Nov. Tue 15, 7:30pm The Palace of Auburn Hills FSN Detroit -- WDFN-AM 1130 Boston VS. Detroit 3-3 Record 6-0 97.2 PPG 100.7 95.3 PPGA 87.7 45.5 FG% 48.6 45.4 Op FG% 44.6 42.3 Rebounds 42.8 23.2 Assists 24.3 18.5 Turnovers 12.7 10.3 Steals 8.3 6.5 Blocks 4.3 VS Mark Blount Points: 13.2 Rebounds: 3.8 Assists: 2.8 Ben Wallace Points: 10.8 Rebounds: 12.2 Assists: 1.8 Raef LaFrentz Points: 13.0 Rebounds: 6.0 Assists: 7.0 Rasheed Wallace Points: 10.7 Rebounds: 6.5 Assists: 2.0 Paul Pierce Points: 26.3 Rebounds: 8.0 Assists: 5.0 Tayshaun Prince Points: 18.0 Rebounds: 3.2 Assists: 2.5 Ricky Davis Points: 17.5 Rebounds: 5.3 Assists: 5.0 Richard Hamilton Points: 22.3 Rebounds: 4.0 Assists: 2.5 Delonte West Points: 8.5 Rebounds: 5.2 Assists: 4.3 Chauncey Billups Points: 17.2 Rebounds: 2.7 Assists: 9.3Injury Report Tony Allen- G knee Out indefinitely Marcus Banks- G foot Return around All-Star break Lindsey Hunter- G ankle Out indefinitely Game PreviewThe Celtics are coming off a home win against the Rockets 102-82. LaFrentz made seven 3-pointers (7-of-9) and scored 32 points. Sheed will have to stay up tight on the perimiter. In the last meeting on Nov. 4th the Pistons pulled out a 82-81 win with .8 seconds on a shot by Rip. Billups took almost half his shots from less than 10 feet the first time the teams met, and about 20% of his shots on the season are from close range. Rasheed made this comment after the game "That's one of the mottos we go by: 'Winners find a way to win,' " The game stats were close on almost all categories… Rip was the high scorer with 26 and Paul Pierce had 28 Nov 4th Box score Bulletin board material from Paul Pierce: ''Even Tayshaun Prince. I don't think he plays great defense. He has two of the best shot blockers in the game [Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace]. If a guy blows by you, then the shot blockers block the shot and you call that great defense." Comments on this game?
John Hammond’s Three Keys to Success: Get the inside scoop from Pistons Vice President of Basketball Operations John Hammond. See what the Pistons need to do to be successful against the Boston Celtics. 1. Keep Paul Pierce off the free throw line: Celtics forward Paul Pierce is one of the best in the league at driving the lane to generate a basket. He has the ability to create his own shot or get fouled. So far this season, Pierce has been to the line an average of 11.2 times per game and is shooting 79.4% (53-67). Although he likes to take it to the hoop, he is also a very capable outside shooter. However, the Pistons want to make him beat them from beyond the arc – he has already proven he can make free throws. 2. Get to their bench - force their young guys to best us: The Boston Celtics are a very young team. They have three rookies and four players with only one year of experience on their roster. As a result of their inexperience, the Celtics have two of their veteran starters averaging more than 40 minutes per game and two averaging more than 30. The most telling statistic of all is that Boston’s starters combine for 87.7% of the team’s points. If the Pistons are able to wear down the starters, they will force the Celtic’s bench to prove themselves. 3. Keep our winning streak alive and protect our home court: At 6-0, the Detroit Pistons are off to their best season start since 1988-89 when they started the season 8-0 en route to their first of three NBA Championships. Detroit’s 9-0 start in 1970-71 is the best in franchise history. So far this season, the Pistons are 2-0 at home. They ended last season with a 32-9 record at home, the third best home record in the league in 2004-05. Some Piston fun facts: Prince is much better from the left side of the floor (72.7% shooting from the left baseline inside the 3 point arc) Rasheed Wallace averages just over 1.3 points per shot -- a much better mark than most teams overall When Wallace is on the floor, Detroit averages 4.5 more rebounds than their opposition. Detroit's bench, overall, is getting 21.7 of the Piston's points every night.
97-95. i don't know why, but for the past 2 seasons almost all the pistons-celtics games have been close, so will this and we'll win.
hmm.. Pistons 103 - Celtics 95 I look for the Celts to be leading after 3 and for the Pistons to crush them in the 4th. The game will get closer during garbage minutes. Pierce will have a rough game thanks to his ill-advised comments on Tay's defensive abilities. I expect for Tay to light it up tonight and force Pierce into alot a bad shots.
Last game it was 82-81 Piston win and a premature mark Blount celebration. Add 10 points for home court...I say a 92-81 Pistons win.
Easy schedule so far? Not. http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/preview;_ylt=Apko5dTQVoIhEbRtWvIlvz85nYcB?gid=2005111508
You know the Celtics are going to be looking for a little revenge, after getting their hearts ripped out earlier in Boston. Even so, it's still not going to be enough for them to pull out victory. 94-90 Pistons.
I think the young players on the C's will shrink like a turtle in the cold moat around the Palace. Pistons 104 C's 80
Celtics 91 Pistons 107 If the Pistons play seriously, they'll win easily. Sheed will have a big game, like 24 points 10 boards. He has to wake up after a slow start. Three of the starters have had hot shooting nights. The first two games it was Rip, then Tay, and CB. So it's Sheed's turn.
LaFrenzzzz Let's see if the Pistons can keep Raef from getting 21 points in the first half on 3's alone. That shouldn't be a problem. It actually sounds like a good assignment for Darko.
Maybe, but if they hardly played Darko in the first game against Boston, what makes people think he will get a chance tonight?
actually i put that we'd win by only 2 points against boston today in an earlier post, but i actually now think we'll easily win because we won at boston missing easy shots, and layups. the pistons won't do that bad again especially since they're at home. i say the bench will have significant time that counts and darko will be able to show if he can contribute in the regular season.
it goes without saying, the Celtics are coming out hard to avenge their loss. let's kick their asses and remind them they're still the Celtics.
