Pistons Take Down Dallas

by Brett Edwards

The Pistons beat the Mavs in one of the best games I've seen all season. The teams went back and forth the entire game, and the intensity was strong on both sides. The Mavs are still missing some of their key role players, but thanks to huge games from Stackhouse and Van Horn they were able to battle the Pistons to the wire.

Rasheed Wallace scored 8 points in a key 5 minute stretch in the 4th, and Chauncey Billups made a huge 3-pointer with just under 3 minutes to go, and followed that up with a fade away 20-footer over Dirk in the final minute to seal the deal. As usual, the Pistons made the big shots when the game was on the line.

In watching the teams trade baskets throughout the 4th quarter, I never got the feeling that Dallas was actually going to win, even though they led midway through the quarter. The Pistons took control with about 4:30 left, outscoring Dallas 11-2 to end the game.

Dallas needs to get healthy if they want to have a shot in the playoffs. They have done a remarkable job of plugging in every last guy on their bench and still winning games, but you're not going to do that against the elite teams. And speaking of Rawle Marshall, he started, played 10 minutes, didn't score and didn't return...because he really isn't very good.

Avery Johnson was asked if it was important to try to get the best record in the league, even if it meant rushing some players back from injury a little early. He summed it up best when he said the number one seed doesn't do you any good if you don't have your best players ready. Very true, because if Darrell Armstrong has to try to guard Tony Parker in the playoffs, the Mavs will be done in 4.

Comments

[coach]

i am afraid , its the same story all over again. the mavs will be gone in the second round. still weak in the middle .dampier experiment went kaput.diop is a back up guy forced to play main central char.
mark c. needs to take out his checkbook again .

[Sean]

The Wiz-Kings game was amazing last night.

[Brett]

I'm pretty sure you're kidding Sean, but in case you're not...The DAL=DET game was a matchup of two teams with the best records in the league, one of which will be your NBA champs this year, and the other gave them all they could handle on the road. The teams exchanged big shots the entire 4th quarter.

The only thing that seemed interesting about the WIZ game was that Arenas sat it out "with an apparent case of the flu." Translation: SAC is back to food poisoning the other team's best player like they did to Kobe a few years back in the playoffs.

[Craig]

A few things to add:

I think that Dallas's season in NEXT YEAR. They need one run in the playoffs with this roster and they have had too many injuries this year. I think that they are the 3rd best team in the league, but a distant 3rd at that.

I saw the SAC-WIZ game. Fun stuff if you enjoy the slugfest that Sacramento is becoming. For the second game in a row a King player has been ejected (Ron Artest influence?). Kenny Thomas tried to take out Carron Butler on a layup and ended up giving him a HUGE gash with 5 stitches.

I look at Sacramento and I see a team that's missing chemistry and offensive cohesion. They may get swept in the first round.