Jessica Kourkounis / Houston Chronicle

Via: Detroit News:

The topic of Tracy McGrady came up in the Pistons’ locker room before a game last week. McGrady is now injured and unhappy in Houston. Reports there say he has told friends he wants to be traded — again. One player, who shall remain nameless, joked that McGrady was becoming more and more like his cousin, Vince Carter. “They should call Tracy, ‘half-man, half a season,’” the player cracked.

I like that, it’s witty. I think the three most likely culprits would be either Sheed, Lindsey, or Rip.

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

The Pistons (19-7) will host the Rockets (13-4) at the Palace tonight at 6 pm est. The game can be viewed locally on Fox Sports Detroit.

Rockets’ Snapshot
Road record: 7-9
Last game: 12/22 (Sat) W 116-98 @ Bulls
Last 10: 4-6
Injuries: Steve Francis (flu-like symptoms) Tracy McGrady (bruised left knee)

The Rockets played last night beating the woeful Bulls in Chicago. McGrady returned after missing a game with a sore left knee. T-Mac scored 20 points and dished out 8 assists. McGrady was among 7 Rockets to score in double figures. Yao Ming jammed his thumb in the 3rd period. X-rays were negative and he returned for the fourth quarter. Yao ended up with 18 points and 8 boards. (btw - the Bulls center, some guy named Wallace, scored 0 points on 0/4 shooting and had 5 boards)

“We are going to bust their butts next time, they aren’t going to have Dick (Bavetta, referee) and those cats to help them.”

Those were Rasheed Wallace’s sentiments after the Pistons Dec. 12th meeting with the Rockets, a game in which Wallace was unhappy with the amount of “ticky-tack” fouls being called. Wallace fouled out of the game in the fourth quarter. That particular game was hard to watch from both ends. The Rockets at one point in the game were 1/15 from the free throw line. They ended up with an unheard of 27% from charity stripe for the game, and the Pistons weren’t so hot themselves only hitting on 59% of their freebies. The Pistons shot 36% from the field with their backcourt of Billups and Hamilton going 12/32. Despite the poor shooting the end was pretty exciting. The Pistons were down by 8 with 1:22 to go when they hit on back-to-back three pointers to get within 2. They then got two good looks at three pointers to win after Houston failed to convert on their offensive end but the shots just didn’t fall.

Playing the Rockets also gives me an excuse to post Def Leppard’s “Rocket” video. No, I’m not pulling for Houston, it’s just a kick ass song. Enjoy & Go Pistons!

[box score] It ugly game for both teams most of the game but the final minutes had some redeeming drama. Unfortunately for the Pistons the game winners didn’t drop.

I expected more from two teams that had been averaging over 100 points per game, and especially from the Pistons with the way they’re been playing and considering they’re usually money on the second game of back-to-backs.

The Pistons were lucky to even be in this game after the opening half they had. They shot a measly 27% from the field and were out rebounded 19-28. They scored a season low 33 points for the half, this after scoring 37 in the first quarter the night before. Despite all that they were only down by 5 at the half.

A couple things helped the Pistons stay close. For one Houston was having the worst free throw shooting night I’ve ever seen. They missed 11straight free throws. At one point in the game they were 1/15 and don’t think their crowd didn’t let them know it. They finished the game 6/22 from the line, that’s 27.3%! Turnovers also helped the Pistons stick around. Houston committed 12 for the game, but 8 of them came in the first half.

The third quarter started slow for the Pistons and they dug themselves a 14 point hole. Being the resilient team Detroit is they went on a 12-2 run and finished the quarter down by only 2.

The 4th quarter seen the Pistons again behind the eight ball or more like 8 points behind with 1:22 to go. The Pistons fought back draining back-to-back three pointers by Sheed and Rip to cut the lead to 2. After Houston failed to convert the Pistons got two good looks at three pointers by Chauncey and Rasheed for the win but it just turned out to be one of those nights. Rasheed was instrumental to the comeback scoring 11 of his team high 21 points in the quarter.

GAME NOTES:

• Dice down: Half way through the 4th quarter Antonio McDyess went down grimacing in pain. At first in looked as if he was holding onto his knee, but it was actually his left ankle that rolled when he landed on Rasheed Wallace’s foot after trying to contest a Yao Ming dunk. Dice went to the lockers room with trainers and had the ankle taped up and actually returned for the Pistons futile final possession. Chris McCosky of the Detroit News is saying the Pistons will re-examine him today.
• The Pistons are now 0-2 in their throwback unis.
• Pistons only ended up with 36% shooting on the night
• Rasheed and former Jailblazer’s teammate Bonzi Wells both picked up technicals for some competitive jawing in the 4th qtr. Rasheed: “He came up into me, and it’s a tech on me. It’s all right. I gotta get that rescinded.” (via Detroit Free Press)
• Rasheed fouled out in the 4th quarter
• The Rockets were deplorable at the line but the Pistons at 59% have nothing to feel good about either
• Maxiell with 9 points and 13 boards off the Pistons’ bench
• Rip and Chauncey combined to shoot 37%
• Jarvis Hayes shot 0-4
• Tracy (that’s a girl’s name) McGrady scored 29 pts but went 0/5 from the charity stripe
• Flip Murray: 1/5 shooting, 0/4 free throws, 2 turnovers

QUOTES:

Rasheed on foul calls:

“Ticky-tack fouls, this man’s (Yao’s) 300 pounds, and they talk about how I bodied him up. I fouled him with the body. What the hell, I’m supposed to let him get to the lane?” (via: Detroit Free Press)

Rasheed on the Dec. 23rd rematch with Houston:

“We are going to bust their butts next time, they aren’t going to have Dick (Bavetta, referee) and those cats to help them.” (via: Detroit News)