron Afflalo?
- Maxiell and Jerebko both had solid night with a few highlights themselves.
- Curious to know how many of you that watch the game were surprised they called the foul on Gordon at the end of the game to send Afflalo to the line.
- Ben Gordon with a fantastic night, too bad we haven’t seen more of these the last three seasons.
- Gordon was just three points shy of his career high set more than five years ago.
Lawrence Frank on Ben Gordon: The guy was freakin’ off the charts. Not only did he make shots, he made plays. You can’t say enough positive adjectives about the job he did. He was phenomenal.”
- The Pistons hit their first 11 shots from 3-point range and finished 14 of 18.
- Highlights via NBA.com
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- Tayshaun Prince, who was 2-for-9 finished with 6 points. Prince had a chance to add to the Pistons lead and basically put the game away with 12 seconds left on the clock, but he missed his jump-shot. If un-clutch is a word, Prince would be it this season. I’m really tired of the ball in his hands when the Detroit needs a bucket, because I can’t remember the last time he made one.
- Monroe with 13 points and 11 boards.
- Knight with 16 points and 4 assists.
- This on is going to sting for a while. It’s sad that their effort, and an electric night from Ben Gordon had to end the way it did.
Luckily I didn’t watch it live, cause I would’ve been so damn angry and disappointed. I already almost got an heart attack on Sunday during that Clippers-Game. We gotta win those close games!
What a great comeback for the Pistons.
They let Denver score 40 pts in the 1st quarter yet had the lead near the end.
McGee is a Pistons killer not matter what team he plays for.
BG tied his own NBA record for consecutive 3 pointers.
Bynum showed that he can still play some decent minutes off the bench if need be.
The Pistons keep finding ways to lose in the final minute of the game but last night`s game might have been the worst yet.
Apparently CV31 hurt his ankle in practice again. You got to be kidding me. Is he made of glass? Austin stayed in the doghouse for this game.
It is perfectly ironic that Ben Gordon not only won the game but lost it.
When afflalo drove to the basket, Ben Gordon grabbed him with the intent of stopping the layup, but gordon does the same thing every time, he gets beats on defense, so he throws out his arm, does an arm foul and if the opponent has any strength, he gets an and one.
This is how ben gordon defends. If he tries to foul hard enough to stop the layup, he will get a flagrant.
Here is how you get a good foul . . . you move your feet so that you are at least even with you defender, then wrap him up and grab the ball. He can’t make a shot and you wont get a flagrant.
When then do people arm foul from behind?
1) no lateral quickness. Charlie V and Austin Daye would love to defend but they do not have any lateral quickness. Even Prince who has tons of miles on him, has enough lateral quickness to get at least side by side with the opponent. Even little guys can lack lateral quickness and be unable to defend (steve nash).
2) Never learned how to defend. This was the case for Rip Hamilton early in his career, but as the years went by the entire Detroit Pistons work ethic of that particular team made an impression and he learned a little bit how to defend.
3) Does not want to defend because it steals energy from the offense. This is Carmelo Anthony. Energy he uses on defense makes it harder for him to score, because defense tires you out.
4) just plain lazy.
Little guys generally if they are in front of their guy will be able to stop a drive, so the opponent is forced to shoot over them, that’s what you want, and if you have short arms, this will make it a much easier bucket, but you live with forcing your opponent into a jump shot.
I have no idea which camp to put Ben Gordon in.
He tries to stop afflalo, got beat, arm fouled to try to stop the layin, but like an arm tackle in football, it did nothing, all that he got was an and one.
I dunno what to think. Ben Gordon had an amazing game, but he lost it all in the last 11 seconds because he could simply not defend.
It would have been better if we had 4 players in the last 11 seconds than any 4 players + ben gordon.
I’m ok with him missing that last game winning shot, what can you do. I’m ok with moose not boxing out, I think he slipped, maybe the floor was slippery.
But Ben Gordon both lost and won this game, he won it on offense and he lost it because he can’t defend. I dunno what to think.
I agree with your analysis of B.G. I too had no idea why he would foul Afflalo period. Let him get the two since he already beat you. Also, the Moose did slip on the floor. That’s why he was not in position for the rebound and why we lost.
Ugh.
Well at least Detroit is competing…and improving its draft prospects along the way. Actually, we showed a lot of fight coming back like that.
Detroit has three decent centers: McGee, Mozgov and Kuofos. This is where it’s disappointing that Joe hasn’t put together a trade to get a quality player out of a logjam in some other city. One of those guys would at least be a competent backup to Monroe.
denver u mean
Whoops, ya Denver
BG scoring output may have kept him on the roster one more year.
We are set at SG and PG for next year.
Now Joe D. can concentrate on getting big men at PF, C, and SF for next year.
Big Ben retires, CV is amnestied, Daye gone, Wilkins gone and Maxiell may not opt to return. That is alot of big men to replace.
On that last defensive play, Did Detroit have any time outs left before that? Frank could have subbed BG with a decent defender on that last play..
BK, Wilkins/TP, TP/JJ,JMax, Monroe would have made a solid defensive 5 on that last play.
Nevertheless, Go Pistons!!!
If i remember right, Denver called a timeout before that play. I thought Frank could have been smarter not trusting BG defensively. And also, was Big Ben inserted for the crucial rebound?
Still can’t accept this one. We were up 3 with 11 seconds, worst thing that could happen was an OT, how come they scored a four-point play?
Monroe tweeted how disappoint he was. Well, lessons learned.
I wish Gordon was like this every game.