SB Nation Detroit - Rip Hamilton Scores 20, But Pistons Fall To Thunder, 104-94https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48919/detroit-fave.png2011-03-11T22:50:18-05:00http://detroit.sbnation.com/rss/stream/18092192011-03-11T22:50:18-05:002011-03-11T22:50:18-05:00Thunder Strikes Down Pistons, 104-94
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<p>Oklahoma City, OK (<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/events/64661/recap?article_id=146973">Sports Network</a>) – Kevin Durant recorded 24 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three steals, as the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/">Oklahoma City Thunder</a> handled the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.detroitbadboys.com/">Detroit Pistons</a>, 104-94.</p>
<p>James Harden made four three-pointers en route to 22 points off the bench for the Thunder, who have won five in a row against the Pistons and swept the home-and-home season series for the second straight year.</p>
<p>Serge Ibaka added 16 points and eight boards for Oklahoma City, which has won two straight and five of six overall. Russell Westbrook tallied 13 points and 11 assists.</p>
<p>Richard Hamilton finished with 20 points for the Pistons, who have lost 10 of their last 13 games.</p>
<p>Rodney Stuckey and Tayshaun Prince donated 16 and 15 points, respectively, for Detroit, which got 12 points and 10 rebounds from Greg Monroe. Tracy McGrady chipped in with 11 points and nine boards.</p>
https://detroit.sbnation.com/detroit-pistons/2011/3/11/2045599/thunder-strikes-down-pistons-104-94Ian Casselberry2011-03-11T18:24:37-05:002011-03-11T18:24:37-05:00Pistons Road To More Lottery Balls Goes Through Oklahoma City
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<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">(<a href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/events/64661/preview?article_id=146848" target="_blank">Sports Network</a>) - Oklahoma City will try to pad its lead in the Northwest Division when the club hosts the lowly <a style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: #c61c17; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="https://www.detroitbadboys.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Detroit Pistons</a> on Friday.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">The <a style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: #c61c17; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="https://www.welcometoloudcity.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Thunder</a> have won four of their past five games and lead by Denver by three games in the Northwest. Most recently, <span>Kevin Durant</span>, the NBA's leading scorer, led Oklahoma City's comeback with 34 points and 16 rebounds, as the Thunder rallied past the Sixers, 110-105, in overtime at Wells Fargo Center.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span>Russell Westbrook</span> added 27 points and 12 assists for the Thunder, which is 4-3 since a pair of trades brought<span>Kendrick Perkins</span>, <span>Nate Robinson</span> and <span>Nazr Mohammed</span> to the Thunder on Feb. 24. <span>Nick Collison</span> tallied 13 points and 10 boards off the bench.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">"It was a good win for us," Thunder head coach <span>Scott Brooks</span> said. "We made a lot of big plays down the stretch."</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">Mohammed continues to start for Brooks as Perkins recovers from a sprained left MCL. The former <a style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: #c61c17; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="https://www.celticsblog.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Celtics</a> big man is close to returning, however, and is listed as questionable for tonight. Robinson, meanwhile, remains out after undergoing arthroscopic right knee surgery.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">The Pistons lost for the third time in four games Wednesday when <span>Tony Parker</span> posted a game-high 23 points to lead six San Antonio scorers in double digits, as the <a style="outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; color: #c61c17; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; margin: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;" href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Spurs</a> topped the Pistons, 111-104, at AT&T Center.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span>Richard Hamilton</span> paced Detroit with 20 points in a reserve role while both <span>Tayshaun Prince</span> and <span>Greg Monroe</span> added 16 points in the loss, the Pistons' worst defensive effort of the season. San Antonio shot a sizzling 64.3 percent in the game and over 80 percent in the opening quarter.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">"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 <span>John Kuester</span> said. "I thought that was the difference in the game, first quarter 40 to 26. That hurt us."</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;"><span>Tracy McGrady</span> and <span>Ben Gordon</span> finished with 15 and 12 points, respectively, for Detroit.</p>
<p style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; outline-width: 0px; outline-style: initial; outline-color: initial; font-size: 13px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; padding: 0px; border: 0px initial initial;">The Thunder have won four straight over the Pistons and will be aiming to sweep the home-and-home season series for the second straight campaign.</p>
https://detroit.sbnation.com/2011/3/11/2331344/pistons-road-to-more-lottery-balls-goes-through-oklahoma-cityPackey