Ok, so where did this come from? I thought it was a forgone conclusion that Linds was just eventually retire and stay with the Pistons in some other capacity?

“We worked him out and he looked great,” Clippers coach and general manager Mike Dunleavy said. “He’s in great shape, and a good veteran guy.”Now that the Clippers have official word that Davis should only be out another week and doesn’t need surgery, it’s unlikely they’d sign Hunter, who won NBA championships with the Lakers in 2001-02 and Detroit in 2003-04. - LA Daily News

[Box score] The Clippers proved to be the perfect elixir for the Pistons after blowing and 18 point lead to the Jazz in their previous game as the Pistons blew out L.A. by 30 handing the Clippers their 5th straight loss. The Pistons have now beat the Clips 11 straight, the longest current winning streak the Pistons have against any team.

Like he did at the beginning of the season when Rip Hamilton was out for the birth of his son, Tay stepped up his efforts for Chauncey Billups who’s back home attending to a personal matter. The Compton bred Prince matched his jersey with 22 points and handed out 10 dimes while playing the role of point-forward Saturday night.

“When we have a good player out, especially one of our main guys, it’s important that we depend on each other,” Tayshaun Prince said. “This was a great night where we did that.” (Detroit News)

Rodney Stuckey (9 pts, 2 asts) showed poise in his first NBA start. Stuckey got great help from the newest Piston Juan Dixon. Juan led the Pistons bench charge scoring 14 (6/7 FG’s) to go with 6 assists in 23 minutes. That had to be a welcome site to Lindsey Hunter whom the Pistons chose not to activate for the game.

Actually everyone from the Piston’s bench played really well. The bench combined for 41 points and 23 rebounds. As a result no Piston starter, besides Prince (33 minutes), played over 26 minutes. Everyone off the bench scored at least four points.

Rasheed Wallace scored on his first 7 shots on his way to scoring 17 points, rebounding 6 shots, and blocking 4. Richard Hamilton scored 14 points and assisted on 5 other buckets.

The Pistons racked up 28 assists making them a perfect 23-0 when finishing games with 25 or more assists. That just speaks volumes for execution being key to the team’s success.

This game concluded the Pistons four game road swing all though the Staples Center’s crowd seemed like a west coast Palace.

How big was the Detroit contingent?

Pistons reserve Walter Herrmann got a standing ovation for his four points in the closing minutes, and the crowd shouted, “Sheed!” practically every time Rasheed Wallace touched the basketball.

It was a successful trip at 3-1 but you know the Pistons are kicking themselves for letting the Jazz come back on them and not sweeping the trip.

The Pistons take on the Sonics at the Palace on Tuesday.

Also see: Clips Nation

The Pistons (42-16) will be in L.A. to take on the Clippers (19-37) Tip off is 10:30 pm est from the Staples Center and will be televised locally on FSN Detroit

Clippers’ Snapshot
Home record: 11-19
Vs. East: 9-15
Last game: 2/29 (Fri) L 104-110 @ Nuggets
Last 10: 4-6
Last meeting: Nov 9th Clippers (79) @ Pistons (103)

A lot has changed since the Clippers came within a game of going to the 2006 Western Conference Finals. It’s been a series of disappointments leading the Clippers to once again being Los Angeles’ “other” NBA team. They recently moved even further from that 2006 aberration when they bought out veteran PG Sam Cassell who now looks to be Boston bound (like I personally needed another reason to hate the Celtics). Contrary to previous reports Flip Murray will not be filling Sam’s vacancy with L.A., instead staying a little closer signing with the Pacers (finders fee to DBB).

The Pistons will be without their all-star point-guard Chauncey Billups who is in MI dealing with a personal matter, which means rookie Rodney Stuckey will get his first NBA start. This also means Lindsey Hunter and newly acquired Jaun Dixon should see some more minutes, although Lindsey Hunter isn’t real big on getting the PT:

“Twenty minutes? Me? Right now?” he said. “No, no.

“Like I told them (the coaches), use me sparingly. Stuckey’s playing 40 minutes.”

Mr. Big Shot not being in the lineup is a bonus for L.A. because Billups got what he wanted back in November on his way to 23 points and 5 assists.

NOTES:

• This is the last game of a four game roadie for Detroit
• The Pistons have won the last 10 meeting with the Clippers
• Chris Kaman has missed the last four games with a shin contusion and is doubtful tonight. So if you’ve been keeping track the Clippers are without bigs Kaman, Paul Davis, and Elton Brand
• The Clippers are on a four game losing streak
• Clippers rookie Al Thorton had 33 points and 12 boards, both season highs, in the loss to the Nuggets on Friday
• Happy 35th birthday Chris Webber

[box score] The Pistons regrouped after a disappointing loss the night before in Chicago and laid the wood to the previously unbeaten Los Angeles Clippers.

The Pistons mounted large leads early and often. The Pistons made 15 of their first 20 shot attepts. Antonio McDyess had his best start as a starter hitting his first seven shots from the field, perhaps he should strain his shoulder before every game?

It really was a total team effort this go ’round. The Pistons had 5 guys in double figures. We went 11 deep in this game with no one player over 30 minutes and no one under 12.

The Pistons smothered a Clippers team that was off to a hot and unexpected start. Before this game L.A. was averaging 109 points per game in their first four contests. They held the Clippers to a dismal 35.1% shooting, which helped the Pistons land a 33/53 rebounding edge. To the Clippers credit they might have been a little road weary as this was their third road game in a three game road trip.

Detroit deployed Nazr Mohammed to match up against L.A’s Chris Kaman who’d gone off a couple of times this season. It was Nazr’s most solid Pistons’ performance in recent memory. He played good defense on Kaman and led the Pistons bench in scoring with 15 points.

Amir Johnson played the entire fourth quarter. He had a couple of nifty assists on needle threading passes into the post. He also had a very impressive free chili denying block on L.A.’s Josh Powell that led to a run out basket on the other end. Amir might have scored more than one point had Flip Murray bothered running a play for him, he instead brushed up on his over dribbling.


GAME NOTES:

• Chauncey had a team high 23 points to go along with 5 assists. The Clippers were content on leaving C-Bill wide open from downtown and he burned them with 6/8 shooting (5 in the 2nd half)
• The Clippers got no closer then 13 points in the second half
• The Pistons’ bench outscored the Clippers’ bench 20/42
• The Pistons had 27 team assists to 12 for the Clippers
• Rip had a double-double with 10 points and 10 asts. (plus 6 rebs & 2 stls)
• Nazr had 7 boards to go with his 15 points
• Maxy had a team high 8 boards (4&4)
• Chris Kaman came into the game averaging 16.5 rebounds per game, the Pistons held him to 7
• The Pistons have beaten the Clippers 9 straight times dating back to 2002


QUOTES:

Chauncey on the Clippers’ perimeter defense:

“They were playing some kind of junk defense where they kept switching. I don’t know what it was but gave me the opportunity to get some open looks.”

Chauncey on Rip’s night:

“Ten assists,” joked Billups, “it usually takes Rip four games to get that. No, he had a great floor game. He rebounded, he scored when we needed it; I mean he orchestrated, man. We ran that high pick-and-roll, and everywhere he threw the ball, we had an advantage.”

Mike Dunleavy on the Pistons’ play:

“From the very beginning, they controlled the tempo of the game, the glass and they shot the ball really well,”


MORE RECAPS:

• Detroit News: Poised Pistons pummel Clippers
• Clips Nation
• L.A. Times: Detroit exploits Mobley’s absense