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This was a horrible game from the Pistons. I don't care how you slice it, there are no awards for playing close without Chauncey Billups.

We started off at our pace with a 6-0 lead but anyone who has watched the Suns knows they are a team of runs and droughts. They can go scoreless for 5 minutes and still finish with 30 in a quarter. Well the Suns had 29 in the first quarter. No surprise there for me.

The Suns are a unique team, one that plays little defense, that relies heavily on speed and athleticism to create scoring opportunities. It would have been the perfect opportunity to play Delfino at the point, heck, play him more than 19 minutes! Get Dupree a few minutes, let Will Blalock continue to play beyond 9 minutes argh! The rotations and personnel decisions by the Pistons were terrible and Flip Saunders is absolutely horrendous.

Delfino - 19 minutes (lead the team in rebounds and 3 point shooting)
Blalock - 9 minutes (1 rebound, 1 turn, 2 FTs made)
Maxiell - 18 minutes (4 points, 3 boards, 2 blocks, tons of energy)
McDyess - 17 minutes (8 points, 6 boards)
Mohammed - 16 minutes (3 points, 6 boards, 1 steal, 1 block)
Davis - DNP
Amir Johnson - DNP
Dupree - DNP

Detroit did make a run in the fourth quarter, but it was too little too late as Flip Murray converted several scoring opportunities but ultimately could not play enough defense to keep Steve Nash from closing out the game.

On that note, Nash is amazing. If you honestly think Billups should have been the MVP last year, you didn't pay any attention to Nash. He's the ultimate floor leader on offense, and tonight the Pistons gave him jumpshots electing not to allow him into the paint, and Nash made them pay banging down 6 of 11 three pointers.

The Pistons had no answer for Amare Stoudemire either and it looks like he is returning to his previous form.

Another poor game from Rasheed Wallace. Sheed was yapping all game and seemed to have lots of energy. On a night when his team needed him to go into the paint, pressure Amare, Diaw and Marion, Rasheed elected to shoot 0-7 from three point land. I just heard Piston coach Kevin Wilson say on the postgame show that he can't remember the last time Sheed went 0 fer from the arc. Well Kev, he's done it 5 times this month. Do you actually watch the games?

Flip Saunders answering Chris McCoskey in the postgame interview regarding what was wrong with Sheed said, "I don't know". Also said that Rip "ran out of gas". Gee, WHY NOT PLAY YOUR BENCH!!!

I know what was wrong with Sheed. He was lazy on defense and refused to make sacrifices for the team on offense. I still have 4 hours to ask slippy for a name change.

We got caught up playing at their pace, and it killed us. Starters ineffective and out of gas, too many missed shots (1-15 from 3), not enough turnovers forced (9), too many turnovers conceded (14). Our bread and butter is stops down the stretch and playing smart. We did neither tonight.

Sorry folks, we are supposed to win at home. We are supposed to play defense. We are supposed to win. That is what good teams do. Instead the Suns did what good road teams do. Jump all over an opponent and play close enough to win in the last 2 minutes.

Flip Murray is a deceptive player. He makes some tough shots and gets on a roll offensively, but he gives you no effort on defense. He didn't contest jumpshots, he didn't try to fight through screens and frequently lost his man on defense. When the numbers come out on popcornmachine.net, I am pretty sure he was a MINUS player.

Also wanted to mention Tayshaun. He did get hot at one point and put up some points, but on a night when the team needed him to step up for Sheed and Billups, he turns in 14 points and doesn't commit a foul. A highlight block, but other than that, Tay did little to stand out. In his 5th year, I think we need to resign ourselves to the reality that Tay is a guy who takes over 5 games a season, and spends the rest of his time as a complimentary piece.

We got New Orleans on Thursday. I need a drink.

Good guys: Rip Hamilton, Jason Maxiell, Carlos Delfino

**NEW CATEGORY**
Middle-of-the-road guys: Flip Murray, Antonio McDyess, Tayshaun Prince, Nazr Mohammed, Tayshaun Prince

Bad guys: Will Blalock, Rasheed Wallace, Flip Saunders

Piston of the game: Rip Hamilton