Final
Warriors-Pistons Preview
Dec 12, 2009 - 6:06 AM By ALAN FERGUSON STATS WriterGolden State (7-14) at Detroit (10-12), 7:30 p.m. EDT
The Detroit Pistons haven't had their top two returning scorers on the floor for most of this season, and they were without two of their more reliable threats of 2009-10 in their last game.
That hasn't stopped the short-handed Pistons from playing their best basketball of the season.
With the statuses of those four players unknown, Detroit will try to record its fifth consecutive victory Saturday night when it hosts the Golden State Warriors.
Tayshaun Prince has been out with ruptured disc in his back since the beginning of November, and Richard Hamilton has appeared in just one game because of an ailing right ankle.
A left ankle injury has kept Ben Gordon out for four of the past seven games, including the last two, and Will Bynum missed Thursday night's 101-99 victory over visiting Denver with a pair of hurt ankles.
In place of his injured teammates, Rodney Stuckey has stepped in to average 24.0 points during the Pistons' four consecutive victories, scoring at least 25 in the past three.
Charlie Villanueva led the team with 27 points against the Northwest Division-leading Nuggets on Thursday.
"We had confidence," Villanueva told the team's official Web site. "We've been battling all year round (short-handed), so guys in here believed that we could win this game."
Despite their problems staying healthy, the Pistons (10-12) have improbably boosted their scoring average to 98.5 during their win streak after averaging 90.6 while losing eight of nine from Nov. 15-Dec. 2. They also topped 100 points for the fourth time this season Thursday.
"I'm just glad that we're weathering some of these storms," said coach John Kuester, whose team has also won four straight at The Palace of Auburn Hills. "I guess that's the best way of saying it."
Kuester's team will try to continue its offensive surge by taking advantage of the NBA's worst defense.
The Warriors have allowed 111.8 points per game this season, but they've held back-to-back opponents to fewer than 100 points for the first time this season. However, those teams - New Jersey and Chicago - are two of the league's lowest-scoring clubs.
One of the league's best offenses with 107.8 points per game, Golden State (7-15) was also held to fewer than 100 points for the sixth time this season in Friday night's 96-91 overtime loss to the Bulls - its fifth defeat in six games.
"We just made some mental mistakes late in the end and didn't execute well and that was the difference," guard Corey Maggette said. "You've got to execute down the stretch on the road."
The Warriors could struggle again against the Pistons, one of the league's best defenses (95.1 ppg). They've averaged 96.0 points on 40.6 percent shooting while losing their last four against Detroit.
Like the Pistons, the Warriors have been short-handed for much of this season. Only eight players were active for the last two games, and coach Don Nelson is home in California recovering from pneumonia with Keith Smart leading the team in his place.
Monta Ellis tried to carry the Warriors by averaging 31.0 points over a nine-game stretch, but he's fallen off that pace in the past two with 18 and 27 points, respectively.
Detroit has won 21 of 28 over Golden State since 1995-96 and 13 of 14 at home with its only loss coming March 5, 2007.
- NBA
FINAL 1ST 2ND 3RD 4TH TOTAL
--- --- --- --- -----
GOLDEN STATE 30 25 12 28 95
DETROIT 24 25 22 33 104 FINAL
HIGH SCORERS: GSW - MONTA ELLIS 29, COREY MAGGETTE 23,
STEPHEN CURRY 19
DET - RODNEY STUCKEY 29, CHARLIE VILLANUEVA
24, RICHARD HAMILTON 18
Dec 12 10:17 PM - NBA
GOLDEN STATE 67
DETROIT 71 END, 3RD QTR
Dec 12 9:38 PM - NBA
GOLDEN STATE 55
DETROIT 49 HALFTIME
Dec 12 8:50 PM - NBA
GOLDEN STATE 30
DETROIT 24 END, 1ST QTR
Dec 12 8:11 PM
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