Friday, November 9, 2007 at The Palace of Auburn Hills
Pistons vs. Clippers Gameday

by Ryan Pretzer

TV: TV20 Detroit (HDTV| Radio: WDFN 1130 AM - The Fan

Last Meeting: Detroit won 98-80 (March 11, 2007)

The skinny: The Clippers did Tuesday what the Pistons could not Thursday, win at Chicago to stay undefeated. As one of the league’s two remaining unbeatens with the new-look Celtics, the 4-0 Clips are officially the early-season Cinderella. The summer Achilles injury suffered by Elton Brand was supposed to derail L.A.’s season, but the backcourt of Corey Maggette (19.8 ppg), Cutino Mobley (18.3) and Sam Cassell (15.8) has kept the Clips on the offensive. They’re averaging 109.0 points per game, second best in the league. They scored only 80 and 74, respectively, in two losses to Detroit in 2006-07. None of the current Pistons were on the team in 2001, the last time the Clips won at The Palace. They’ve lost 13 of their last 14 in Auburn Hills, including the last six.

What to watch: The perimeter-oriented Bulls outscored the Pistons in the paint decisively Thursday, and now one of the league’s true pivots comes to town, Central Michigan’s Chris Kaman. He struggled against Detroit’s bigs last season, committing eight fouls and a team-high seven turnovers combined. He seemed flummoxed by the skill set of Chris Webber, who averaged a team-high 19.0 points per game (along with Rip Hamilton) and a team-high 10.0 rebounds. Webber is not in the Pistons’ mix now and Kaman is off to the best start of his four-year career, averaging 16.8 points and 16.5 rebounds, first in the NBA. Brand’s injury has nonetheless left head coach Mike Dunleavy with few other options in the post. (Fomer Michigan State center Paul Davis is averaging 9.8 minutes but shooting 15.4 percent from the field.) It will be interesting to see if the Pistons depth – Nazr Mohammed and Jason Maxiell – can help Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess wear Kaman down, especially after the bench was rendered ineffective in Chicago.

LA Clippers (4-0) at Detroit (3-1)

Game Info: 8:00 pm EST Fri Nov 9, 2007

By MIKE VOTTA, STATS Senior Writer

Despite a slew of injuries, the Los Angeles Clippers are off to their best start in more than 20 years.

The Clippers will try to keep their perfect record intact and end a nine-game losing streak against the Pistons when they visit Detroit on Friday.

The Clippers are 4-0 for the first time since 1985-86, when they started out with five consecutive wins in their second season in Los Angeles. They handed Indiana its first loss of the season on Wednesday, beating the Pacers 104-89 to improve to 2-0 on a road trip that concludes with this contest.

"In training camp, our motto was 'Believe,'" said forward Corey Maggette, who leads Los Angeles with 19.8 points per game. "We've gotten off to a great start, and we just have to keep it up."

However, Wednesday's victory came at a cost as Cuttino Mobley, who entered the game averaging 23.7 points, left in the first quarter with a strained right groin. He is not expected to play against the Pistons (3-1) and could miss up to a week.

Maggette is questionable for this game after aggravating a bruised tailbone, and reserve Ruben Patterson re-injured a dislocated right pinkie finger in the opening quarter and will be a game-time decision. The Clippers are already without Elton Brand (Achilles') and Shaun Livingston (knee), who haven't played this season because of injury.

They may be battered, but the Clippers will be trying to defeat the Pistons for the first time since a 74-72 home victory on Nov. 3, 2002. They have also lost their last six visits to Detroit.

"Collectively as a group, we go into each and every game the underdog," Clippers guard Sam Cassell said. "If you don't play hard against us, we will beat you."

Less than two weeks from his 38th birthday, Cassell helped pick up the slack after Mobley and Patterson left Wednesday's game. He finished with 35 points - his highest total since he joined the Clippers in 2005 - while playing a season-high 33 minutes.

"You think I can't do it? Just sit back and watch," Cassell said. "These guys on my team know I can play, I just happen to be 37 years old."

Chris Kaman, who is averaging 16.8 points and 16.5 rebounds, had 15 points and 22 boards - the most rebounds in a single game in the league in 2007-08.

"I try to take advantage of the opportunities I'm given," said Kaman, who has a double-double in every game this season while helping fill in for Brand. "I know what I've got to do. I'm no Elton Brand - I don't have that game. I just wanted to try to help fill in where he's missing."

The Pistons, meanwhile, will try to bounce back from their first loss. After outscoring their first three opponents by an average margin of 12 points, they fell 97-93 on Thursday at Chicago.

Rasheed Wallace scored 36 points against the Bulls, his most since joining Detroit during the 2003-04 season.

"Regardless of my game, it ended in an `L,'" said Wallace, who entered the game averaging just 11.7 points. "I'm old school so it didn't matter what I did, the team lost the game."

Alright, hopefully we bounce back, I think its sheer amazing the Clipps are 0-4 despite not having Brand...the Pistons usually own the Clippers, I used to hate when Coach Dunleavy would have his players foul Ben w/ 7 minutes left in the 4th quarter when his team was down so Ben could miss and the Clipps could get extra possessions to come back, it never worked...


http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/LAC20051211.html

Ben went 7-22 from the line...

I'm looking for a bounce back game today...4-1

Bold prediction:

20 boards tonight for Kaman

Bold prediction:

20 boards tonight for Kaman


can't argue that, another bold predicition: one/third of those will be on cuttino mobley misses

Cuttino isn't playing

Clip getting 8pts.

I'm sensing another westside buttfuck here.

Anybody know if WXSP is carrying the game?

The on-screen guide says "Rocky 2"

Not good.

According to the Comcast TV Planner, WXSP should be carrying the game, Glenn. I'm playing in a symphonic band concert, but I'm hoping to get back to see the fourth quarter of a Piston victory.

I'm sensing another westside buttfuck here.

Anybody know if WXSP is carrying the game?

The on-screen guide says "Rocky 2"

Not good.


DTV has it listed.

http://sportsmed.starwave.com/i/magazine/new/apollo_trunks.jpg

Fuck you, Stallone.

Kaman has 13 rebounds already.

Sheed pickin up where he left off. And Dice off to a nice start too.

Bold prediction:

30 boards tonight for Kaman

Also what are you talking aboot, Mxy?

Dice, for one, definitely needs to play less.

Dice with 12 points in the first tonight.

Looks like he just needed my post for motivation.

You are all welcome.

Blaha: Dice shootin Darts tonight ~like that.

Don't sleep on Flip Murray for "WTFDetroit Bench Performer of the Night".

What fucking good is a Pistons mouse pad going to be?

There are probably, what, 10-12 rollerball mice still in use?

I'll put that thing next to my buggy whip collection.

What was it some promo? Its amazing what people will buy a ticket to a game for.


Homo promo

Kaman is a tough kid

MM needs to develop a simple glasser from 4 to 5 feet. Trying to dunk when you are flat footed from that far out, ain't usually good.

If they can maintain this lead, I want to see a steady diet of Amir in the 2nd half.


As do I.

awake since 2 am + 1 or 6 Newcastles + PIstons blowout = I'm struggling here

MM needs to develop a simple glasser from 4 to 5 feet. Trying to dunk when you are flat footed from that far out, ain't usually good.


Great chance he breaks an opponents finger. Worth it.

rebounds are 27-11 at the half in our favor

Maggette leads the LAC with 3 boards

pretty surprising

Sheed really needs to be miked up.

Kaman CMU, I forgot bout that. I was thinking East Lansing.

Melvindale lost 35-12. OLSM just ran the ball down their throats the entire game.

o hai there's a basketball game on.

Anyone know what Matt looks like? Does he have a mowhawk?

Melvindale lost 35-12. OLSM just ran the ball down their throats the entire game.

o hai there's a basketball game on.

did you freeze your nutz off?

I did.

Nice D by Nazr btw.

B B B B B B B Billlups

That was pretty much an asskicking

That was an asskicking
Fixed.

53 to 33 rebounding advantage. Nice. That's what i want to see

I really wish Flip Murray wouldn't play in garbage time. Not because I fear him getting hurt, but he feels like it's "Murray Time." I'm sick of seeing Flip play one-on-one for the last couple of minutes. In fact, the only Piston out there trying to play team ball was Amir.

I missed the game b/c I was at my little brothers HS football game, but I saw the box score and saw Sheed only played 15 minutes, is that just b/c they game was a blowout, or did he get hurt???

I missed the game b/c I was at my little brothers HS football game, but I saw the box score and saw Sheed only played 15 minutes, is that just b/c they game was a blowout, or did he get hurt???
Foul trouble. And, at one point, he was about to blow up because he was whacked in the face and it wasn't called, so he was cooling off. I suspect if not for that, Amir wouldn't have played in the 4th quarter.

I was half asleep, but I thought that I saw some really nice passing from Amir.


Detroit 103, LA Clippers 79

November 9, 2007

AP - Nov 9, 11:14 pm EST

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- Chauncey Billups and the Detroit Pistons showed another team how it felt to lose their first game.

Billups scored 23 points and Antonio McDyess added 14 Friday night to help Detroit hand the Los Angeles Clippers their first loss, 103-79.

A night after Detroit's first defeat of the season, Billups made five 3-pointers in the second half in a victory that left Boston as the NBA's lone unbeaten team.

"We needed to get that taste out of our mouths from last night; especially against a team that's been going good." said Billups, who was 5-for-7 from behind the arc in the third quarter.

Nazr Mohammed came off the bench to score 15 points and Richard Hamilton added 10 and 10 assists.

McDyess, who attempted just four field goals in Thursday's loss, made all seven tries from the floor and scored all 14 points in the first half as the Pistons took command early.

"I knew in warmups I felt pretty good and just kind of transported it to the game," McDyess said. "I made the first couple and they just kept coming.

"It was important to play an all-around game tonight to give us some confidence going out on the road."

The Pistons begin a five-game West Coast road trip Sunday at Seattle. They don't return home until Nov. 21.

Detroit made 15 of its 20 first-quarter field-goal attempts, including three straight during a 9-0 run that gave it the lead for good. The Pistons scored the first 10 points of the second quarter and led by as many as 20 before taking a 59-42 lead to intermission.

"We played pretty focused from the beginning," Detroit coach Flip Saunders said. "We played with good energy."

The Pistons outrebounded Los Angeles 53-33.

"They controlled the glass and the tempo of the game and shot the ball really well," Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said. "We didn't have guys make shots."

The Clippers, who won their first four games, never got closer than 13 in the second half.

Center Chris Kaman, who entered the game leading the league in rebounding, had 25 points but only seven rebounds -- almost nine below his 16.5 average -- for Los Angeles. Corey Maggette added 19 points.

"We weren't ready to play defensively tonight," Kaman said. "It just wasn't our night."

Sam Cassell, who scored 35 points in Wednesday's victory at Indiana, had only four Friday on 1-for-5 shooting.

The Clippers were without guard Cuttino Mobley, who missed the game after a hip injury against the Pacers. He's expected to miss at least a week.

Notes
Maggette (bruised tailbone), F Ruben Patterson (finger) and G Brevin Knight (back) all played for Los Angeles after being listed as game-time decisions. ... The Clippers were seeking their first 5-0 start since the 1985-86 season. ... Detroit sold out its 187th consecutive game.

http://us.i1.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/sp/getty/65/fullj.getty-76075626ae009pistons_clippers.jpg

How about the night from NazyMo?? I'd say he earned about 1/3rd of his years salary last night, wouldn't you say?

1/3 production yes, 1/3 salary would be 2 million dollars for 15 and 7 in a blowout?

1/3 production yes, 1/3 salary would be 2 million dollars for 15 and 7 in a blowout?


Nazy only gets up for 3 games a year...it's in his contract

Let me say that if Nazr keeps his dumb ass mouth shut, he can be useful off the bench. We may overpay for that. But its better than nothing. Its the role i thought he was only good for here in the first place. Its his demanding to start talk that soured on me along with his average production.