~ Detroit News ~
No drama, no prime time
Pistons-Spurs will be Sunday's national TV 'warm-up' game before Lakers-Heat contest.
By JoAnne C. Gerstner
Officially, the Pistons are not looking past playing the Warriors tonight at The Palace.
The Pistons want to play well, quell the Warriors propensity for shooting the three, and hopefully win.
But there is definitely something much bigger than the Warriors looming on the horizon -- Sunday's showdown with the San Antonio Spurs on national TV.
~ Detroit Free Press ~
Warriors in love with three-pointers
By Chris Silva
The Golden State Warriors dig the long ball.
They've launched a league-high 657 three-pointers, rank 21st at 33.5% shooting, and with a 14-12 record have been slumping after starting the season on a hot streak.
The Pistons, on the other hand, lead the league in three-point shooting at 41.5% while only taking 352 shots from behind the arc, putting them right near the middle of the league for three-point attempts at 14th.
But the Pistons aren't a three-point shooting team. They have plenty of players who can make the shot, but only when it's within the system.
~ Booth Newspapers ~
Three-point shots will fly when Warriors face Pistons
By A. Sherrod Blakely
The 3-point shot can be an intoxicating elixir for teams when taken to liberally.
The Detroit Pistons, despite being the league's best 3-point shooting team this season, have resisted the temptation.
However, the same can not be said for the Golden State Warriors, a team that's totally hooked on jacking up as many 3-point shots as possible no matter how poorly they may shoot.
That much is clear based on the Warriors' shooting an NBA-high 657 3-point attempts this season, despite being ranked a lowly No. 22 out of 30 NBA teams in 3-point shooting accuracy.
~ The Oakland Press ~
Pistons-Spurs getting overlooked
By Dana Gauruder
U2 doesn't get treated like a warmup act. Neither do the Rolling Stones.
So why do the NBA's two best teams feel like a couple of bar bands?
ABC and ESPN promos and media attention for the league's Christmas Day doubleheader are focusing on the Miami Heat vs. Los Angeles Lakers matchup. It's all about Shaquille O'Neal playing against Kobe Bryant, Pat Riley coaching against Phil Jackson. The Finals rematch between the Pistons and San Antonio Spurs is receiving second billing.
That's nothing out of the ordinary for the Pistons, who always feel slighted by the national media.