The last time the Pistons played the Warriors they made an improbable 22 comeback with out Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess, Sunday’s matinee needed not a Herculean effort to secure the teams 17th victory on the season.

The Pistons had a plan going into the game. They were not going to be lured into playing the Warriors brand of up-tempo basketball. Detroit instead focused on the fundamental boxing out and limiting the Warriors to single shot possessions. Detroit also did a great job exposing Golden State’s lack of size in the half court sets. Billups, Rasheed, and Tayshaun were among the most noticeable examples of using their length and strength to get what they wanted against the smaller Golden State defenders.

The Pistons led by one after one but blew the game open in the second quarter going on a 23-3 run to end the half. The Pistons didn’t let the Warriors get out and run like the like to and defensively wore them down with a superb inside-outside attack. At the half the Pistons were all over the board war 26-15 and had held the Warriors to just 36% shooting. The Pistons led by 23 at the break.

The second half got back to seeing the Pistons starters getting rest like they had for a stretch of games when the Pistons were blowing opponents out. Arron Afflalo got in 24 good minutes and played with a lot of energy on both ends of the ball. Arron scored a career high 11 points and the Pistons were a +20 with him in the game. Amir Johnson got in there and gave the crowd a good show in the 4th getting up high for rebounds and throwing down a put back dunk off an Afflalo miss.

The Warriors swept the season series last year and the Pistons returned the favor this season.

Game Notes:

• Jason ‘OH-BEAST!’ Maxiell: OH-BEAST had 11 points to go along with his career high 6 blocks

• Baron PWNED: as the Pistons have been doing with high scorers Baron Davis was locked out of the Palace by Pistons D. Baron came into the game averaging 22.8 ppg, but was held to 2 on 1/8 shooting to go along with his 1 assist to 3 turn overs
• No Flip Murray?: Should we read anything into it that the self proclaimed “Fourth Quarter Slaughter” didn’t enter the 4th qtr of a blow out with Saunders electing to go with Arron Afflalo and Lindsey Hunter? It seemed like Amir Johnson sure benefited from Murray not being out there.
• Primo in da house: Newly acquired center Primo Brezec got some burn in the 4th showing his Pistons teammates that he likes to share. Walter Herrmann was on the inactive list for the game.
• Sheed’s bring’n Dobber back: Did you check out the Bob Lanier-esque sweeping hook Rasheed unvailed in the first quarter. It was schweet.
• BOOO Jackson: Seems Pistons fans still remember Jackson (who was serving a suspension a month ago when the Pistons played the Warriors in Oakland) as the Pacer going bezerk on the Palace crowd during the brawl because he was booed every time he touched the game in the early going.

[Box Score] munchies:

• Board war won 32-47
• Pistons with 8 steals and 9 blocked shots
• 6 Pistons in double figures led by Tayshaun with 23
• McDyess with a 14 point 11 rebound double-double
• Amir Johnson with 6 points on 3/4 shooting to go along with 7 boards
• Pistons made 20/24 free throws including Chauncey’s 11/11
• Sheed picked up a tech for the third straight game in a row