Game #20: 12-6-09 Washington @ Detroit

( 7 - 12 ) VS ( 7 - 11 )

Sunday, December 6, 2009
Time: 6P EST
Radio: 950 WWJ
TV: FS Detroit Plus & NBA TV
Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, MI
Game Notes

At
Palace Auburn Hills, Detroit MI



Atkins/Stuckey/Jerebko/Maxiell/Wallace





Arenas/Young/Butler/Jamison/Haywood

INJURY REPORT

Richard Hamilton Out indefinitely - Ankle.
Tayshaun Prince Ruptured disc in back.


Mike Miller Late Dec - Calf.
Mike James Mid Dec - Hand.
Javaris Crittenton Mid Dec - Foot.

TEAM LEADERS

Richard Hamilton 25ppg
Ben Wallace 9.8rpg, 1.26spg & 1.26bpg
Rodney Stuckey 1.26spg
Will Bynum 4.5apg


Gilbert Arenas 21.1ppg & 6.4apg
Brendan Haywood 10.8rpg & 2.11bpg
Caron Butler 1.31spg

Detroit 98
Washington 94

Boxscore

Another solid team effort for the Pistons second victory in a row to improve to 8-12. Though the Pistons' off season moves made it seem like they would be an offensive powerhouse, they are instead reestablishing their defensive, grind-it-out, share-the-ball ways. But they can score in bunches, too, when need be.

Stuckey led all scorers with 25 points on 9-18 shooting and 7-9 from the free throw line. He also had 2 assists and 4 rebounds. Villanueva led the reserves with 18 points and also tallied 5 assists and 4 rebounds.

Interestingly, the Pistons had 3 reserves in double figures and only 2 starters.

Will Bynum (16 points) and Daye (11 points) were key off the bench. Daye in particular hit 3 key jumpers in the 3rd quarter to keep Detroit ahead as the Wizards rallied several times in a bid to take the lead.

Detroit led by as many as 12 in the first half, but Earl Boykins (18 points) pulled Washington to 52-49 on a jumper at halftime. Caron Butler had 20 points and 10 rebounds brought Washington back in the fourth quarter.

But Jonas Jerebko (10 points and 11 rebounds) and Ben Wallace (8 rebounds and 5 assists) helped keep the Pistons ahead with clutch defense and rebounds. Stuckey hit clutch shots and Chucky Atkins had a solid game, leading the offense and contributing with 7 points and 5 assists.

Unfortunately, Gordon was cold with 5 points in just 11 minutes. His ankle is apparently still bothering him. On the bright side, he has time to rest before the Pistons' next game.

Interestingly, Boykins, an Eastern Michigan grad, has had his two highest scoring games of the season against the Pistons. Too bad more 5'5" players can't do what Boykins does in the NBA.

I'm looking forward to the Pistons kicking Iverson and the Sixers to the curb in the next game now.