Detroit minus 15 over Atlanta
Final Score Hawks 88 champs 72
:smoker2:
AUBURN HILLS _ At least there was another ring ceremony, to remind you that the Detroit Pistons really did win an NBA championship a few months back. And to momentarily distract you from the early-season woes that continue to plague this season's team. Only momentarily, because Friday night the Pistons reached another low.
Somehow, playing against the worst defensive team in the NBA, they tied the franchise record for fewest points in a home game. They were pounded 88-72 by Atlanta, in a game they trailed by as many as 29 points.
They played without Rasheed Wallace (sore right hamstring) and Antonio McDyess (strained left calf), and they lost backup guard Carlos Delfino to a right knee injury in the second quarter. But that didn't explain this.
Nothing really could.
The Pistons shot 30.7 percent, went more than seven minutes in the third quarter without scoring a single point, and needed an otherwise meaningless Tayshaun Prince layin with 12.9 seconds remaining simply to get to 72 points.
It was the third time in franchise history they'd scored that few points at home (they once scored only 64 in a road game). And it came against a Hawks team that had been allowing nearly 102 points a game, the most in the league.
``There was a whole different passion from the two sides,'' coach Larry Brown said. ``That's disappointing.''
The whole night was a disappointment for the Pistons, save for the few minutes just before tipoff when they presented rings to Atlanta coach Mike Woodson and Hawks assistant Herb Brown, who were Pistons assistants last season.
Then the Pistons presented Woodson and Brown with a rare win.
Larry Brown didn't blame the front-court players who filled in for Wallace, the starting center, and McDyess, normally the first big man off the bench.
``Our three perimeter guys couldn't keep anyone in front of them,'' he said. ``You get exposed when you don't have your big guys to bail you out.''
The Pistons allowed five Hawks to score in double figures, with Tony Delk and Predrag Drobnjak each coming off the bench to score 16. Richard Hamilton scored 24 points for the Pistons, but really none of the Pistons could claim to have played well.
Darko Milicic could at least say he played a lot. With Rasheed Wallace and McDyess out, he played a career-high 24 minutes, but still scored only four points and had four turnovers.
But the main culprits were the perimeter players. Hamilton made just 7-of-21 shots, and Chauncey Billups was 2-for-9. Backup point guard Lindsey Hunter didn't make a shot, either.
``It wasn't the defense,'' Ben Wallace said. ``It's just that we were on the defensive end too long. We didn't force (Atlanta) to defend. We take quick shots. They get layups.
``Tough to recover.''
Presumably, the Pistons will recover, maybe as soon as tonight. It doesn't figure to be easy, though, because both Rasheed Wallace and McDyess are expected to miss tonight's game at Memphis, as well.
Delfino will also be out. Brown said the Pistons expect to put Delfino on the injured list and activate Ronald Dupree to take his place.
*****
Friday's game was the first Rasheed Wallace has missed this season. He said he expects to return in time for Wednesday's game in New York. . . . McDyess said again Friday that he was healthy enough to play, but the Pistons made the decision to hold him out. ``If it were up to me, I'd be playing,'' McDyess said.
mlive.com
Final Score Hawks 88 champs 72
:smoker2:
AUBURN HILLS _ At least there was another ring ceremony, to remind you that the Detroit Pistons really did win an NBA championship a few months back. And to momentarily distract you from the early-season woes that continue to plague this season's team. Only momentarily, because Friday night the Pistons reached another low.
Somehow, playing against the worst defensive team in the NBA, they tied the franchise record for fewest points in a home game. They were pounded 88-72 by Atlanta, in a game they trailed by as many as 29 points.
They played without Rasheed Wallace (sore right hamstring) and Antonio McDyess (strained left calf), and they lost backup guard Carlos Delfino to a right knee injury in the second quarter. But that didn't explain this.
Nothing really could.
The Pistons shot 30.7 percent, went more than seven minutes in the third quarter without scoring a single point, and needed an otherwise meaningless Tayshaun Prince layin with 12.9 seconds remaining simply to get to 72 points.
It was the third time in franchise history they'd scored that few points at home (they once scored only 64 in a road game). And it came against a Hawks team that had been allowing nearly 102 points a game, the most in the league.
``There was a whole different passion from the two sides,'' coach Larry Brown said. ``That's disappointing.''
The whole night was a disappointment for the Pistons, save for the few minutes just before tipoff when they presented rings to Atlanta coach Mike Woodson and Hawks assistant Herb Brown, who were Pistons assistants last season.
Then the Pistons presented Woodson and Brown with a rare win.
Larry Brown didn't blame the front-court players who filled in for Wallace, the starting center, and McDyess, normally the first big man off the bench.
``Our three perimeter guys couldn't keep anyone in front of them,'' he said. ``You get exposed when you don't have your big guys to bail you out.''
The Pistons allowed five Hawks to score in double figures, with Tony Delk and Predrag Drobnjak each coming off the bench to score 16. Richard Hamilton scored 24 points for the Pistons, but really none of the Pistons could claim to have played well.
Darko Milicic could at least say he played a lot. With Rasheed Wallace and McDyess out, he played a career-high 24 minutes, but still scored only four points and had four turnovers.
But the main culprits were the perimeter players. Hamilton made just 7-of-21 shots, and Chauncey Billups was 2-for-9. Backup point guard Lindsey Hunter didn't make a shot, either.
``It wasn't the defense,'' Ben Wallace said. ``It's just that we were on the defensive end too long. We didn't force (Atlanta) to defend. We take quick shots. They get layups.
``Tough to recover.''
Presumably, the Pistons will recover, maybe as soon as tonight. It doesn't figure to be easy, though, because both Rasheed Wallace and McDyess are expected to miss tonight's game at Memphis, as well.
Delfino will also be out. Brown said the Pistons expect to put Delfino on the injured list and activate Ronald Dupree to take his place.
*****
Friday's game was the first Rasheed Wallace has missed this season. He said he expects to return in time for Wednesday's game in New York. . . . McDyess said again Friday that he was healthy enough to play, but the Pistons made the decision to hold him out. ``If it were up to me, I'd be playing,'' McDyess said.
mlive.com
