Deciding 2-point baskets are too boring for a married man, Stackhouse did his damage from 3-point range Tuesday night.
Newly-wed Jerry Stackhouse shows teammate Joe Smith some love. (AP Photos)
|
"This is the new me, no more 2s," Stackhouse said. "Everyone always says I'm not a 3-point shooter, but I showed them."
Stackhouse, playing his first game since getting married Sunday, struggled, shooting 0-for-8 from 2-point range and 5-for-7 from 3-point distance. He committed nine turnovers, but hit 18 of 20 free throws. The nine turnovers and 18 free throws tied career highs.
"It wasn't a thing of beauty, and I'm not sure I ever expected to win a game where we turned the ball over 29 times, but I'll take it," Pistons coach George Irvine said. "We did a great job of recovering on defense."
Joe Smith added 20 points and nine rebounds and Ben Wallace had nine points and 16 rebounds for Detroit, which had 10 turnovers in each of the last two quarters.
Antoine Walker led Boston with 26 points. Paul Pierce added 19 and Tony Battie 18.
"We played as hard as any team I've ever coached," Boston coach Rick Pitino said. "We just need to play smart. We could be a .500 team with that kind of effort. We just need to add basketball IQ into the equation. You've got to win when you force 29 turnovers."
Stackhouse missed six of his eight first-half shots, including two layups, but hit 10 free throws for 16 points as Detroit forged a 49-49 halftime tie.
Detroit moved ahead late in the third, helped by a flagrant-foul call on Vitaly Potapenko. The Pistons got five free throws on the possession, as Stackhouse was fouled on a 3-point attempt after the original call. Detroit build a 68-63 lead and had a 72-68 lead at the end of the quarter.
Boston closed within 77-76 on 3-pointers by Eric Williams and Walker. The Pistons answered with a hook by John Wallace and 3-pointer by Stackhouse for an 82-76 lead.
John Wallace added two more baskets and a block to stall Boston rallies.
Two baskets from Battie helped the Celtics close within one, 92-91, with 2:38 left.
Chucky Atkins hit a jumper and, after Kenny Anderson was called for an offensive foul, Stackhouse put the game away with a 3-pointer.
"We weren't playing smart, but we also weren't getting the calls on the road," Anderson said. "Who knows what would have happened if we get that call?"
Detroit held the Celtics to 14 field goals in the second half despite the turnovers.
"I would have never believed we would turn the ball over 20 times in a half," Michael Curry said. "To do that and still win the game shows you how much you can accomplish by playing tough defense."
Notes: Stackhouse was married on Christmas Eve. In the games immediately before and after the wedding, he has scored 58 points, despite 11-for-37 shooting from the field. ... Boston shot nearly 50 percent (18-37) on two-pointers in the first half, and 83 percent (10-12) from the line, but hit just one of 11 3-pointers. The Celtics entered the game ranked fifth in the league in 3-point percentage. ... Tom Izzo and several of the top-ranked Michigan State Spartans attended the game to watch old teammate Mateen Cleaves play. Michigan State plays Bowling Green Wednesday at the Palace.