| Pistons Firing On Five Cylinders, Spoil Clippers' Homestand Authored by Scott Essman - December 12, 2005 - 1:52 pm
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A Melo Behind The SuperstarsCarmelo Anthony has never been one of the league's most efficient offensive players.
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36 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while three other Clippers scored in double-figures. But it wasn't enough to beat the formidable Detroit Pistons tandem of guards Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups, big men Rasheed and Ben Wallace, and small forward Tayshaun Prince.
Point guard Billups lead the Pistons with 25 points and eight assists, paving the way for the Pistons' NBA best 15-2 record, including a whopping 10-1 road record.
Meanwhile, the Clippers, fourth best with a 14-6 record (behind only Detroit, San Antonio and Dallas), had their four-game home winning streak snapped.
Nonetheless, the Clippers loss came without key forward Corey Maggette, out with a ligament sprain in his foot. The Clippers will need Maggette back with four of their next five on the road, a real test of their mettle against the NBA's tougher teams: they face San Antonio, Houston, New Jersey, and Indiana all in the next nine days.
Certainly, Brand is staking his claim as not only an NBA All-Star, but equally as an MVP candidate. He leads the Clippers with per-game averages of 25.5 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks.
On Sunday, among other lacking qualities, the Clippers missed Maggette's three-point shooting ability; in a game where the team was consistently playing from behind, they made only two three-pointers in five attempts. Meanwhile, Detroit scored 24 points on three-point goals.
In an interesting attempt to catch the Pistons from behind, the Clippers employed a deliberate foul strategy in the fourth quarter. They continually fouled Piston center Ben Wallace, sending him to the line to miss a total of 15 out of 22 free throw attempts. But it was not enough as the team never closed the gap to closer than an eight-point defecit in the final period. Detroit led the Clippers virtually through the whole game.
In another positive sign for the Clippers, center Chris Kaman scored 16 points and provided a reliable inside threat on both the offensive and defensive glass with nine rebounds. |
