Via Chris McCosky of the Detroit News:

“We won’t know anything until closer to game time,” coach Flip Saunders said. “We will just have to see.”

If they can’t play, the Pistons probably will start Flip Murray at point guard and either Jason Maxiell or Jarvis Hayes at power forward. The Warriors deploy a small lineup, so the Pistons could get by with Hayes up front.

Well, if Chauncey can’t go this could be a good game for a guy like Flip Murray. He likes to get up and down the court and Golden State is a run and gun type team. The silver lining is we’ll probably see extended minutes for Jason Maxiell, Arron Afflalo, and Amir Johnson.

[box score] It was a back and forth game through three quarters but the Blazers pulled away in the fourth with the kind of play you’d have expected from the more veteran Pistons.

You had two streaks going into the game. The Pistons hadn’t lost in Portalnd since aquiring long time Blazer Rasheed Wallace and the Blazers were riding a three game home winning streak. Something had to give, and apparently it had to be the less modern of the two streaks.

The Pistons came out and played pretty well early in the game. Rasheed scored hit three first quarter threes, Chauncey was setting guys up with precision passing and even Arron Afflalo got into the act with some superb defense in the first quarter.

The game remained close through the third quarter. A Flip Murray 3 point prayer kept the game knotted at 74 at the end of three. But, the crunch time quarter was the Pistons undoing. Much like the Seattle game, it seemed like the Pistons tried to stay in the game by firing up threes. Needless to say the majority of those didn’t find the bottom of the bucket and the Blazers capitalized.

A lot of credit should go the Trailblazers way. Despite Greg Oden not in the line up this season they still look as if the have a big 3 to contend with. LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy combined for 42 and Jarret Jack poured in another 20 off the bench.

GAME NOTES:

• INJURY REPORT: Chauncey Billups got a hip pointer on a 3rd quarter drive, he also said he banged up his knee a few plays later. Antonio McDyess reaggravated his shoulder fighting for a rebound in the 4th quarter. He went straight to the bench and was really grimacing as Arnie Kander checked him out. It’s reported that the x-rays taken after the game were negative and he’s questionable for tonight’s game in Golden State.
• For those of us watchingin Detroit the FSN signal was lost early on in the first
• Chauncey surpassed 10K career points in the 2nd quarter
• Flip Murray seems to be determined to counter every good play he makes with and equally bad one
• Jason Maxiell played with a lot of energy in the second quater
• Rasheed Wallace had a huge dunk on Portland’s Joel Przybilla off a nice Chauncey feed
• Chauncey was a assist shy of a double-double with his 19 points
• Rip Hamilton missed 15 of his last 20 shots
• The Blazers honored their 1990 team (that lost to the Pistons in the Finals), which included former Piston Clifford Robinson and current assistant coach Terry Porter. It also included a ginormous Kevin Duckworth

GAME QUOTES:

Flip Saunders thoughts on the game:

“I would like to something we did well,” coach Flip Saunders said. “But there wasn’t anything. Their bench outplayed us, their bigs outplayed us, (Brandon) Roy was great, their guards broke us down off penetration. I mean, they totally outplayed us.”

MORE RECAPS:

• Detroit News: Pistons off the mark

via Justin Rogers on mLive:
ESPN’s Rick Bucher reported on Sports Center that Joe Dumars, contrary to what he was saying, did make an offer for Kobe Bryant. No deal was done because Detroit is not one of Kobe’s desired destinations and with Bryant having the “no trade clause” stipulation built into his contract he has the final say.

As Roger’s points out no one should fault Joe Dumars for at least testing the waters when arguably the leagues best player is on the table. His job as a GM is to upgrade when the opportunity presents itself. We also should be thankful to Dumars that he did so vehemently deny the trade rumors. He’s got guys to protect and team chemistry to think about. Who knows how a guy’s, especially a starter, game/attitude could be affected when he knows he’s actively being shopped. It sure doesn’t have seem to done the Chicago Bulls any favors.

There. Now that we know Joe D at least inquired and Kobe, for whatever reason, doesn’t want to be a Piston let’s have a moratorium on any all proposed trades that would bring Kobe here to the Motor City. Let’s put the focus back where it belongs, on the group of guys who are Pistons.