Nets-Pistons Preview

By TAYLOR BECHTOLD
Posted Feb 06 2013 12:28AM

After opening 2013 with their best stretch of the season, the Brooklyn Nets have fallen way off that pace lately.

A visit to Detroit is probably not coming at the most opportune time.

Brooklyn will try to snap a string of 10 straight road losses to the Pistons on Wednesday night.

The Nets (28-20) were riding high after winning 10 of 11 last month, but things began to turn with consecutive road losses at Memphis and Houston by a combined 37 points Jan. 25-26.

They settled for a split of a four-game homestand following Tuesday's 92-83 loss to a Lakers team playing without Dwight Howard and Metta World Peace.

"I don't know why, I thought we were ready for this game, but proven wrong tonight," guard Deron Williams said.

After shooting a season-low 34.8 percent against the Lakers, Brooklyn hopes to find some rhythm offensively as it tries to win in Detroit for the first time since March 6, 2006.

The Nets have reached 100 points just once in their last 10 games, averaging 90.9 over that stretch. They had scored 108.0 per game in their previous seven contests.

All-Star center Brook Lopez has been one of the team's few bright spots offensively, averaging 23.7 points in his last three games after scoring 30 against the Lakers.

While he's missed three of the last four meetings due to injury, Lopez had a career-high 39 points on 14-of-20 shooting the last time he played in Detroit on April 6, 2011.

Brooklyn took the first meeting between these teams this season when Joe Johnson hit a jumper over Tayshaun Prince as time expired to give Brooklyn a 107-105 double-overtime victory on Dec. 14.

Johnson had 28 points in that meeting, but his recent slump has coincided with the team's rough stretch. The veteran guard has averaged 12.8 points on 35.9 percent shooting in his last six games.

Prince won't be around for this rematch after he was traded to Memphis in a three-team deal that brought Jose Calderon to Detroit last week.

In his debut with the Pistons (18-31), Calderon had a team-high 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting in a 99-85 loss at New York on Monday.

"They've got to get used to me and I've got to get used to them," Calderon said of his new teammates. "It's going to be just time working together, practicing, games, whatever it takes."

Calderon faces the Nets for the fourth time this season after averaging 9.0 points against them as a member of the Raptors.

Leading scorer Greg Monroe has played well against Brooklyn, scoring 19.3 ppg on 66.7 percent from the field in his last six in the series.

Brandon Knight will try to bounce back after finishing with five points on 2-of-10 shooting against the Knicks. He hit five of six from 3-point range and led the Pistons with 22 in the first meeting with the Nets.

The Pistons have been far more productive at home, averaging 102.4 points in their last five games there. They've scored just 87.6 per game in their last five on the road.

They'll try to continue that trend against a Brooklyn team that has held opponents to 90.8 points in its last four games, but has allowed 110.0 in its last two on the road.

Detroit has won 42 of 47 at home against the Nets.

Nets finally win at Detroit, 93-90

By NOAH TRISTER
Posted Feb 06 2013 11:35PM

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) Brook Lopez backed Greg Monroe down and calmly scored with a shot off the glass.

After an impressive but incomplete performance the previous night, the Brooklyn center put together a solid finish in this one.

Lopez's shot with 17.8 seconds remaining gave the Nets a three-point lead, and they held on for a 93-90 victory against the Pistons on Wednesday that was their first win at Detroit since 2006. Lopez scored 30 points Tuesday night in a loss to the Lakers, but he wasn't thrilled with the way he played in the final minutes.

His outlook was much different Wednesday.

"Tonight, we were great in the last three-to-five minutes," Lopez said. "I was just in the mindset that I wanted to go strong - but more importantly, make the right play. ... It stayed single coverage. So, you want to be aggressive and be strong."

Monroe's layup with 10.4 seconds left cut the lead to one, and Detroit went for a quick trap off the inbound pass. But the Pistons were called for a foul, and Joe Johnson made both free throws.

Will Bynum's tying 3-point attempt from the right corner was short in the final seconds.

"There were many opportunities and controlled situations and we didn't do a very good job," Pistons coach Lawrence Frank said. "All those things add up. We had opportunities at the rim and didn't convert."

Lopez scored 17 points and Johnson added 16 for Brooklyn.

Detroit led by 13 in the second quarter, but the Pistons were only ahead 46-40 at halftime, and they were held to 17 points in the fourth quarter. Monroe led Detroit with 23 points.

"They went small and we should've stuck to our strong point and pushed the ball," Detroit forward Jason Maxiell said.

The Nets had lost 10 in a row to the Pistons on the road.

Brooklyn improved to 18-1 this season when facing a team under .500.

Neither team could take control in the fourth quarter, but the Nets went 12 for 14 at the line in the period. Lopez put Brooklyn ahead 91-88 with his bank shot.

"The execution was really good," Nets coach P.J. Carlesimo said. "We took advantage of the fact that we were in the bonus early and then down the stretch, I am sure there was a possession we did not, but we either got a good shot or got fouled."

Jose Calderon had eight points and nine assists in his first home game since being traded to Detroit last week.

Reggie Evans had 10 points and 14 rebounds for Brooklyn, which took advantage of a weakened Detroit interior. Pistons rookie Andre Drummond played less than five minutes because of a sore back.

Deron Williams had 12 points and nine assists for the Nets, surpassing the 5,000-assist mark for his career.

Brooklyn never led by more than three.

"I definitely give all the credit to our bench," Johnson said. "Those guys came in, pretty much brought us back, held the lead."

The Pistons have lost five of six. Detroit had not lost at home to the Nets since March 26, 2006.

NOTES: The Pistons lost at Brooklyn in double overtime in December on a buzzer-beater by Johnson. ... Carlesimo entered the game 14-6 as Nets coach, the second-best start in franchise history through 20 games. The leader is Frank, who went 16-4. ... Monroe shot an air ball on a second-quarter free throw, but he was outdone by Brooklyn's Mirza Teletovic, who failed to draw iron on three straight shots from the field in the second half. ... All five starters scored in double figures for the Nets.

Notebook: Nets 93, Pistons 90

Dana Gauruder, for NBA.com
Posted Thu Feb 07, 2013 12:39 AM - Updated Thu Feb 07, 2013 12:39 AM

THE FACTS: All-Star Brook Lopez had 17 points, including a pivotal layup in the final minute, as the Brooklyn Nets edged the Detroit Pistons 93-90 at The Palace of Auburn Hills on Wednesday. Joe Johnson had 16 points, Gerald Wallace added 14 and Deron Williams chipped in 12 points and nine assists for the Nets, who bounced back from a loss to the Los Angeles Lakers the previous night. Greg Monroe's 23 points and 10 assists led the Pistons, who had their 10-game home streak against the Nets snapped.

QUOTABLE: "It was kind of the polar opposite tonight. We were pretty much behind the whole game. We kept fighting back and they kept making their run but our guys stuck with it. Tonight, we were great in the last three to five minutes."

-- Lopez on the Nets' late-game execution. They were outscored 10-0 in the closing minutes of their 92-83 loss to the Lakers on Tuesday.

THE STAT: 2. Brooklyn won despite only scoring two fast-break points, compared to Detroit's 17. It shot 41.5 percent from the field and 76 percent from the line but its defense allowed it to overcome the lack of transition baskets. It held the Pistons to 30 percent shooting and forced four turnovers in the fourth quarter.

TURNING POINT: The Pistons were up 13, 46-33, with two minutes remaining in the first half. Then, the Nets reeled off seven unanswered points before the break to gain some momentum. Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva missed three shots during that stretch and Johnson finished the run with a 3-pointer. Neither club led by more than eight in the second half.

QUOTABLE II: "It came down to that fourth quarter again, like usual. They went small, so that kind of changed up our whole rotation and how we play our game. We should have stuck with our strong set and pushed the ball. We should have come out there in the fourth and hit them like they hit us and responded in a good way."

-- Pistons forward Jason Maxiell after his team's fifth loss in its last six games

HOT: In a disappointing season, Monroe has been the Pistons' rock. He was averaging 17.3 points and 11.8 rebounds in his previous four games and had another solid performance, shooting 10 for 16 from the field.

NOT: Nets rookie forward Mirza Teletovic played just four minutes, all in the fourth quarter, but managed to unwittingly entertain the crowd. He attempted three shots, including two 3-pointers, and didn't touch the rim on any of them.

ROOKIE WATCH: Pistons center Andre Drummond didn't play in the second half for the second straight game because of a bruised tailbone. Small forward Kyle Singler had 12 points, five rebounds and three assists and center Slava Kravtsov saw his first extended minutes in place of Drummond, contributing four points and two rebounds in 11 minutes.

NOTABLE: Williams recorded his 5,000th career assist in the first quarter when he set up a Wallace jumper. Williams, who has played 554 games, is just the seventh players since 1985-86 to record 5,000 assists in less than 600 games. The others are Muggsy Bogues, Tim Hardaway, Kevin Johnson, Jason Kidd, Chris Paul and John Stockton. ... The Nets' last victory at The Palace was a 79-74 win on March 26, 2006. ... Jose Calderon made his home debut as a Piston and had eight points and nine rebounds. ... The Nets are 15-6 in P.J. Carlesimo's first 21 games as head coach. ... The Nets are 5-7 in the second game of back-to-backs.

UP NEXT: For the Nets, Friday @ Washington, Sunday vs. San Antonio, Monday @ Indiana. For the Pistons, Friday vs. San Antonio, Saturday @ Milwaukee, Monday vs. New Orleans.

• Nets: Shengelia
• Pistons: Maggette

• Nets: Blatche
• Pistons: --

• Lead Changes: 21
• Times Tied: 6

• Arena: Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, MI
• Officials: #40 Leon Wood, #55 Bill Kennedy, #60 James Williams
• Attendance: 12576
• Duration: 2:22