SB Nation Detroit - Pistons Keep Things Close, But Lose To Spurs, 111-104https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48919/detroit-fave.png2011-03-10T09:09:38-05:00http://detroit.sbnation.com/rss/stream/18049522011-03-10T09:09:38-05:002011-03-10T09:09:38-05:00Pistons Keep Things Close, But Lose To Spurs, 111-104
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/H1nkJZEKgNB4flMOTtEjqeuhPPs=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47828117/large_detroit.sbnation.com.minimal.66294.0.png" />
</figure>
<p>San Antonio, TX (<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/events/64660/recap?article_id=146448">Sports Network</a>) - <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../nba/players/21781/tony-parker">Tony Parker</a> posted a game-high 23 points to lead six San Antonio scorers in double digits, as the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../nba/teams/san-antonio-spurs">Spurs</a> topped the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../nba/teams/detroit-pistons">Pistons</a>, 111-104, at AT&T Center.</p>
<p>"I thought he did a great job throughout the game, being aggressive, distributing the ball," Spurs coach <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../nba/players/98773/gregg-popovich">Gregg Popovich</a> said of Parker. "When we really needed some offense, he was scoring when (the Pistons) made a run at the end. He was fantastic."</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../nba/players/21776/tim-duncan">Tim Duncan</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../nba/players/112006/gary-neal">Gary Neal</a> both finished with 15 points, while Duncan grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds in the victory, San Antonio's third in four games. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../nba/players/21775/manu-ginobili">Manu Ginobili</a> added 17 points and five assists for the victors.</p>
<p>The Spurs improved to 30-3 at home this season and rebounded from their loss to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../nba/teams/los-angeles-lakers">Lakers</a> on Sunday, which snapped a 22-game home winning streak.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../nba/players/21693/richard-hamilton">Richard Hamilton</a> paced Detroit with 20 points in a reserve role while both <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../nba/players/21691/tayshaun-prince">Tayshaun Prince</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../nba/players/111926/greg-monroe">Greg Monroe</a> added 16 points in the loss, the Pistons' third in four games.</p>
<p>The Spurs opened the game by making their first 14 shot attempts, and after Duncan dropped in a dunk with 3:40 remaining their lead was 33-18.</p>
<p>San Antonio shot a blistering 81 percent from the field in the first quarter, held the Pistons to a 12-5 rebounding margin, and behind nine points from Ginobili took a 40-26 lead into the second.</p>
<p>"I've been in the business for a long time and I've never seen a team shoot 80 percent, that was incredible," Pistons coach <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../nba/players/98712/john-kuester">John Kuester</a> said. "I thought that was the difference in the game, first quarter 40 to 26. That hurt us."</p>
<p>The Spurs continued their hot-shooting with a 78-percent showing in the second quarter, but seven costly turnovers allowed Detroit to hold its margin. Hamilton paced the Pistons with eight points in the quarter as San Antonio took a 67-52 lead into the break.</p>
<p>The Pistons made a marginal comeback in the third quarter, cutting their deficit to 79-73 with just under 2 1/2 minutes remaining. However, after trading baskets the Spurs' lead was back to double-digits, 88-75, entering the final stanza.</p>
<p>The Detroit bench tried to spark a comeback in the closing minutes but the Spurs' insurmountable lead was too much to overcome.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../nba/players/21783/tracy-mcgrady">Tracy McGrady</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../nba/players/21810/ben-gordon">Ben Gordon</a> finished with 15 and 12 points, respectively, for Detroit...Richard Jefferson and Bonner added 12 and 11 points, respectively, in the win...Detroit held a 39-32 rebounding advantage, including 20-5 on the offensive glass...The Spurs' 40 first quarter points were a season high for any quarter...<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../../nba/players/21692/antonio-mcdyess">Antonio McDyess</a> played in his 1,000th NBA game, finishing with eight points and five rebounds...The win clinched a playoff spot for San Antonio.</p>
https://detroit.sbnation.com/detroit-pistons/2011/3/10/2041836/pistons-keep-things-close-but-lose-to-spurs-111-104Sean Yuille2011-03-09T20:10:46-05:002011-03-09T20:10:46-05:00Pistons Visit Spurs To Begin Three-Game Road Trip
<figure>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/H1nkJZEKgNB4flMOTtEjqeuhPPs=/0x26:400x293/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/47828117/large_detroit.sbnation.com.minimal.66294.0.png" />
</figure>
<p>(Sports Network) - The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../nba/teams/san-antonio-spurs">San Antonio Spurs</a> aim to bounce back from their first home loss in more than three months Wednesday when they face off with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../nba/teams/detroit-pistons">Detroit Pistons</a> in the Alamo City.</p>
<p>In what many considered to be a Western Conference Finals preview on Sunday, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../nba/teams/los-angeles-lakers">Los Angeles Lakers</a> made an emphatic statement behind 26 points, seven rebounds and five assists from <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../nba/players/21869/kobe-bryant">Kobe Bryant</a> in a 99-83 whipping of San Antonio at the AT&T Center that wasn't as close as the final score indicated.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../nba/players/112006/gary-neal">Gary Neal</a> provided 15 points off the bench while <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../nba/players/21781/tony-parker">Tony Parker</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../nba/players/50397/george-hill">George Hill</a> netted 14 points apiece for the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/">Spurs</a>, who had their franchise-record 22-game home win streak snapped. San Antonio dropped to 29-3 with its first loss on home hardwood since a Nov. 26 setback to Dallas.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../nba/players/21776/tim-duncan">Tim Duncan</a> made just 1-of-7 shots in matching a career-low with two points and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../nba/players/21775/manu-ginobili">Manu Ginobili</a> added only six points after a 3-of-10 shooting effort.</p>
<p>"When you lose like this, it's not as bad as it seems, just like when we won the Miami game (Friday), it's not as good as it seems," Neal commented. "It's one game. Unfortunately, it was against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Lakers</a>, a team we'll probably see in the playoffs. This is a warning sign that we have to continue to work and continue to improve."</p>
<p>Head coach <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../nba/players/98773/gregg-popovich">Gregg Popovich</a> emptied the Spurs bench in the fourth quarter and the reserves were able to make the score look respectable.</p>
<p>San Antonio still leads the Mavs by five games for the top spots in the Southwest Division and the West.</p>
<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.detroitbadboys.com/">Pistons</a>, meanwhile, snapped a two-game skid Sunday when <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../nba/players/21691/tayshaun-prince">Tayshaun Prince</a>, playing in his first game since a four-game absence, finished with 20 points and six rebounds as Detroit topped the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../nba/teams/washington-wizards">Washington Wizards</a>, 113-102, at The Palace of Auburn Hills.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../nba/players/24210/rodney-stuckey">Rodney Stuckey</a> scored 19 points to go along with nine assists and seven rebounds while both <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../nba/players/111926/greg-monroe">Greg Monroe</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../nba/players/71915/austin-daye">Austin Daye</a> contributed 12 points for the Pistons, who had dropped five of six entering Sunday.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../nba/players/21678/charlie-villanueva">Charlie Villanueva</a> scored 16, including three from long range, in Detroit's eighth-straight win against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Wizards</a>.</p>
<p>"A big part of [Washington's] offense is transition and we did a great job of loading to the basketball and making sure that we didn't allow Wall (to penetrate)," Pistons coach <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="../../nba/players/98712/john-kuester">John Kuester</a> said. "We did a good job on him throughout the game until the very end where he made a couple of baskets."</p>
<p>San Antonio has taken three of its last four versus Detroit and will be shooting to sweep the home-and-home season series between the two clubs for the first time since 2006-07.</p>
https://detroit.sbnation.com/2011/3/9/2331222/pistons-visit-spurs-to-begin-three-game-road-tripIan Casselberry