Pregame
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VS
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Despite leading the league in scoring, coach Mike D'Antoni is looking to slow down his Phoenix Suns slightly as they visit the Detroit Pistons.

Phoenix averages 108.4 points, but defense has become a concern for D'Antoni following his team's 140-126 shootout win Friday over Toronto. The Suns have won four of their last six games, but they have allowed opponents to score 112.7 points per game and shoot 49.7 percent from the field, including 51.6 percent (63-for-122) from 3-point range.

"I'm a little frustrated because we really try to play defense," D'Antoni said. "But again, people are going to score a lot of points because we score a lot of points."

Leandro Barbosa scored a career-high 28 points off the bench and Boris Diaw added 26 for the Suns, who have scored 125 points or more on nine occasions this season. Eddie House was the only one of eight players who saw action not to reach double figures Friday as the Suns made 15 3-pointers and shot 58 percent from the floor.

The Suns likely will play their last 10 games without forward Amare Stoudemire, who played just three games after missing the first 66 due to knee surgery. He has missed the last three games, and D'Antoni is looking ahead to possibly using him in the playoffs.

"With him we have a heck of a lot better chance of winning a title, but at the same time I think guys know their roles and they understand this is probably the way we want to go and get back to the way we were," D'Antoni said.

Phoenix, which has won three of its last five games at Detroit, has a 6 1/2-game lead over the Los Angeles Clippers atop the Pacific Division.

The Pistons have already wrapped up the Central Division and need any combination of wins or Miami Heat losses equaling two to clinch home-court advantage through the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Detroit's trademark defense was absent in the first half of its game Friday against the Milwaukee Bucks, conceding a season-worst 59 first-half points before rallying to win 112-105. It was the first time in seven games the Pistons -- who have won three straight and nine of their last 11 -- allowed an opponent to reach 100.

"I thought they never were going to miss," said Chauncey Billups who had 12 points. "We weren't making anything early."

Antonio McDyess scored 10 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, continuing his strong play. The veteran forward has averaged 12.1 points and 7.5 rebounds while shooting 58.4 percent in his last 11 games.

"He finally got tired at the end," Detroit coach Flip Saunders said. "I told him that, the way he was rolling, we were going to him until he couldn't move."

It was the second straight game the reserve had 18 points. McDyess has been valuable asset to the team in March, averaging 12.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in the last two weeks.

STANDINGS (through March 31): Suns - 1st place, Pacific Division. Pistons - 1st place, Central Division.

PROBABLE STARTERS: Suns - F Shawn Marion, F James Jones, C Diaw, G Raja Bell, G Nash. Pistons - F Tayshaun Prince, F Rasheed Wallace, C Ben Wallace, G Richard Hamilton, G Billups.

TEAM LEADERS: Suns - Marion, 21.4 ppg and 12.1 rpg; Nash, 10.6 apg. Pistons - Hamilton, 20.6 ppg; B. Wallace, 11.7 rpg; Billups, 8.7 apg.

SEASON SERIES: Pistons, 1-0.

LAST MEETING: Nov. 10; Pistons, 111-104. At Phoenix, Billups scored 13 of his 27 points in the first quarter and also had 11 assists for the Pistons, who shot 53.8 percent from the field. Barbosa scored 21 points off the bench for the Suns.

ROAD/HOME RECORDS: Suns - 21-14 on the road; Pistons - 32-3 at home.

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[smilie=llama_banan:

I love these easy games vs teams who have no idea what defense is.

reserved for post game stuff

We can clinch the east with a win.

Clinching is just a formality this year. We've already got everything locked up. Just get to the playoffs healthy.

Yes but it would be nice to do it at home on National TV.

I would love this win. I want Billups to abuse the fuck out of Nash

http://img240.imageshack.us/img240/2364/nash0wf.jpg

"Yes! I love getting my ass kicked at the Palace!"

NAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!

111-102 Pistons. I'll be at this game.

http://images.usatoday.com/sports/_photos/2005/10/11/inside1-2005-10-11-amare-stoudemire.jpg

I love these easy games vs teams who have no idea what defense is.

Phoenix agrees.

suns on fire

Craziest shot I've ever seen.

This is fucking sick. They can't miss.

Someone needs to put a muzzle on Rasheed's big ass fuckig mouth. He just cost us our starting streak.

So does Sheed miss next game due to suspension?? There goes our starter streak...

Thankfully we only play the Hornets.

Albeit they would probably be a 4-5 seed in the East.

What exactly happened, Ben got knocked in the head and there was no call so Rasheed starts chirping and gets T'd, Chauncey starts chirping at Sheeds T and gets T'd...

What exactly happened, Ben got knocked in the head and there was no call so Rasheed starts chirping and gets T'd, Chauncey starts chirping at Sheeds T and gets T'd...

Ben got the call, but the team thought it should have been flagrant, which it wasn't.

What exactly happened, Ben got knocked in the head and there was no call so Rasheed starts chirping and gets T'd, Chauncey starts chirping at Sheeds T and gets T'd...

Chauncey got a Tech before that.

It was just Sheed that picked up the T.

This was a defensive win regardless of the score. After giving up 68 in the first half. only 34 in the 2nd. Big Time stepping it up. Good Win.

111-102 Pistons. I'll be at this game. holy shit

Damn close on that, Comrade.

Hell of a game, and great comeback.

What a fuckin 2nd half clinic. It was the Bucks game all over again. Big Ben was a beast out there.

Best game of the year by far.
Billups is crazy.

both games against the Suns, we just whip them in clutch time.

Chauncey Billups > Steve -Worst MVP Ever- Nash

Chauncey Billups > Steve -Worst MVP Ever- Nash

These words radiate truth.

I love these easy games vs teams who have no idea what defense is.

Phoenix agrees.
So does Detroit.

111-102 Pistons. I'll be at this game.

I was almost money on that. I was screaming for somebody to shoot the damn ball. Was a great game, and great atmosphere. Billups is ridiculous.

Chauncey Billups > Steve -Worst MVP Ever- Nash

These words radiate truth.


Dudes not even MVP of his team....

Shawn Marion > Steve Nash

i'd like to think this game somehow will diminish nash's chances at mvp, but it wont.

The Pistons spent a lot of time arguing with officials, leading to technicals against Billups, Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace.

It got so testy that Mason was admonished by official Steve Javie for contorting his face after a call was made against the Pistons.

WTF?

Also, has anyone heard the real story about Sheed being late?

The Pistons spent a lot of time arguing with officials, leading to technicals against Billups, Ben Wallace and Rasheed Wallace.

It got so testy that Mason was admonished by official Steve Javie for contorting his face after a call was made against the Pistons.

WTF?

Also, has anyone heard the real story about Sheed being late?
supposedly fucked up on daylight savings time change.

Flip and SHeed were laughing and joking in pre-game, so it couldnt have been that bad.

From the weekender news shows, it seems like Sheed really did just forget to advance his clocks. He got to the game 15 minutes before the tip. Saunders wanted McDyess to start, but Dyess wanted no part of it.

Sheed says he recognized his mistake as he was dricing to the arena - his first reaction was "Oh Shit".

111-102 Pistons. I'll be at this game.
...
WOW!!!!!
...
FUCKIN WOW!!!!! [smilie=applause.gi:

Flip and SHeed were laughing and joking in pre-game, so it couldnt have been that bad.


So it wasn't as serious as ABC was trying to make it?

The way they were talking about it, you'd of thought Sheed killed someone on the way to the game.

Flip and SHeed were laughing and joking in pre-game, so it couldnt have been that bad.


So it wasn't as serious as ABC was trying to make it?

The way they were talking about it, you'd of thought Sheed killed someone on the way to the game.

LMAO.

Its ABC, what do you expect?

I just found it odd that even if he got there an hour late, that would make his regular arrival time only an hour and fifteen minutes before tip off.

I would think they would normally be there at least 2 hours before a game.

Of course, traffic would be worse if you are running an hour behind too.

The whole "Dice didn't want to start - Mason announcing the wrong name" thing is just weird, IMO.

I'm just left thinking that there is more to the story than what we are hearing about.

Flip probably relented because he didn't want to make this into a bigger deal than it needs to be this close to the playoffs.

If we had a .500 record and/or it was early in the season, he might have handled it differently.

Fuck, I missed this game when i was in Columbus.

I did watch the Cavs game on Saturday on their local channels. Apparently LeBron has a "Triple-Double Burger" or something like that at McDonald's over there. Looked good. (MJ didn't have no fucking burger)