Matt
11-15-2006, 08:31 AM
Pistons vs Hornets Preview (http://www.nba.com/games/20061115/NOKDET/preview.html)
A ragged road trip left the Detroit Piston searching for consistency. Perhaps a return to The Palace can turn things around.
The Pistons begin a three-game homestand Wednesday when they host the New Orleans Hornets.
Detroit completed a 1-3 West Coast road trip with an embarrassing 111-79 loss Saturday to Golden State that came one day after the Pistons played their best game of the year in a 97-83 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Detroit, which also lost to Utah and Sacramento, suffered its worst defeat since losing 119-82 to Dallas on Nov. 19, 2005.
``You're concerned no matter when it is (in a season) because you want to get consistency, and we've got to get consistency,'' Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. ``We came out kind of flat and they were hitting some shots in the beginning and pretty much just beat up on us.''
Detroit (3-4) got a much-needed break following Saturday's contest. The Pistons had played seven games in 11 days, the last two without All-Star guard Richard Hamilton, who leads the Pistons in scoring at 22 points per game.
Hamilton, out with a hyperextended right elbow, has been able to practice this week and could be in the lineup against the Hornets.
Detroit also hosts Washington and Houston on this homestand. The Pistons have five of their next six at The Palace, where they are 1-1 this season and matched a team record by going 37-4 in 2005-06.
New Orleans (5-3) had been in a funk of its own. After starting a franchise-best 4-0, the Hornets lost all three games on their own West Coast road trip before returning home to beat Charlotte 94-85 on Tuesday night.
Peja Stojakovic scored a career-high 42 points to help New Orleans win without second-leading scorer David West.
The 6-foot-9 West, averaging 17.4 points and 8.3 rebounds, is out at least two games with a strained right forearm. He's hoping to be back Saturday when the Hornets play Minnesota.
``We really needed somebody to step up and play some basketball with David West being out, and Peja stepped up big time tonight,'' Hornets forward Desmond Mason said. ``That was as wonderful a performance as I've ever seen in person. To have him step up and be a leader as a veteran, that was big time.''
Without West, New Orleans went to Stojakovic early and often. He scored the team's first 20 points and finished with a franchise-record 22 points in the opening quarter.
Stojakovic had another 11 points during a 13-4 fourth-quarter run that sealed the game for the Hornets.
``I just came out aggressive, playing like every other game. I got going, so guys kept looking for me,'' Stojakovic said. ``I kept playing, I kept shooting the ball.
``I don't know how to describe it,'' he said. ``When you're a shooter, you just shoot it even when you're missing - just trying to get yourself involved in the game, and when you make a couple in a row your teammates start looking to you.''
New Orleans will be more short-handed in the frontcourt, as center Tyson Chandler - who had 15 rebounds Tuesday - sustained a mild concussion after he was elbowed in the fourth quarter and didn't travel with the team to Detroit.
The Pistons have won four in a row over the Hornets. Before that, New Orleans had won five of the previous six matchups.
Don't forget the chatroom is open during the game: Chatroom (http://wtfdetroit.com/chat/flashchat.php)
A ragged road trip left the Detroit Piston searching for consistency. Perhaps a return to The Palace can turn things around.
The Pistons begin a three-game homestand Wednesday when they host the New Orleans Hornets.
Detroit completed a 1-3 West Coast road trip with an embarrassing 111-79 loss Saturday to Golden State that came one day after the Pistons played their best game of the year in a 97-83 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.
Detroit, which also lost to Utah and Sacramento, suffered its worst defeat since losing 119-82 to Dallas on Nov. 19, 2005.
``You're concerned no matter when it is (in a season) because you want to get consistency, and we've got to get consistency,'' Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. ``We came out kind of flat and they were hitting some shots in the beginning and pretty much just beat up on us.''
Detroit (3-4) got a much-needed break following Saturday's contest. The Pistons had played seven games in 11 days, the last two without All-Star guard Richard Hamilton, who leads the Pistons in scoring at 22 points per game.
Hamilton, out with a hyperextended right elbow, has been able to practice this week and could be in the lineup against the Hornets.
Detroit also hosts Washington and Houston on this homestand. The Pistons have five of their next six at The Palace, where they are 1-1 this season and matched a team record by going 37-4 in 2005-06.
New Orleans (5-3) had been in a funk of its own. After starting a franchise-best 4-0, the Hornets lost all three games on their own West Coast road trip before returning home to beat Charlotte 94-85 on Tuesday night.
Peja Stojakovic scored a career-high 42 points to help New Orleans win without second-leading scorer David West.
The 6-foot-9 West, averaging 17.4 points and 8.3 rebounds, is out at least two games with a strained right forearm. He's hoping to be back Saturday when the Hornets play Minnesota.
``We really needed somebody to step up and play some basketball with David West being out, and Peja stepped up big time tonight,'' Hornets forward Desmond Mason said. ``That was as wonderful a performance as I've ever seen in person. To have him step up and be a leader as a veteran, that was big time.''
Without West, New Orleans went to Stojakovic early and often. He scored the team's first 20 points and finished with a franchise-record 22 points in the opening quarter.
Stojakovic had another 11 points during a 13-4 fourth-quarter run that sealed the game for the Hornets.
``I just came out aggressive, playing like every other game. I got going, so guys kept looking for me,'' Stojakovic said. ``I kept playing, I kept shooting the ball.
``I don't know how to describe it,'' he said. ``When you're a shooter, you just shoot it even when you're missing - just trying to get yourself involved in the game, and when you make a couple in a row your teammates start looking to you.''
New Orleans will be more short-handed in the frontcourt, as center Tyson Chandler - who had 15 rebounds Tuesday - sustained a mild concussion after he was elbowed in the fourth quarter and didn't travel with the team to Detroit.
The Pistons have won four in a row over the Hornets. Before that, New Orleans had won five of the previous six matchups.
Don't forget the chatroom is open during the game: Chatroom (http://wtfdetroit.com/chat/flashchat.php)