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Pistons try to keep streak alive against Trail Blazers

Jan 7, 2009 - 11:35 AM Detroit (21-11) at Portland (20-14) 10:00 p.m. EST

PORTLAND, Oregon (Ticker) -- It has not always been pretty, but the Detroit Pistons are making it work. They have won a season-high seven games in a row, even though they have had to sweat out ugly victories over the likes of the Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder in the process.

But the Pistons have managed to get it done nonetheless, and now will look to extend that streak to eight as they continue their four-game Western Conference road trip Wednesday against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Detroit struggled against a woeful Clippers squad on Sunday, finally coming away with an 88-87 victory in the game's final seconds as Los Angeles was whistled for defensive goaltending on Allen Iverson's floater in the lane. To Iverson's credit, the shot appeared to be on the mark anyway.

However, it has not been Iverson driving the ship during the Pistons' recent stretch. That distinction goes to second-year point guard Rodney Stuckey, who has enjoyed a breakout campaign since being paired with Iverson in the backcourt.

Stuckey is the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week after averaging 23.0 points and 5.3 assists in four games. That included a 38-point, seven-assist performance in Friday's 98-92 win over the Sacramento Kings.

The Trail Blazers, meanwhile, have dropped two in a row to start the new year.

To be fair, those losses have come against two of the league's top teams - the New Orleans Hornets and Los Angeles Lakers. But Portland's offensive performance in the losses left something to be desired, as it averaged just 81.5 points.

To make matters worse, All-Star guard Brandon Roy still is sidelined for another few games with a strained right hamstring that already has kept him out of three contests.