http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/prereport_100116.htmlPistons vs. Knicks
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Got an old Pistons jersey that you don't wear anymore? Bring it to The Palace to get $20 off a new one. More info. The Pistons and Knicks met at The Palace less than three weeks ago, but for some players, a lot has changed since New York’s 104-87 victory on Dec. 29. Richard Hamilton is on his way up, Ben Gordon is seemingly out and New York’s Nate Robinson is finally back in, sort of.
Hamilton scored a season-high 31 points on 10 of 22 shooting last night, playing 47 minutes in the Pistons’ 110-104 overtime win over New Orleans. He also made 12 of 14 free throws, doubling his season high for attempts. “He’s really starting to get the pep back, the little bounce in his legs,” Pistons coach John Kuester said. “It was huge to watch him play in regards to how he wanted the ball, never shied away from it. He wanted it the entire time, and [I’m] very proud of the way he played.” Also noteworthy was Hamilton’s season-high 10 assists, the third time in four games he’s had at least seven. Prior to that, Hamilton’s season high was four. “That was a pretty good game for him,” Kuester said. “He’s starting to come back.”
To realize how far Hamilton has come, just look at Dec. 29. It was Hamilton’s second game in the lineup after being limited to just one and a half games the prior two months. He missed 16 of 21 shots, finishing with 16 points and three assists. “I was trying to get as much rest in that fourth quarter as possible but the lead kept dwindling down,” said Hamilton, who missed a potential game-winner at the end of regulation Friday. “I knew Q is going to look over [to me]. He said ‘You ready?’ I’m like, ‘I got no choice now, they almost tied the game.’ Hopefully we’ll come out tomorrow with the same energy we did tonight.” The Pistons stunned the Hornets by taking a 31-16 first-quarter lead, Detroit’s first 30-point quarter in 19 games. They did so despite a lethargic Rodney Stuckey, who was 1-for-8 in the first three quarters but scored 11 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter and overtime. “He just didn’t feel good,” said Kuester, who didn’t go into specifics. “He’s had some knee issues and it looked like he was exhausted out there the entire time.” While there’s no reason to think Stuckey won’t suit up Saturday - he hasn’t missed a game all season - there’s no indication Ben Gordon, Tayshaun Prince or Will Bynum will return, either. Gordon would have been a nice option to spell Hamilton. Gordon scored a team-high 17 points against the Knicks on Dec. 29. “They got some time to get some rest,” Kuester said of the veterans who logged major minutes Friday. “That’s part of the NBA. The nice thing is, we’re at home.”
The Knicks had to fly to Detroit this morning after coming out flat in a 112-104 home loss to Toronto. The Pistons are 2-8 on the second night of back-to-back games; the Knicks are 1-7.The Pistons cannot afford to be a step slow on the perimeter defense, a weakness that New York will be sure to exploit. Detroit has allowed opponents to shoot 43 percent from 3-point land over their last 10 games, the second-highest percentage after Washington. Nothing sounds sweeter to the Knicks, who already have attempted 1,048 triples, second most in the league and almost double Detroit’s 547. The Knicks were 8-of-26 from downtown at The Palace, with seven treys coming from two players: Danilo Gallinari (4-of-9) and Chris Duhon (3-of-5). It remains to be seen if 5-foot-9 guard Nate Robinson will add anything to the second meeting between the teams (or the third, which is Monday in New York). Coach Mike D’Antoni benched Robinson on Dec. 1 and didn’t play him again the rest of the month, including Dec. 29. When D’Antoni let Robinson out of the doghouse on New Year’s Day, he responded with 41 points in an upset over the Hawks. Robinson’s January has been sporadic, however - he could get 20 points one night and not see 20 minutes the next. In the last two games he’s turned in identical, 16-minute, 2-for-7 shooting performances for a combined nine points.
