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01-12-2006, 09:45 AM
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| Re: January Pistons Articles *Updated Daily* ~~Detroit News~~ Red-hot Pistons make run at 70 Only Jordan-led Bulls have topped season milestone. Is it Detroit's year? Angelique S. Chengelis and Chris McCosky AUBURN HILLS -- Jeff Reiter is an unabashed sports fanatic. He knows sports, he talks sports, and he appreciates their relevance in the everyday life of Metro Detroit. These days, the Pistons dominate his attention. Winning will do that, especially this season with the club off to a torrid 27-5 start and speculation that the team might reach the NBA's magical number of 70 regular-season victories. In Hockeytown, the Pistons just might be the hottest game in town. Rematch means more to Spurs than Pistons Popovich says his team isn't playing up to its potential, sees tonight's game as a wake-up call. Chris McCosky SAN ANTONIO -- If you think the Pistons are going to walk into the SBC Center tonight feeling a rash of negative nostalgia and weeping fresh tears in memory of their Game 7 loss to the Spurs last June, well, you haven't met these guys. "Nah, man," Pistons guard Chauncey Billups said when asked if he felt anything when he walked back into the arena for practice on Wednesday. "Nothing. Just back to work." ~~Detroit Free Press~~ PISTONS CORNER: Intensity subdued vs. Spurs Midseason game lacks pizzazz of playoffs BY KRISTA LATHAM SAN ANTONIO -- Seven months ago, this was where the championship changed hands. This was the building where the final shots wouldn't fall, where the confetti dropped and the streamers fell and the champagne flowed for the other guys. Pistons swat pesky Hornets Billups takes sting out of late charge BY KRISTA LATHAM OKLAHOMA CITY -- Five other one-time division leaders had entered the Ford Center and left losers. San Antonio. Miami. Minnesota. Philadelphia. L.A. Clippers. The Hornets almost added the Pistons to that list. Detroit lagged through the first half, rallied in the third quarter, then nearly lost in the fourth quarter to the New Orleans Hornets on Tuesday night. ~~Booth Newspapers~~ Pistons focus on gaining a little revenge in San Antonio By A. Sherrod Blakely SAN ANTONIO -- The Detroit Pistons have no intention of dwelling on the last game they played here at the AT&T Center (formerly the SBC Center). That's when their run at a second consecutive NBA title ended with an 81-74 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of the NBA Finals last spring. However, there's no denying that loss has served as the catalyst for what has been an unprecedented start to a season by the Pistons, who have the league's best record (27-5) heading into tonight's game. ~~The Oakland Press~~ Pistons, Spurs set to tangle By DANA GAURUDER SAN ANTONIO - The psychiatrist's couch will have to wait. Meaningful therapy to alleviate the Pistons' inner demons remains months away. Even a return to the horror scene Wednesday failed to get them to open up. They entered San Antonio's SBC Center for the first time since losing Game 7 of last season's Finals, holding a short practice for tonight's meeting of the NBA's premier teams. A Pistons victory cannot undo the emotional damage still buried deep inside of them. ~~San Antonio Express News~~ Mike Monroe: Detroit follows its freed leader in Billups Monroe Keeping it real about the Detroit Pistons, who are 27-5 entering their game tonight on a court where they were last seen losing to the Spurs in Game 7 of the 2005 NBA Finals: Yes, the Pistons have been the NBA's best team this season. No, they aren't going to win 70 games. Spurs-Pistons fight to finish finds Round 2 Johnny Ludden The oversized championship belt Rasheed Wallace slung over his shoulder 6 1/2 months ago was missing, as was much of the nostalgia. Even the SBC logo on the court beneath the feet of the Detroit Pistons would be replaced by day's end. As Wallace and his teammates picked up their practice gear and walked off the floor at the newly christened AT&T Center on Wednesday afternoon, the only reminder of last season's NBA Finals was a banner commemorating the Spurs' title. It hung in the arena's north rafters. Understandably, the Pistons declined to genuflect in its presence. "That Game 7," Wallace said, "left us messed up." The rest of the league since has felt Detroit's frustration. ~~The Sports Network~~ Pistons prepare for big game (Sports Network) - The 27-5 Detroit Pistons continue to post an amazing .844 winning percentage and lead the tough Central Division by seven games. Four of the five teams in the division have winning records. Only one other division can match that production (Pacific). The Pistons' latest effort was a 96-86 win over the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets at the Ford Center. Richard Hamilton poured in 30 points to pace Detroit. Chauncey Billups contributed 18 points and six assists for the Pistons, who have won three of their last four contests. Rasheed Wallace added 15 points and Tayshaun Prince scored 12 for Detroit. Pistons' Arroyo suspended one game New York, NY (Sports Network) - The National Basketball Association announced Wednesday that Detroit Pistons guard Carlos Arroyo has been suspended one game without pay stemming from an incident that occurred in Tuesday night's win over New Orleans/Oklahoma City. ~~MSNBC~~ Pistons, Spurs to clash in meeting of NBA’s best Detroit (27-5), San Antonio (27-8) own the league's top records (Associated Press) SAN ANTONIO - The San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons have the top records in the league and one more game against each other on Thursday night before going their separate ways for the rest of the season. If they do meet again it will be for another NBA title. The two teams met on Christmas Day in a rematch of last season’s NBA finals and Detroit held San Antonio to just eight points in the first quarter and clamped down on the Spurs’ offense in the fourth in a 85-70 win. That point total was the lowest of the season for the Spurs, and the Pistons expect the rematch to also be dominated by defense. ~~The Austin American-Statesman~~ Spurs face summit meeting against Pistons tonight San Antonio, with second-best record, faces league's top team By T.A. Badger SAN ANTONIO — To improve their chances in tonight's game against the Detroit Pistons, the San Antonio Spurs should forget their latest victory. The Spurs beat New Jersey 96-91 on Tuesday to end the Nets' 10-game winning streak, but San Antonio's fourth-quarter fade — a 16-point lead slashed to four in the final minute — might have been fatal against Detroit, which comes into the game with the NBA's best record. Don't forget to check our game thread for some re-match thoughts and statistics. We'd love to hear your take before and after the game. And while the game is going on, why not hook up with some of the best fans in our game chat? *Link*   |
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01-12-2006, 03:54 PM
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| Marty Burns piece from SI.com A win too far By Marty Burns Earlier this season, with his Pistons en route to a 24-3 start, Detroit guard Chauncey Billups was asked about his team's chances of winning 72 games and catching Michael Jordan's 1995-96 Bulls for the best single-season record of all time. "That's just crazy," Billups said. "I can't even fathom that." Turns out Billups was right. The Pistons go into Thursday's big showdown at San Antonio with a 27-5 record (.844). Impressive. Remarkable. Amazing. And yet nowhere near good enough to warrant any more talk about 72 wins -- at least until the All-Star break. The NBA season is grueling, and makes it increasingly tough on teams to avoid pitfalls as the calender drags into February, March and April. With five losses, Detroit is already halfway to the tragic number of 10 defeats -- with 50 games still to play. |
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01-13-2006, 08:26 AM
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| January 13th - ~ Detroit News ~ Pistons 83-Spurs 68 Pistons pummel Spurs Detroit pulls another inside job, hoards boards By Chris McCosky Rasheed Wallace put it straight. "They still got the overall victory," Wallace said, after his 27-point effort led the Pistons to an 83-68 pasting of the world champion Spurs. "We got a couple of moral victories with these two wins in the regular season, but they still got the overall victory. They still got us in Game 7 (of the NBA Finals last June). "We are just trying to get back there and get back what is ours." The Pistons' two romps in less than three weeks, though, might resonate a little bit louder in the Spurs' ears. It was bad enough to get routed at The Palace on Christmas Day, but to lose the badly at home, that doesn't happen. It was the first time the Pistons have beaten the Spurs in San Anotnio since 1996-97. Pistons: Notebook Lack of calls angers Billups Guard is frustrated over not getting whistle when opposing defenses play more physical style. By Chris McCosky Chauncey Billups had a deep cut over one eye and several blotches on his arms. And he didn't shoot a single free throw in 41 minutes of intense action in the Pistons' 83-68 rout of the Spurs on Thursday night. "Just another one of those times I got beat up and didn't get a call," he said, explaining the gash. Billups was a picture of frustration for the better part of three quarters. While he wasn't getting any calls when he had the ball, he picked up three quick fouls at the other end. He felt the officials were punishing him for being stronger than Spurs guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. "I guess that's the way they are going to defend me, now," Billups said. ~ Detroit Free Press ~ Playoff intensity Pistons sweep season series against defending champions By Krista Latham By June, Thursday night's game between the Spurs and the Pistons will be just a blip in the memory bank. Another mostly meaningless night in an 82-game schedule. But judged by emotion, level of play, intensity, you name it, this was as close as it gets to a playoff game in January. One with a result Pistons fans hope to see again. Detroit (28-5) beat the defending champions, 83-68, on the same floor on which they lost their championship seven months ago. After the Pistons dominated the first quarter, the closest the Spurs got was six, and the Pistons earned a season sweep that means homecourt advantage in the NBA Finals -- should both teams finish with the same record. Acker gets long-awaited call to duty By Krista Latham All day Thursday, rookie point guard Alex Acker paced his hotel room, worked his cell phone and tried to calm his nerves. "My phone bill's a little high right now," he said. He had to spread the word that Thursday night, he'd get his first chance to dress for an NBA game, if not play. For the Pistons' first 32 games, Acker sat dressed in a suit on the bench as one of the team's three inactive players. But backup point guard Carlos Arroyo served a one-game suspension Thursday for initiating contact with an official in Tuesday's game, and Lindsey Hunter was rehabbing in Detroit. Acker looked at the roster and figured he'd get to put on his No. 6 jersey for the first time. "I got the feeling" as soon as Arroyo bumped the referee, Acker said. "It was just a matter of time before they told me." ~ Booth Newspapers ~ Motivated Rasheed helps Pistons dominate NBA's second-best team 83-68 By A. Sherrod Blakely When you talk to other players and coaches throoughout the NBA, most will tell you that Detroit's Rasheed Wallace, when motivated, can be one of the most dominating players around. Consider him fully motivated, at least when it comes to playing the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs. Wallace set the tone with his inside scoring and continued his assault on the Spurs from the perimeter as the Pistons took control and never let up in a surprisingly decisive 83-68 win. And while there were several Pistons who played a part in the win, none stood as tall as Wallace. He finished with a season-high 27 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and a blocked shot. On top of that, he was instrumental in limiting San Antonio's Tim Duncan to 17 points on 17 shot attempts. "When he's playing the way he played tonight, we're unbeatable," said Detroit's Antonio McDyess. Prince is a 'luxury' because of his versatility By A. Sherrod Blakely Tayshaun Prince doesn't lead the Detroit Pistons in scoring, rebounds or assists. Instead, he leads them in most positions played, showcasing on Thursday night against San Antonio why he's considered one of the NBA's most versatile players. That ability to play multiple positions was among the many factors in Detroit's 83-68 win over the Spurs. The 6-foot-9 Prince, who was the team's backup point guard against the Spurs, finished with his third double-double of the season, scoring 13 points to go along two assists and a career-high 12 rebounds. ~ The Oakland Press ~ Spurs can't stop Sheed Pistons forward schools champs By Dana Gauruder Chauncey Billups calls Rasheed Wallace the Pistons' most valuable player. A motivated Wallace has made the Pistons the best team in the league the first half of the NBA season. The source of Wallace's determination is Detroit's Game 7 loss to San Antonio in last season's Finals, which convinced him to come to training camp lighter and hungrier than ever. On Thursday, Wallace gave the Spurs and their fans a firsthand look at how much he wants the title. Led by their emotional power forward, the Pistons physically dominated the Spurs for the second time this season and swept the season series with an 83-68 win. Wallace outplayed Tim Duncan, racking up 27 points, 10 rebounds and four assists as the Pistons led by double digits most of the game. "He's one of the great ones, and the great ones make it easy for everybody," Billups said. "When he's rolling, everybody has easy shots and everybody gets the shots they want because they have to gear their defense to stopping him. They have to shift their whole focus." Pistons unlikely to get Atkins By Dana Gauruder Don't get too excited about reports that the Pistons have talked to the Washington Wizards about Chucky Atkins. The Wizards are shopping around the disgruntled ex-Piston guard, but the only way to make that feasible for Detroit would be to trade Arroyo even up for him. That wouldn't make sense for Washington, even though the salaries are close (Atkins makes $4.5 million, Arroyo $4 million). Atkins has an expiring contract, while Arroyo has two years left on his deal. The Pistons have plenty of depth at that spot once Lindsey Hunter returns from his ankle rehab, which could be as soon as next week. New York and Memphis are reportedly interested in Atkins, Detroit's starting point guard before it signed Chauncey Billups. ~ San Antonio Express-News ~ Detroit's rebounding edge sends Spurs scuffling in loss By Mike Monroe After getting outrebounded by 27 in the Christmas Day loss at The Palace of Auburn Hills, the Spurs were nearly as impotent on the boards on their AT&T Center court Thursday night. "We're going to have to take a look at the tape tomorrow to see what was the problem, but the numbers tell," center Rasho Nesterovic said. "Go by the numbers." The numbers to go by Thursday were these: 56 Pistons rebounds to 32 for the Spurs. Worse yet for the Spurs, the Pistons had 16 offensive rebounds, resulting in 10 second-chance points. The Spurs were so badly outrebounded that they weren't certain what to make of the differential. They seemed to be in partial denial of the truth. "They're not that much better a rebounding team," said Tim Duncan, more perplexed than angry. "Until I saw the stat sheet I didn't know they had that many offensive rebounds. I thought we did a solid job on the boards. The effort was there." Wallace's 'hoopin' sets Pistons' tone By Mike Finger To hear most of the Detroit Pistons tell it, establishing Rasheed Wallace's presence against the Spurs on Thursday was part of a preconceived master plan, hashed out in scouting reports and stressed in pre-game meetings. But after a performance in which Wallace dominated from his tone-setting opening salvo until his final shot, he insisted there was no real method to his magnificence. "It's just hoopin'," Wallace said of his 27-point, 12-rebound outburst in an 83-68 victory over the Spurs at the AT&T Center. "It ain't no concentrated effort or nothing." Regardless of how it came about, there was little doubt about the extent of the havoc Wallace wreaked. He made the first three baskets of the game on consecutive possessions and had 10 points by the end of the first quarter. The Pistons, who swept the two-game season series with the Spurs and won a regular-season game in San Antonio for the first time since April 2, 1997, fed off Wallace's early energy, jumping to a 20-point lead in the second quarter. Minute by minute, the Spurs can see the changes By Buck Harvey So how did the Spurs beat the Pistons four times in June? Then, Tim Duncan had ankle problems instead of foot problems. Nazr Mohammed played. Tony Parker often had games where he had an assist. And Big Shot Rob lined up threes instead of Big Shot Rasheed. But there was something else then. Manu Ginobili finished games and started them, too, cutting through the same solid, overwhelming Pistons who were solid and overwhelming Thursday night. The Spurs needed every Argentine bead of sweat then to win the title, and Ginobili averaged more than 38 minutes in those four wins in June. This season? He's played a total of 28 minutes in the Spurs' two losses to Detroit. |
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01-13-2006, 12:31 PM
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| Re: January Pistons Articles *Updated Daily* Motown Soundtrack: Don’t tell me that it’s over Quote:
__________________ Momma was queen of the mambo, Poppa was king of the congo, deep down in the jungle, I start banging my first bongo Every monkey like to be, in my place instead of me, cause I'm the king of bongo baby, I'm the king of bongo bong -Manu Chao |
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01-13-2006, 01:08 PM
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| Charlie Rosen's take on last night's game Spurs should fear finals matchup with Pistons By Charley Rosen As the NBA is currently constituted, San Antonio and Detroit are by far the league's best teams. Barring untimely injuries to any of their core players — or any forthcoming trades that might hugely benefit other ball clubs — it's highly likely that the Spurs and the Pistons will meet again with the championship at stake in June. Besides Thursday's date in San Antonio, the only regular-season game between these two rivals occurred in Detroit on Christmas Day, resulting in a lop-sided 85-70 victory for the home team. The key factor then was the Pistons' smothering defense, which limited the Spurs to only eight first-quarter points and which also stifled the Spurs' point-making prowess at the end of the game. The challenge for San Antonio on Thursday was to devise and execute appropriate tweaks in their previous offensive game plan, while Detroit's goal was to keep on keeping on. Not surprisingly, the determining factor in Detroit's overwhelming 83-68 win was the continued efficiency of their defense and the Spurs' failure to make suitable adjustments. |
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01-14-2006, 08:38 AM
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| January 14th - (Slow news day. And I wish the Oakland press would get their stuff in gear and start updating their site earlier everyday. Unlike all the other papers, they don't update their site until around 7:30-8:30 a.m. Every single day they have me waiting to post my update. OK, enough of my rant. On to the news...) ~ Detroit Free Press ~ Prince proves point verses the Spurs By Kristen Latham Tayshaun Prince, backup point guard? "We'll see," Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. That was Saunders' reaction after watching Prince relieve point guard Chauncey Billups for portions of Thursday night's 83-68 whipping of the San Antonio Spurs. With usual backup Carlos Arroyo serving a one-game suspension, Saunders had only two options -- plug in rookie Alex Acker, who hadn't played all season, or use Prince and see what happened. Turned out, Saunders liked what he saw. He left open the possibility Prince could back up Billups again. "He did a pretty nice job," Saunders said. "He executed, and we do cause some matchup problems. We're long, and it helps us rebound. I don't know. We'll have to see. You never know." ~ Booth Newspapers ~ Pistons defense proves it can use power or speed to win By A. Sherrod Blakely Just imagine a vehicle that can change from being a military tank into a sports car. Now you have some idea of what opponents of the Detroit Pistons deal with -- they don't know if they're going to get run over, or if the Pistons will just run past them. Detroit's much-improved offense has received a lot of credit for the team's 28-5 start. However, it is the Pistons stingy defense, especially against the best teams, that keeps them among the NBA's elite. Detroit proved that point in emphatic fashion with an 83-68 win against the defending champion San Antonio Spurs on Thursday. |
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01-14-2006, 12:51 PM
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| Re: January 14th - Quote:
 ~~The Oakland Press~~ Pistons cruise into cushy stretch By DANA GAURUDER Every team wants one. Only the truly talented and cohesive teams get one. Like the commercials for a certain office supply store, the Pistons have an "Easy" button. Just look at what they did to the defending champion San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night. They got Tim Duncan frazzled. They threw up a roadblock against Tony Parker, the league's top scorer in the paint. They made the Spurs' strong complementary players disappear. They executed their offense with the precision of a first-class pianist playing Beethoven. |
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01-14-2006, 01:35 PM
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| Re: January Pistons Articles *Updated Daily* ~Sportsline.com~ For now, Pistons clearly leading Spurs in mind game by Tony Mejia Gregg Popovich won't want to hear it, but undeniably, someone will ask him during this postseason whether his team is spooked by Detroit. If the two teams favored to stage a rematch of last season's NBA Finals manage to get there, the focus will not be on whether the Spurs feel confident having won last year's series in seven, but rather whether they can overcome the Pistons given this season's results. ~The Sporting News~ The Pistons are the NBA's best team by far By Michael Deuser Thursday night's beat-down should settle any lingering debates: The Pistons are the NBA's best team. And second best isn't even close. Chauncey Billups out-assisted the entire Spurs' roster 14-9 while lockdown defense from Ben Wallace and his minions held the Spurs to 68 points, their lowest output of the season and more than 27 points lower than their season scoring average. It was a repeat performance of the Pistons' 85-70 thrashing of the Spurs on Christmas Day -- except this time, the Spurs were healthy and at home. |
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01-15-2006, 09:48 AM
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| January 15th - ~ Booth Newspapers ~ Wallace fine after giving Pistons a scare in lopsided win By A. Sherrod Blakely The Detroit Pistons got quite a scare on Saturday night when Ben Wallace struggled to get to his feet after his left knee locked up following a rebound by the center in the first quarter. "Small thing to a giant," Wallace said afterward. Indeed, it proved to be nothing to worry about. The same could be said for the injury-riddled Charlotte Bobcats, who were no match for the Pistons as they pulled away for a 114-91 win. Saunders trying to find more playing time for reserves By A. Sherrod Blakely It's only natural the Detroit Pistons would lean on a starting five that may be the best in the NBA. However, Pistons coach Flip Saunders knows that over the course of a long season, the team's bench must also contribute consistently. Here's the dilemma: in order to get the reserves to that point, it may require less playing time for the starters, which may impact the team's chances to win. "We might have to take a step back in order to develop those guys," Saunders said. "Those guys are going to have to work and develop." ~ The Charlotte Observer ~ Wallace hurt in loss Bobcats forward re-injures hamstring against Pistons By Rick Bonnell The Charlotte Bobcats lost forward Gerald Wallace to a right hamstring injury in a 114-91 loss to the Detroit Pistons. In obvious pain, Wallace left the court late in the third quarter, with his team down 13. Wallace complained about his hamstring following Friday's loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, but it was unclear how serious the injury is. Richard Hamilton led the Pistons with 19 points and Primoz Brezec was the Bobcats' top scorer with 18. The Pistons led 60-43 at halftime, with perhaps as efficient and balanced an offensive attack as you'll see in the NBA. They shot 60 percent from the field and all five starters had six or more points. Point guard Chauncey Billups led the team with 13 points. As if to punctuate that performance, small forward Tayshaun Prince finished the half with a three-pointer with less than a second on the clock. The Bobcats started off without point guard Brevin Knight, as trainer Joe Sharpe recommended using Knight off the bench to address his back spasms. The Bobcats got 21 of their 43 first-half points from Brezec and Wallace, shooting a combined 9-of-15. Pistons cruise over Bobcats A/P The Detroit Pistons didn't get much of a scare from the short-handed Charlotte Bobcats on Saturday night. They did, however, get one from Ben Wallace. Late in the first quarter of a 114-91 victory, Wallace landed awkwardly while grabbing a rebound and stayed on the floor, holding his left knee. He eventually limped off under his own power, and to the relief of his coaches, teammates and the 102nd straight sellout crowd at the Palace, returned in the second period. "It just locked up on me - my leg got too far in front of me," Wallace said. "It's a small thing to a giant." Even while Wallace was down, his teammates weren't overly concerned. "When he doesn't get right up, you know he's hurting, but I just can't get too worried about that guy," Chauncey Billups said. "He's just a warrior." |
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