Pistons 101
Nets 91
AUBURN HILLS – The game still was very winnable – or as it turned out, losable – late in the third quarter when Byron Scott turned to his Nets assistants and made a simple observation. “It’s been a while since we scored,” Scott assessed.
And it would be a while more.
The Nets started out looking every bit the part of defending Eastern Conference champions against the Pistons here last night. But the game turned quickly in the second quarter and the Nets’ disintegration steadily continued with missed shots, botched free throws and blown opportunities until it settled in as a 101-91 Pistons victory that ended New Jersey’s winning streak at five.
“We did a good job the first quarter,” Richard Jefferson (6 points, 6 rebounds) rightfully assessed. “We just couldn’t do anything in the three after.”
Correct again. Take the third quarter, for example. That session ended with the Pistons scoring the final 10 points – breaking away from a 66-66 knot – as part of a larger 20-6 run. Even worse, the Nets botched six free throws in the period (and 13 overall). The Nets (16-8) missed 10 of their last 11 shots in the third which foreshadowed what was to come: they ended up on a spiffy 6-of-32 shooting streak. You’d figured they would have made a couple by accident.
“It was the little things,” said Jason Kidd (15 points, 8 assist, 6-of-17 shooting, including 1-of-his-last-7), “free throws, limiting them to one shot, the post game. [Zeljko] Rebraca goes 5-for-6, 11-of-12. Their bench.”
Corliss Williamson chipped in 17 points off the bench as well.
Valid points all. After the Nets had soared to a 24-13 lead after one quarter, Rebraca came in and restored order for the Pistons. He surpassed his season high (15) in the second quarter alone when he scored 16 of his 21 points that had the Pistons within a mere point, 49-48, at halftime. With Rebraca leading the way, Detroit’s bench outscored the Nets reserves, 58-29.
“Their bench beat the [snot] out of ours,” Scott said.
“[Zeljko] was awesome down [in the post],” said Jon Barry (12 Piston bench points). “We really got rolling offensively and anytime you can get a guy going in the post, it opens it up for everybody.”
But in the third quarter, it became a slugfest. The game, an often physical, aggressive affair that featured 63 fouls and 84 free throws, became a parade to the foul line. The Pistons (16-7) marched into the lead. And the Nets eventually limped home with their seventh road defeat in 11 tries.
“It was more their game [pace] than ours,” said Kenyon Martin (13 points, 11 rebounds for his fourth double-double of the season). “We had our chance to come back but we missed shots.”
