The Pistons (31-13) will be at Indiana’s Conseco Fieldhouse to take on the Pacers (19-26) tonight at 7 pm est from the The Game can be viewed locally on FSN Detroit.

Pacers’ Snapshot
Home record: 9-10
Last game: 1/26 (Sat) L 96-98 @ Heat
Last 10: 3-7
Injuries: Jamaal Tinsley (sore left knee), Jermaine O’Neal (bone bruise, left knee), Kareem Rush (sore left knee)
Last meeting: Dec. 29th Pistons (98) @ Pacers (92)

The last time we seen the Pacers it was for a home-and-home series at the end of December where the Pistons blew the Pacers out in the first game at the Palace, and then the Pacers made it a more respectable game the next night in Indy. Those two wins made consecutive wins #7 & 8 for the Pistons on their way to a season high 11 straight. The Pacers have been hampered by injuries and have gone  4-10 since then. This game will start a much needed four game homestand for the Pacers who’ve played 9 of their last 11 on the road.

The Pacers will be with out Jermaine O’Neal tonight so they’ll be going all in on the small ball.  The Pistons need to use their size and not be tempted to join in on a shoot out with Indy.  Look for Tayshaun Prince to extend his career long pwning of Mike Dunleavy.  This might even be the perfect game for Amir Johnson to preview some of his promise we’re all eager for.

NOTES:

• Indiana’s currently on a 3 game skid
• The Heat got their first win of ‘08, and also ended a 15 game skip Saturday Vs. Indiana
• The Pacers 19-26 is good enough right now for the 8th seed in the East
• For some Pacer POV check out www.IndyCornRows.com

You had to believe after being beat by the second quarter at the Palace the Pacers would regroup and defend their gym in the second game of a home-and-home series. And they did.

This isn’t the team that battled the Pistons a few years back for Eastern Conference supremacy but that doesn’t mean they’re not still a prideful team. They got back to playing at least some defense and Jermaine O’Neal (20 pts. / 11 rbs. / 5 asts. / 2 blks.) seemed to really get up to playing the Pistons for the second straight game. Not bad for a guy who was a game time decision for the first game.

Rodney Stuckey got a chance to hone his role with the Pistons in his 17 minutes where played both guards spots at different times in the game. His minutes came in crucial points in this close game and Stuckey was up to the task and playing aggressively. He scored 9 points on 3/8 shooting to go along with his 2 assists and 3 rebounds. But, more importantly than his box score results was the fact he was able to spell Mr. Big Shot for the 4th quarter push.

The Pacers kept it close the whole game but the Pistons knew what to do come crunch time.  Rip Hamilton scored 10 of his game high 24 points in the final quarter.  A key Rasheed Wallace steal on Kareem Rush and the ball in the hands of the Pistons closer, Chauncey Billups, helped the Detroit earn a 6 point victory at Indianapolis’ Conseco Fieldhouse.

Blowouts are easy on a the nerves but you need close games to stay sharp.

Game Notes:

• The Pacers came into this series a game above .500 and come out a game below. They’re now 8.5 games behind the Central leading Pistons which is the 2nd largest division lead behind the Celtics’ 10.5 game lead over the Raptors in the Atlantic
• This was the Pistons 4th straight win over the Pacers and 10th in the last 15 games Vs. Indy
• Richard Hamilton was perfect from the 3 point line these last two games going 5/5. That’s a real testament to Rip’s work ethic being that the long ball wasn’t a skill he brought to the table when the Pistons traded for him back in 2002. His ability to make that shot makes him even more deadly in the mid range.

[Box score] munchies:

• Rasheed: 10 point/10 board double-double to go along with a pair of blocks and steals
• Rip: 24 points on 9/15 shooting. Two game series: 47 points on 59% shooting
• Jarvis Haye: 7 points on 3/4 shooting & 6 boards Two game series: 20 points on 80% shooting
• Chauncey: 17 points, 7 assists, 3 steals
• 82.4% free throwing

[box score] Ok, you’re Jim O’Brien and the Pacers. You’ve studied the game tapes and you know the Pistons will keep it close for a half and then try to put the game to bed in the third and you’ll try to guard against that. If only it was that simple. The Pistons went to kill mode a quarter early last night putting up a season best 40 points and for all intense purposes squashing the Pacers hopes of leaving the Palace with a win.

The Pacer’s new run-n-gun style apparently doesn’t allow for much defense as the Pistons got most any shot they wanted. The Pistons shot 66% in the second quarter.

Jarvis Hayes who had been sick and was questionable for the game came out and got ill on the Pacers in the second. He scored 13 points on 5/6 shooting (3/4 from beyond the arc). Jarvis didn’t return after playing the entire 2nd quarter because he was throwing up at half time. The culprits, Hayes revealed, were some bad sliders he ate on Roundball One on the trip back from New Jersey. (via: Pistons.com)

Rip Hamilton scored a very efficient team high 23 points. Rip shot 10/17 which included 3/3 from 3 point land where the Pacers didn’t feel need to recognize him in the corner. Rip also had 9 assists and 4 steals. All in under 30 minutes of play.

The Pistons bench got some extra burn in light of the large leads including the first Pistons’ minutes for Walter Herrmann who had a nifty Dr. J up-and-under scoop shot. Rodney Stuckey seen his most minutes (18) to date scoring 10 points.

The Pistons won by 13 but it wasn’t even that close.

Game Notes:

• With Walter Herrmann being activated it sent Lindsey Hunter to the inactive list which opened up more minutes for Rodney Stuckey
• Flip Saunders wanted Jim O’Brien on his staff in ‘06 and gave him a playbook to study which O’Brien never gave back (and apparently never studied).
• Check out Jeff Foster jamming on some air violin
• 101-114; not your typical Pistons/Pacers score
• 6 Pistons scored in double figures
• With all the feel good Mike Dunleavy career year talk did anyone else forget how Tayshuan has a propensity to abuse him, badly?
• Rodney Stuckey: 3 assists, 3 turnovers, 3 rebounds, 3 steals for jersey #3
• Chauncey 8/8 from the line
• 29 team assists. Way to share.
• How about the 7 footer Brezec diving into the bench for a loose ball in a blowout?

Also see:

• IndyCornRows: Pistons 114, Pacers 101: Is Pistoning a Verb?

The Pistons (21-7) will be taking on the Indiana Pacers (15-14) tonight at 8 pm est from the Palace of Auburn Hills. The Game can be viewed locally on WDIV. The is the first game in a home-and-home series with Indiana.

Game Notes:

• Walter Herrmann might see his first action as a Piston because Jarvis Hayes could not practice due to illness
• Gus Johnson will be broadcasting in place of George Blaha who has a prior MSU commitment


Pacers’ Snapshot
Road record: 8-7
Last game: 12/26 (Weds) L 95-107 @ Hawks
Last 10: 6-4

The Pacers are doing a lot better under new head coach Jim O’Brien than most would have expected. Most expected them to be among the worst teams in the league but their 15-14 is good enough for 2nd place in the Central (behind the Pistons) and 7th overall in the East. Perhaps most surprising is the play of 5th year guard/forward Mike Dunleavy who’s averaging a career best 17.5 ppg (on 48% shooting) to go along with 5.6 boards per game. O’Brien employs a more run-n-gun style offense, with an emphasis on 3 point shooting, which is in total contrast to the grind out style Rick Carlisle was so fond of. The Pacers are averaging 104 ppg playing at a pace usually seen in the Western Conference.

For a Pacers perspective check out IndyCornRows.com blog

Here’s your TGI(YT)F feature. What’s the correlation between the Pacers and fans getting involved?