
SUNS (107) @ Pistons (97) / {boxscore}
After a overtime peak the night before the Pistons roller coaster took another Sunday plunge last night against the Suns.
The Pistons can look to both sides of the ball to get an understanding as to why they lost yet another home game. The ball movement was poor, 19 assists on 85 shots. Especially the 4th quarter when there was too much one-on-one play by the Pistons often resulting in turnovers.
The defense fared no better. The Suns shot 49%. Sixty-six of their points came in the paint and another 31 via fast breaks. The Suns continually caught the Pistons with their transition pants down.
“Phoenix is a running team,” said Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey, who scored eight points. “Sometimes we run, too, as well. They just got out and just ran, ran us to the ground. I think a couple of our guys are fatigued as well from the other night, playing a lot of minutes. I guess that’s no excuse, though.” -Freep
Steve Nash (15 pts) carved the Pistons up like a surgeon. Nash’s had 21 assists, yep, more than the whole Pistons team combined. Twenty-one assists is one off from tying a career high for the Canadian dime dropper. Steve Nash being an assist off tying a career high is sort of like Christian Bale being one f-bomb short of a personal high in a tirade directed towards you. It’s pretty significant.
Nash is the first Pistons opponent to record 20 or more assists since Norm Nixon of the then San Diego Clippers got 20 in 1985. It’s actually the most assists at the Palace by any player.
Thanks to Nash’s handy work all the Suns starters, plus Leandro Barbosa all scored in double figures. Maybe that’s why, despite Nash recently turning 35, is coveted so highly that the Suns list him as the only untouchable Sun with the trade deadline looming.
Allen Iverson (25 pts on 8/22 shooting) and Rip Hamilton (27 pts on 11/19) combined for 52 in the losing effort. Rasheed Wallace added a 16 points, 10 board double-double but cooled off from the previous nights hot 3pt shooting going 2/6.
No love lost between the Pistons and Bill Cartwright – Phoenix assistant Alvin Gentry told Bill Cartwright he was the only one on the staff without a connection to Michigan. “I have a connection,” Gentry recalled Cartwright saying. “I’ve hated them since I played for the Bulls.” – espn
ALSO OF NOTE: Stoudemire tells TV WXYZ that playing for the Pistons would be “phenomenal” … The Suns swept the series against Detroit for the first time since the 1999-2000 season, when Porter played for them and Curry and Grant Hill were Piston players … This was Grant Hill’s first win at the Palace since leaving the Pistons …