A repeat of Wednesday's game. Can the Bucks pull off an upset again?
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Teams: Milwaukee Bucks (20-34) vs. Detroit Pistons (39-14).
When: 7 tonight.
Where: The Palace of Auburn Hills.
Broadcasts: TV - FSN Wisconsin cable. Radio - AM-620.
About the Pistons: They are 0-2 since the all-star break, including a 103-98 loss to the Bucks Wednesday at the Bradley Center. Coach Flip Saunders has been concerned about his team's low energy level since coming back from the break, saying his team has been playing far too passively. Leading into the break, Detroit held seven straight opponents below 100 points and then gave up 103 to both Orlando and the Bucks.
PLAYER TO WATCH
RASHEED WALLACE, Pistons
He almost single-handedly led the Pistons back into the game Wednesday, sinking 4 three-pointers in the fourth quarter as Detroit cut an 18-point deficit to three late in the game.
LINEUPS
PROBABLE PISTONS STARTERS
Player Ht. From
G-Chauncey Billups 6-3 Colorado
G-Richard Hamilton 6-7 Connecticut
F-Antonio McDyess 6-9 Alabama
F-Tayshaun Prince 6-9 Kentucky
C-Rasheed Wallace 6-11 North Carolina
Player Ht. From
G-Mo Williams 6-1 Alabama
G-Michael Redd 6-6 Ohio State
F-Desmond Mason 6-5 Oklahoma State
F-Charlie Villanueva 6-11 Connecticut
C-Andrew Bogut 7-0 Utah
Coach: Larry Krystkowiak (second season, 25-47).
Injury report: Ramon Sessions (left-hand fracture) is out.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: The Pistons gave the game ball to reserve forward Amir Johnson, who sparked the team in the second quarter and finished with 13 points and six rebounds. "Amir came in in the second quarter and was a great difference-maker for us," coach Flip Saunders said.
PLAY OF THE GAME: With 7 minutes 7 seconds left in the third quarter, a foul was called on Milwaukee's Desmond Mason and then a rare technical for disputing the call. Coach Larry Krystkowiak also received a technical and Rasheed Wallace made all four free throws for an 81-56 lead. "That's two games in a row against Detroit where some of those guys are talking just as much and saying things worse and then I get a tech for it," Mason said. "I approach the referees with respect. But night in and night our guys are saying something and not getting technical fouls and then a guy who's respectable 99% of the time gets upset and gets a technical."
STATISTICS SHEET: The Pistons made 14 of 17 free throws in the second quarter (82.4%) compared with three of five for Milwaukee (60.0%). "The aggressor wins," Krystkowiak said. "In the second quarter, we got absolutely manhandled and got turned inside out every which way you can think of. . . . It's frustrating but it's easy to pinpoint."
OFF THE BENCH: With a little more than a minute left, a fan seated on the baseline spilled a beer all over himself and his misfortune was displayed on the scoreboard screen. The Pistons on the bench bombarded the guy with towels until he had a stack of them at his feet.
Auburn Hills, Mich. – The focus was on the benches after the Detroit Pistons steam-rolled the Milwaukee Bucks in the second quarter and went on to a 127-100 victory Friday night at the Palace of Auburn Hills.
The Bucks led by two after the first quarter but then the game turned dramatically in the second quarter when both teams had reserves on the floor. The Pistons outscored Milwaukee in the second quarter, 32-11, and went on to an easy victory.
It was just the opposite of the game two nights earlier in Milwaukee when the Bucks bench played a key role in their victory over Detroit.
“You try to get a lift out of your bench and I’m sure that they talked about that as well in their locker room,” said Bucks coach Larry Krystkowiak. “How our bench got the best of their bench Wednesday night. It looked like in the second quarter when it was the supporting cast playing against each other that they had a chip on their shoulder and played harder.
“Our guys recaptured some of that energy in the fourth quarter when the game was decided but we aren’t going to be a very good team unless we come out and play with an edge and play hard like we did Wednesday night. You can’t stop playing hard and being competitive, especially against a team of this caliber.”
Game Thread, Bucks vs Detroit, 2/22/08
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