# Game 36: Detroit Pistons @ San Antonio Spurs



## KokoTheMonkey (Aug 4, 2003)

* January 12th, 2006 - 7:00 PM (Central Time)*
 *Detroit Pistons (27-5)* @ *San Antonio Spurs (27-8)*  


*Previous Meetings:*

Pistons 85, Spurs 70

Leaders:

Chauncey Billups - 20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists
Ben Wallace - 10 points, 21 rebounds, 3 assists
Tim Duncan - 18 points, 11 rebounds 

*Projected Starting Lineup: *










PG - Chauncey Billups (19.7 PPG - 8.3 APG - 3.1 RPG) 
SG - Richard Hamilton (21.7 PPG - 3.4 RPG - 2.9 APG)
SF - Tayshaun Prince (14.7 PPG - 4.4 RPG - 2.4 APG)
PF - Rasheed Wallace (14.5 PPG - 6.5 RPG - 2.5 APG)
C - Ben Wallace (8.6 PPG - 12.6 RPG - 2.1 BLK)

*Reserves:*

PF - Antonio McDyess (6.4 PPG - 4.7 RPG)
G/F - Maurice Evans (5.4 PPG - 2.5 RPG)
SG - Carlos Delfino (3.0 PPG - 1.5 RPG)
PF - Jason Maxiell (2.1 PPG - 0.5 RPG)
F/C - Darko Milicic (1.4 PPG - 1.2 RPG)
C - Dale Davis (0.1 PPG - 0.6 RPG)
*PG - Carlos Arroyo (4.0 PPG - 3.3 APG)

*Projected Starting Lineup: *










PG - Tony Parker (19.5 PPG - 6.2 APG - 3.9 RPG)
SG - Michael Finley (10.4 PPG - 3.9 RPG - 1.4 APG)
SF - Bruce Bowen (7.8 PPG - 3.7 RPG - 1.6 APG)
PF - Tim Duncan (20.7 PPG - 11.6 RPG - 2.2 BLK)
C - Rasho Nesterovic (5.7 PPG - 4.3 RPG - 1.2 BPG)

*Reserves:*

SG - Manu Ginobili (15.5 PPG - 4.2 RPG - 2.8 APG)
PG - Nick Van Exel (5.5 PPG - 1.8 APG)
F/C - Robert Horry (5.4 PPG - 3.9 RPG)
G/F - Brent Barry (5.0 PPG - 1.9 RPG)
C - Nazr Mohammed (4.7 PPG - 3.8 RPG)
PG - Beno Udrih (2.6 PPG - 1.3 APG)
F/C - Fabricio Oberto (1.8 PPG - 1.8 RPG)



I'm going to the game tonight. :biggrin: 


Anywho, this is the last regular season matchup between the two teams, and it's a battle of the teams with the two best records in the league who just happened to meet in the NBA Finals last year, so this isn't just another game. The Pistons haven't been playing their best recently, but of course, neither have the Spurs. It's good to know that Manu will be playing in this one, because he's going to be key to the outcome. The Pistons love to play slow ball, and they are more equipped to play that style than us IMO because of their balanced offense. The Spurs need to move the ball around and push the ball up the floor when they can, because the halfcourt offense is likely to look ugly against Detroit's D. On the defensive side of the ball, Detroit passes the ball around beautifully, so defensive rotations are key. Also, Duncan needs to stay out of foul trouble. I think we'll see a lot of Robert Horry tonight since Rasho and Mohammed don't match up very well to the Wallace's and McDyess. I will be optimistic and say that we'll get a win, because I'm expecting our guys to respond to Pop's tongue lashing he gave them after Tuesday. It will be a close , slow-paced, low scoring game, but I think we'll pull it out. Let's get a win to open up the new arena (Actually, new arena name).


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## TheRoc5 (Mar 1, 2005)

one team will have the most wins in the nba tonight and it will be the winner of this game, i posted my thoughts of this game in the other thread but ill brake the game down
RoC Soild Plan To BEat the Pistons
REb- the last game we played against detroit including the finals we didnt rebound as good as we should of excp. on the offensive glass. thats prob the biggest key

force Tos- this will keep us in the game if we have trouble scoring so another big key

dont shy away from duncan- as last yr in the finals we shyed away many times from timmy and it hurt us so lets pound the ball into him early

x factor-manu ginobilli

Spurs 90
Pistons 85

GO SPURS GO


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## TheRoc5 (Mar 1, 2005)

and may i add, i envy you koko lol i tryed to get time to go to SA tonight and sleep at my aunts but between money and school i couldnt but its ok ill be watching SIR Charlse on TNT Ginoobiliiiiiiiiii :biggrin: tell me how the game was from a diffrent stand point when you come back


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## FreeMason Jr. (Jul 12, 2004)

I knew the spurs would lose last time, but this is going to be much different. Pop has finally expressed how disgusted he has been with them, and I guarantee you that none of the spurs will ever want to see that side of pop again.

Oh, and have fun Koko! What seats do you got?


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## texan (Jul 10, 2003)

FInally, I'll be able to watch a game! I've missed like the last five. This year has been soo busy and it sucks that I don't get to watch as many Spurs games as before. This should be a tough game for us. The Pistons have been playing the best basketball in the league this season, but they have dropped a couple recently. We need to control the pace of this game. We need to convert on as many fast break opportunities as possible, but also make them slow their game down and play a half court setting. Billups will kill you in the open court, esp. with his 3's. We also need to control the boards. Get the ball to Duncan. Let Parker do his thing and if we get role player support then we should be able to get a win.

Prediction:

Spurs-96
Pistons-98


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## TheRoc5 (Mar 1, 2005)

do you smell that...its us stinkin were suckn right now :curse:


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## G-Force (Jan 4, 2005)

I just checked the boxscore oughta curiosity, and see that the Spurs have only five assists and four turnovers midway through the fourth quarter.

Spurs on a 9-0 run to cut the lead to 71-61. Now the count is 7 assists and 5 turnovers. Those are two stats that I watch in almost all games.


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## FreeMason Jr. (Jul 12, 2004)

As badly as we're playing, we're still in it 

Spurs on a 9-0 run half way through the fourth, but are still down by 10. Ginobilli, Parker, Horry, and Timmy have gotten the crowd into the game. Let's see if they can actually play half a quarter tonight! :biggrin:


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## FreeMason Jr. (Jul 12, 2004)

Can we make a freakin free throw!?!? That's 6 in a freakin row! :curse:


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## FreeMason Jr. (Jul 12, 2004)

Quit shooting free throws!!!! You're not ganna make em!!!


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## FreeMason Jr. (Jul 12, 2004)

ezealen said:


> Quit shooting free throws!!!! You're not ganna make em!!!


...and parker just makes one....Quit coming back! (let's see if that works)


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## G-Force (Jan 4, 2005)

Looking at the boxscore again, its almost kinda amazing the game was as close as it was. The Pistons enjoyed a huge rebounding advantage and only went to the free throw line for 7 attempts with about 90 seconds to go. It is also interesting that the Spurs committed only 16 fouls so far. Were the Spurs as aggressive as usual on defense?


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## FreeMason Jr. (Jul 12, 2004)

ezealen said:


> Quit shooting free throws!!!! You're not ganna make em!!!


...and parker just makes one....Quit coming back! (let's see if that works)


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## FreeMason Jr. (Jul 12, 2004)

Well....I'm pissed....but this loss is probably what the spurs needed TO WAKE THEIR BUTTS UP!


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## G-Force (Jan 4, 2005)

Their butts were sleeping? Ohhhh, that cannot be good. :biggrin:


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## FreeMason Jr. (Jul 12, 2004)

G-Force said:


> Their butts were sleeping? Ohhhh, that cannot be good. :biggrin:


I wanted to use the other word but they'll just edit it.


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## Camaro_870 (Mar 12, 2005)

the pistons are definately the best team in the game right now, they're offense is so much better than last year, and the spurs have alot to work on.... but atleast this game shows the guys what they need to work on.... i didnt see the whole game but from all the stats about rebounding it sounds like the guys need to step it up on the boards


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## DetroitDiesel (Nov 14, 2005)

Just curious if spurs fans think this is the last we see of Finley in a starting role.


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## TheRoc5 (Mar 1, 2005)

pistons>spurs
were missing our 3pt shot
manus energy(we got it at the end of the game)
shot selection

we wil be alot better in june if we get these 3 things done


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## KokoTheMonkey (Aug 4, 2003)

Detroit flat out spanked us tonight, basically right from the opening tip off. I mean, you know it's not a good night when the fans of the home team start cheering when the lead got down to 10. Props to Detroit. I felt like I had to give them their due before I rip into the Spurs.


Very frustrating peformance. Detroit, just like everyone else we play, came out with more intensity and effort, and they pretty much spanked us right from the start. It's always nice to be down by double digits the whole game on a nationally televised and sold out game that's a rematch of the NBA Finals and a matchup of the two teams with the best records in the NBA. Rasheed Wallace was the best damn player on the floor tonight, pretty easily too. Duncan.....I don't know what to say about him. I'm tired of his soft and weak performances, and it's about this time every season I get frustrated with him. Him and Parker going to the line and missing 4 straight free throws late in the 4th quarter was just sickening, and that was the thing that took the crowd out of it. Considering they were losing by double digits the whole ****ing game and still had the crowd with them with 6 minutes left, I think it's very crappy that Duncan and Parker let us down like that. Manu played well, and he's about the only one on the Spurs that did that. 


I'm not even done yet. Here's the worst part of it, I'll give some statistics then go on another rant:

Rebounding: 

Pistons - 56
Spurs - 32


A ****ing joke. Simple as that. 


Bruce Bowen + Michael Finley: 48 minutes, 4 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 2/8 FG's.
Richard Hamilton: 42 minutes, 22 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 10/23 FG's. 
Tayshaun Prince: 40 minutes, 13 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 5/11 FG's.


Bowen and Finley only had a negative impact on this game. They were completely worthless in their own ways. Finley sucks. There, I said it. He stinks. Bring back Melvin Sanders for crying out loud. 

Extremely embarassing loss, and quite frankly guys we aren't even in the same neighborhood with the Pistons right now. They are two notches better than us right now. I'm seriously losing tons of confidence in this team, and I'm not panicking yet, but I don't feel good about our title chances this season. They are almost non-existent to me right now.


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## qross1fan (Dec 28, 2004)

Pistons seem to have the Spurs number . . but then again it is just the regular season and Manu always seems to step it up during the playoffs where he's in full flopping mode . Spurs still are my favirotes to win it all still


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## blueeclipse (Mar 25, 2005)

Hope to see you guys in the Finals again.....I have loads of respect for the Spurs........but I think they created a monster........Detroit got that bad taste in their mouth and the only cure is *** whippin.........sorry guys. These guys are focused as hell right now.


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## Mavericks_Fan (Apr 19, 2005)

KokoTheMonkey said:


> Finley sucks. There, I said it. He stinks. Bring back Melvin Sanders for crying out loud.


Mike Finley 0-4 for zero points :banana:

I'm not trying to rub salt in the wound (seriously, I'm not), but this is the reason why I told everyone they didn't know what they were talking about when they said how bad we needed Finley and the Mavs would collapse without him and yadda yadda yadda. This is what he has been for the last few years. Take what you can get out of him on good nights but don't ever depend on him because he won't be there when you need it.

Anyway, tough loss for Spurs but there's still a LONG way to go until the playoffs.


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## TheRoc5 (Mar 1, 2005)

bring back brown :curse:


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## TMTTRIO (Mar 10, 2005)

I think it's time for Manu to start again


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## KokoTheMonkey (Aug 4, 2003)

One more thing about the game: There was a large number of Pistons fans in that arena, which is kind of disappointing. I haven't seen any opposing team so well represented, and that was even including the NBA Finals from last year. 


As for Manu starting, yes, he does need to start and play 35 minutes per game, but Pop is saving him. I think a lot of problems would be solved if we just kept Manu on the floor instead of playing over the hill bums like Finley and Barry.


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## thekid (Apr 3, 2003)

Was going to ask Spurs fans if Manu should be starting again?


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## DetroitDiesel (Nov 14, 2005)

KokoTheMonkey said:


> One more thing about the game: There was a large number of Pistons fans in that arena, which is kind of disappointing. I haven't seen any opposing team so well represented, and that was even including the NBA Finals from last year.
> 
> 
> As for Manu starting, yes, he does need to start and play 35 minutes per game, but Pop is saving him. I think a lot of problems would be solved if we just kept Manu on the floor instead of playing over the hill bums like Finley and Barry.



It is shocking to see how many pistons fans are in opposing arenas. I think a lot of michigan people just move to warmer climates and keep their sports allegiances.


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