After losing a game that thought they should have won back on the 12th the Pistons didn’t take any chances with the weary Houston Rockets. “They knew (we would win),” said Wallace. “We knew it, too. We were shooting terrible when we went out there. And they beat us, basically, with a shot at the buzzer. So we knew we’d get this
one.”

It appears that the Pistons are starting to put the D back in Detroit. They had a holiday feast on the Rockets who were playing their 4th game in 5 nights. The Pistons held the Rockets to 40.3% shooting and forced them into 17 turnovers. Antonio McDyess really put in work helping Rasheed Wallace down low on Yao. “It’s been awhile since I’ve seen our defense play the way it has lately,” McDyess said

The proverbial blood was in the water in the third quarter and the Pistons attacked. Tracy McGrady reaggravated his knee injury very early into the third and Yao Ming had to be stitched up after butting heads with teammate Luther Head (there’s a joke in there somewhere) near the end of the third. Neither returned to the game. With the Rockets pulled over to the side of the road with the hazards on Rip Hamilton and Antonio Miggidy Miggidy Mac Dyess went to work combining for 21 in the quarter. The defense was kicked up a notch only allowing Houston to put up 16 points (6/17 shooting) on the board for the period. The Pistons took a 60-78 lead into the fourth quarter.

The lead got to 20 in the 4th and the Pistons pretty much coasted to their 20th win on the season.

Game Notes:

• This is the Pistons fifth win in a row, the longest winning streak in the East. They also join Boston as the only teams with 20 wins on the season
• Antonio McDyess’ 11 boards gives him 5 straight games with double digit rebounds and his 12 points gives him his 4th straight double-double
• Sheed used some vintage Mahorn “pull the chair out” against Yao on back-to-back possessions. “I’ve been doing that to Yao and to Shaq (O’Neal) for a long time,” Wallace said. “Once they make that move, they can’t stop (their momentum).”
• The Pistons have won 7 straight against the Rockets at the Palace.

[Box Score] Munchies:

• 5 Pistons in double figures
• Rasheed Joined McDyess with a double-double. 14 pts / 10 rbs.
• Stuckey saw 12 minutes but went 0/4 from the field
• Uncharacteristic 14 Piston turnovers
• Rebound war won 37-42
• 7/13 behind the long line - 53.8% (Sheed 2/2)
• Maxiell made 4/5 freethrows. He’s up to 66% on the season
• The Pistons were +26 with Chauncey in the game

More Recaps:

• Detroit News: Pistons blast Rockets
• Free Press: WIN BY SUBTRACTION: Early exits by McGrady, Yao help fuel Pistons’ rout
• mLive: Pistons zip past hurting Rockets