Nets-Pistons Preview

By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
Posted Feb 09 2012 1:18PM

The Detroit Pistons seem to be in good position to continue their best stretch of the season.

The Pistons have posted three straight wins - one shy of their victory total through the first 24 games - and will be looking to extend their home win streak over the New Jersey Nets to 10 games Friday night.

Detroit (7-20) is finishing a home-and-home set with New Jersey (8-19) after shooting a season-high 53.4 percent to win 99-92 on the road Wednesday. Greg Monroe recorded his third straight double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds.

"We have to keep this hunger," said Monroe, averaging 20.7 points and 13.0 boards during the three-game win streak. "We have to continue to play and give these efforts so the wins will come more often. But we have to continue to play like this."

The Nets beat the visiting Pistons 99-96 the previous Wednesday, but have since lost four straight.

"Our guys gotta understand it's kinda the same thing when we play a team the first time and especially if we beat them, they're going to go after us," New Jersey coach Avery Johnson said. "I hope that we have more energy Friday knowing that they beat us tonight."

Bouncing back won't be easy for the Nets, who have dropped nine straight at The Palace of Auburn Hills since a 79-74 victory March 26, 2006. The Pistons have won 28 of the last 31 regular-season matchups at home.

Detroit, seeking its first four-game win streak since a five-game run Dec. 4-12, 2009, has won consecutive games at home. Led by Monroe, the Pistons are averaging 49.3 points in the paint over the last three contests overall.

"We're gaining more confidence in each other and in what we do and finding a way to dig in a little bit deeper," coach Lawrence Frank said. "The spirit of our team over our last three games has been a unified effort whether the guys are playing or not playing."

Detroit also is getting healthier. Ben Gordon scored 14 points off the bench Wednesday after missing the previous 10 games with a sore left shoulder.

"It was fun," Gordon said. "I hate missing games, especially in a shortened season, so it was good to get out there and help my team win another game."

Will Bynum dressed Wednesday but missed his 15th straight contest with a strained right foot tendon. Bynum could play Friday.

"When we saw those guys in their warmups, even if they didn't play, guys were more ready to play," forward Tayshaun Prince said.

Deron Williams had 34 points for New Jersey, including 17 in the fourth quarter, and is averaging 26.3 over the last nine games.

The second quarters have proved to be decisive in the first two matchups. Both games were tied after one period, with New Jersey enjoying an 11-point edge in the second of its victory and Detroit a 12-point bulge Wednesday.

These teams are last in the NBA in field-goal percentage defense, with New Jersey at 47.8 and Detroit at 49.0.

Pistons win 4th straight, 109-92 over Nets

By NOAH TRISTER
Posted Feb 11 2012 12:50AM

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) Greg Monroe and the Detroit Pistons were on the right side of this blowout.

Monroe had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and the Pistons routed the New Jersey Nets 109-92 Friday night for their fourth straight victory. Detroit has lost seven games by at least 20 points this season, but this equaled the team's most lopsided win.

The Pistons are on their longest winning streak since a five-game run in December 2009.

"Our guys have a good rhythm," Detroit coach Lawrence Frank said. "We have to continue to raise the bar, continue to do better, but we're playing with a good rhythm and a good spirit."

Detroit (8-20) spotted the Nets seven straight points to start the game, then answered with a 12-0 run. Jonas Jerebko scored 20 points for the Pistons and Rodney Stuckey added 19.

Johan Petro scored 16 points for New Jersey (8-20), which lost its fifth straight.

"I didn't pay any attention to the score," Petro said. "I just tried to work hard on both ends of the floor and get something positive out of a bad night for the team."

After falling behind 7-0, the Pistons began asserting themselves inside. Monroe had a pair of tip-ins to give Detroit a 12-7 lead, and Stuckey began hurting the Nets with his ability to finish around the basket.

Monroe finished 8 of 9 from the field and Stuckey was 7 of 10. Detroit shot 54 percent and enjoyed a 56-32 advantage in the paint. The Pistons led by as many as 30 in the third quarter.

"We were getting stops, and it led to easy buckets for us," Stuckey said. "We were getting out on the break a lot and getting easy baskets, but mainly it was defense."

The injury-plagued Nets did get some good news when rookie MarShon Brooks was able to play for the first time since Jan. 29. He'd been out with a broken toe on his right foot. Brooks scored seven points.

New Jersey was still without Brook Lopez (broken right foot), Keith Bogans (left ankle), Damion James (right foot surgery), Mehmet Okur (sore lower back) and DeShawn Stevenson (sore right knee).

"We got off to a good start - we were up 7-0 - but they took control," Nets coach Avery Johnson said. "They were hitting on every cylinder, and we didn't execute on either end."

The Pistons led 24-15 after the first quarter and 52-33 at halftime. They didn't let up in the third. Rookie Brandon Knight made a 3-pointer to push the lead to 28, and Monroe's dunk made it 78-48.

"The Pistons have some confidence right now, and we have to get our confidence back," Johnson said. "In games like this, that makes a big difference."

Monroe was averaging 3.9 offensive rebounds per game coming into the night, and the second-year big man was more than the Nets could handle down low. He finished with five of Detroit's 15 offensive rebounds.

"We probably literally ran three plays for him, and we didn't score on any of those three," Frank said. "But he scored on offensive rebounds, rim runs, drive-and-dishes. You just figure it out."

Ben Gordon contributed 14 points for the Pistons, and Knight added 13.

New Jersey's Deron Williams and Jordan Farmar scored 14 points apiece.

NOTES: Detroit also beat New Jersey on Wednesday night in the first game of a home-and-home. ... Ben Wallace missed two free throws in the fourth quarter. It was his first trip to the line this season - in his 27th game. ... New Jersey went 5 of 19 from 3-point range. Anthony Morrow, who entered the game shooting 44 percent from long distance, missed all five of his attempts. ... Detroit G Will Bynum played for the first time since Jan. 13. He'd been out with a right foot problem.

Notebook: Pistons 109, Nets 92

Posted Friday February 10, 2012 11:20PM

By Dana Gauruder, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Reserve forward Jonas Jerebko led a balanced attack with 20 points as the Detroit Pistons stretched their winning streak to four games with a 109-92 victory over the New Jersey Nets Friday at The Palace. Center Greg Monroe had 18 points and 11 rebounds for his 15th double-double this season and the Pistons scored a season high in points. Reserve center Johan Petro led New Jersey with a season-high 16 points.

QUOTABLE: "I missed a few games last year, so I'm just trying to get into a rhythm. My teammates are finding me now and we're just letting the ball do the work."
-- Jerebko after reaching double figures for the sixth time in seven games. He missed last season with an Achilles' tendon tear.

THE STAT: 51. The Pistons are averaging 51.0 points in the paint during their winning streak, including a season-high 56 on Friday. Offensive rebounding and slick passing led to the 47 attempts inside the lane Friday. Detroit scored 24 second-chance points off 15 offensive rebounds and had 25 assists, with three players getting five apiece.

TURNING POINT: After the Nets scored the game's first seven points, the Pistons responded with 12 unanswered points and never trailed again. Monroe had six of those points, including two tip-ins. That set the tone for the Pistons' rebounding dominance, as they controlled the boards 47-31.

QUOTABLE II: "When we ran plays earlier in the season, we tried to look for that first option and that's it. Now, guys are understanding there's more options to one play. If something breaks down, we can still do something different and that's been a big plus for us."
-- Detroit forward Tayshaun Prince on the winning streak.

HOT: Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey had 19 points by making aggressive moves to the basket and added five assists. His defensive work was even more exemplary. When rookie point guard Brandon Knight got into early foul trouble, Stuckey took the assignment of guarding All-Star Deron Williams. After scoring 34 points against Detroit Wednesday in New Jersey, Williams was held to 14 in Detroit while missing all four of his 3-point attempts.

NOT: New Jersey's starting frontcourt duo of Shelden Williams and Kris Humphries combined for just nine points and 10 rebounds while getting overpowered and outhustled inside by Monroe, Jerebko and Jason Maxiell (six points, five rebounds, season-high four blocks)

GOOD MOVE: When guard Ben Gordon returned after missing 10 games with a sore shoulder, coach Lawrence Frank decided to use his highest-paid player off the bench. Gordon scored 14 points in each of the victories over the Nets, providing some much-needed scoring punch for Detroit's second unit.

BAD MOVE: Nets coach Avery Johnson tried to go with a smaller lineup, moving Anthony Morrow from shooting guard to small forward and inserting Jordan Farmar. The Nets scored just 15 first-quarter points and Morrow didn't score a basket in 32 minutes while facing taller defenders.

NOTABLE: Detroit led by as much as 30, its biggest margin this season. It had a 20-point advantage just once this season, when it led Charlotte by 21 on Jan. 13. ... Pistons forward Ben Wallace missed two free throw attempts with 4:12 remaining, his first foul shots in 386 minutes this season. ... New Jersey's second-leading scorer, MarShon Brooks, returned after missing six games with a broken toe. He was limited to seven points in 17 minutes. .. The Pistons shot a season-high 54.4 percent.

UP NEXT: For the Nets, Saturday vs. San Antonio, Wednesday vs. Memphis, Thursday @ Indiana. For the Pistons, Sunday vs. Washington, Tuesday vs. San Antonio, Wednesday @ Boston.

• Nets: James, Lopez
• Pistons: Villanueva

• Nets: --
• Pistons: --

• Lead Changes: 1
• Times Tied: 0

• Arena: Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, MI
• Officials: #31 Scott Wall, #57 Greg Willard, #56 Mark Ayotte
• Attendance: 14320
• Duration: 2:20