AT




Time: 7:30pm
TV: FSD
Radio: 97.1 The Ticket
Where: The Palace of Auburn Hills, MI


The Preview

The Detroit Pistons extended their dominance of the Orlando Magic in 2008-09, but it would be difficult to argue they were the better team.

After the first three games of the new season, the Magic once again appear to be one of the conference's elite, while the Pistons are struggling.

Orlando looks to extend its undefeated start Tuesday -- possibly with Vince Carter back in the lineup -- when it visits Detroit, which knows it will be without Richard Hamilton.

The Pistons (1-2) have won 19 of the last 24 meetings against the Magic (3-0), including all three last season. However, after ending Orlando's playoff runs in 2003, 2007 and 2008, Detroit was left watching the Eastern Conference finals from home while Orlando was defeating Cleveland en route to facing the Lakers in the NBA finals.

The Magic averaged 87.0 points in their three losses to the Pistons last season -- 14 below their season average -- but they've had little trouble scoring in the first three games of 2009-10, reaching 120 in two of those contests including a 125-116 victory over Toronto on Sunday.

Despite missing Carter (sprained left ankle), Mickael Pietrus (flulike symptoms) and Rashard Lewis (suspension), the Magic had plenty of contributors and were on fire from beyond the arc, connecting on a season-high 17 3-pointers.

J.J. Redick went 5 of 8 from 3-point range to finish with a career-high 27 points. Jameer Nelson scored a team-high 30 while Dwight Howard, named Eastern Conference player of the week on Monday, added 24 points and 11 rebounds.

"(The coaching staff) said, 'You've got to play your own game, you can't play Vince's game or anything else, but you've got to play your game at a very high level,'" coach Stan Van Gundy said. "Those guys did. Jameer, J.J., Dwight, Ryan (Anderson) and Matt (Barnes) were all outstanding."

Van Gundy said Carter could return Tuesday. He averaged 15.5 points in the first two games and will look to help the Magic get off to the best start in their history. Against a Detroit team missing its leading scorer from last season, they appear to have a good chance.

Hamilton, who will miss his third straight contest with a sprained left ankle, averaged 30.0 points in two games against Orlando last season.

Without Hamilton, whose 18.3 scoring average in 2008-09 led Detroit for the seventh year in a row, the Pistons have failed to break 90 points in consecutive losses. They led both games at the half but struggled in the third quarters, scoring 16 points in a 91-83 loss to Oklahoma City on Friday then managing only 14 in the third quarter of a 96-85 loss to Milwaukee on Saturday.

"We've got to play 48 minutes," first-year coach John Kuester said. "It's 24 minutes of the first half that the rhythm is good but that third period, we've got to come out with a certain amount of energy that we had when we left the court."

The Pistons also struggled in the third quarter of their only win, scoring 18 points after taking a 53-41 lead into the locker room against Memphis last Wednesday.

Despite their overall problems, the Pistons have to be pleased with the production of their biggest offseason signing. Ben Gordon scored a season-high 26 points Saturday, going 8 of 15 from the floor. The former Chicago guard is averaging 24.3 points through three games.

Starting 1-3 is not the start to the season I was thinking we would have. Hopefully we can full a fast one on the Magic. But, I think the reason we have always dominated this team is now playing for the Celtics.

None the less, I will be there supporting my team! DETROIT BASKETBAAAAAAAAAAAAAALLL!!!

Lineup - Bynum's Jumpshot + Wilcox's Minutes + CV's Involvement in the offense - 4 of Stuckey's bad decisions = W

Man winning this game would be so huge for the team and for us fans. We're missing our leading scorer but if everyone else in the roster steps up like crazy and we pull off a win it would be awesome! If the Pistons give up another lead in the third quarter I will literally cry a little.

gamepaln - let howard get his he will anyway .. GUARD THE 3 POINT LINE AND LET OTHERS TRY TO BEAT US not howard other players like vince reddick etc

I think the fact that the Pistons won convincingly in Memphis and lost when Rip went down with his ankle sprain shows how important Rip is to the team. Rip will be out tonight and likely Weds nite, and that is the reason I think Orlando wins. With Rip out, I would like to see Tay used in the 3 guard rotation in place of Rip the next two games (with Tay playing aggressively).

So who's going to start for Tay? Daye or Jerebko?

Stuckey, BG, Tay, CV at PF, Ben @ C.

Tay starts, when Tay is on the bench: 3 guard = Bynum, BG, Stuckey.

quote:

Originally posted by Detroit Pistons Fan:
Stuckey, BG, Tay, CV at PF, Ben @ C.

Tay starts, when Tay is on the bench: 3 guard = Bynum, BG, Stuckey.

No, Tay is out injured tonight.

There goes that idea then. It would be nice for Daye to get some time at SF tonight.

daye should start but wont .. tay out rip out .. stuckey is gonna shoot like crazy now .. which is never a good thing .. with tay out there go's half our poor defense as it is .. b-b-b-b-b blow out city

charlie is gonna have to pick it up big time tonight 18 - 22 points .. but i fear vc is gonna go off big time

Dear Rodney Stuckey

You can't shoot. I know that, everyone on this forum knows that and the sooner you realize that the better we'll all be.

I'm not looking forward to when Will Bynum comes into the game and starts jacking up jumpers and turning the ball over like he has the first 3 games.

Stuckey has been doing a good job on the boards this season he has four already.

are we even trying to win this game. it was bad enough that jerebko started, but now chucky atkins is on the floor

lead sliced down to 1

Kuester rotations just really don't make sense to me...

quote:

Kuester rotations just really don't make sense to me...

Really what does he have to work with though? Really off the bench we don't have one guy that can score besides Bynum and he is a question mark sometimes to.

daye and charlie v need to step it up the 2nd half daye is our only constant wing defense

quote:

Originally posted by DTP:
Kuester rotations just really don't make sense to me...

As DunkinMaxiell stated, what does he have to work with?

You have Bynum and Atkins in the backcourt off the bench, than you have three rookies, and three front-court players that aren't to hot on the offensive end.

Guys need to start stepping up plain and simple. Our bench is a lot better with Gordon coming off of it, but that isn't going to happen until Hamilton comes back.

People need to quit finding ways to complain.

Last game, it was we didn't play Wilcox. He is playing now isn't he? I wasn't too impressed with him, but he is better than no-body.