Detroit Pistons VS Orlando Magic



*Tip-Off: 7:30pm ET Friday, Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, MI

TV: FSN Detroit / Radio: 1130am WDFN Da Fan

The Spread



Outlook

The Detroit Pistons didn't have any problems knocking the underdog Orlando Magic out of the playoffs the past two seasons.

The way they're playing right now, the Magic look like anything but a postseason long shot.

Orlando will try to extend its longest winning streak since April 2006 to eight games on Monday night at the Palace of Auburn Hills, where the Pistons have dominated the Magic in recent years.

Detroit (17-11) swept Orlando in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs in 2006-07, then needed five games to knock out the Magic in the conference semifinals last season. The Pistons won all five games at the Palace in those series, part of a 12-1 home stretch against Orlando since April 6, 2004.

But when Detroit meets the Magic (24-6) for the first time this season, it will see a more experienced - and discernibly better - team. Orlando has gone 24-4 since dropping its first two games, and has won 11 of its last 12, with the only blemish a last-second loss in Phoenix.

The Magic have won seven in a row - their longest streak since winning eight straight from March 31-April 15, 2006 - and they've done so in dominant fashion. Orlando's average margin of victory during its streak has been 15.9 points, and it rolled to a 118-94 victory at Minnesota on Saturday.

Hedo Turkoglu, Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson all scored at least 20 points and the Magic broke open a relatively tight game in the fourth quarter, putting up 39 points in the final 12 minutes.

"In order to be a great team, you can't let up,'' said Dwight Howard, who's averaging a league-best 13.6 rebounds. "I like the way we came back. We held together and came out with a good win.''

The Magic attempt more 3-pointers than every team but the New York Knicks, and they connect on 38.0 percent from beyond the arc, seventh in the league. In their last four games though, they've hit 53-of-113 (46.9 percent), led by Lewis (13-of-26) and Turkoglu (9-of-17).

"(Turkoglu) should be in the 3-point contest,'' Howard said. "He presents a lot problems for the defense. When he's hot he's tough to stop, especially late."

Orlando has built its winning streak entirely against the Western Conference, and hasn't played a game against an Eastern opponent since losing at Boston on Dec. 1.

The Pistons, meanwhile, have won three in a row, and they got through their most recent game without leading scorer Richard Hamilton, who aggravated a groin injury in a 90-88 victory over Oklahoma City on Friday.

With Hamilton sidelined Saturday at Milwaukee, coach Michael Curry's opted to go with a taller lineup instead of his three-guard rotation, and the Pistons got at least 16 points from four different starters and won 87-76.

Amir Johnson was the lone starter who didn't score in double figures, but the 6-foot-9 forward made a difference inside. He grabbed 11 of the team's 53 rebounds as the Pistons held the Bucks to 30.4 percent shooting.

"When we have the bigger lineup, obviously we're better defensively,'' said Tayshaun Prince, who scored a game-high 19 points. "It's kind of pick and choose. Sometimes you are going to need the offensive side, but more importantly you're going to need the defensive side.''

Hamilton's status for Monday's game is uncertain, but if he's out, the Magic won't miss him. Hamilton scored 23.6 points per game last postseason against Orlando, averaging 31.5 points in games 4 and 5.

During the playoffs, Prince defended Turkoglu and Hamilton was on Rashard Lewis. Much of the time, Wallace and McDyess were double teaming Howard, leaving Mo Evans open on the perimeter.

If Hamilton is out, who will defend Lewis? Lewis is a PF, but shoots almost exclusively from the perimeter. If they put Wallace on Lewis, Kwame will probably have to take on Howard without much help. If they put Wallace on Howard with Amir at PF, Amir will have to defend Lewis, a perimeter shooter.

A better matchup might be to put Herrmann on Lewis in place of RIP. Hermann is a better perimeter defender than Johnson, and is close to Lewis' size.

The other matchups are are Nelson and Bogans against Stuckey and AI. Size wise, AI matches up with Nelson, but Stuckey will have to defend on the ball, with AI on Bogans.

I hope RIP can play.

I don't know about you people, but this is a "MUST WIN" game for me! If this team wants to really compete this year they have to fight to be in that 3RD seed.

Go Pistons!

quote:

Originally posted by SickDog:
[IMG]http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/2466/pistonsmagicrq5.jpg[IMG]

Kinda redundant, but ok

quote:

Originally posted by Liquid Slap:

quote:

Originally posted by SickDog:
[IMG]http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/2466/pistonsmagicrq5.jpg[IMG]

Kinda redundant, but ok

You didn't have the Forecast up, it just said coming soon. But I'll delete it.

It would be great to take this win. The Magic (can I say Magic's?) are a good team, but I honestly don't think they will get past Cleveland or Boston, JMHO. If they don't shoot the 3 ball well tonight then we have a really good chance of winning. That's if we actually play defense. dbuch238 made some really good points, but we just have to wait and see what Coach Curry does with the different matchups for this game. LET'S GO DETROIT!!! We really need this win.

I pray we come ready to play!!! I witnessed this team embarrass a pretty good team in the New Orleans Hornets on Christmas Day.

We will have to guard their perimeter shooting which opens up things for their bigs like Dwight Howard down low to operate.

quote:

Originally posted by SickDog:

quote:

Originally posted by Liquid Slap:

quote:

Originally posted by SickDog:
[IMG]http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/2466/pistonsmagicrq5.jpg[IMG]

Kinda redundant, but ok

You didn't have the Forecast up, it just said coming soon. But I'll delete it.

Yeah, accuscore didn't have it available yet. But you still posted that well after I updated... Musta had a cached page on your browser. Doesn't matter though, thanks for looking out.

I have to update again because they finally posted the betting lines.

quote:

Originally posted by KING of DARK:
I don't know about you people, but this is a "MUST WIN" game for me! If this team wants to really compete this year they have to fight to be in that 3RD seed.

Go Pistons!

I don't know about "must win" but I am really looking forward to this game. Getting tiresome seeing the drecks like OKC, Charlotte, Milwaukee, etc. Very curious how we'll do against "better" competition.

I keep looking for signs they're turning the corner and tonight would be one. Follow that up with what should be home wins against Jersey and Sacramento and we could be looking at a six game winning streak. So I'll keep hoping for improvement and signs this thing is coming together.

If they win tonight that certainly puts more fuel on the fire for the "Rip to the bench" line of thinking.

I'll go fvcking naked if we win this game

quote:

Originally posted by Kirsten19:
I'll go fvcking naked if we win this game

is it bad that I now hope they lose this game?

Amir is starting again yay! is rip still hurt?

Nice pass by AI

I love what Amir brings to this team.

Tay is way more aggressive with rip off the floor. It's nice to see!

quote:

Originally posted by Dr. Evil:
I love what Amir brings to this team.

X2

Another great thing is that even if he gets into foul trouble (which he is prone to do) we have so many options to sub in.

3 personal fouls in 9 minutes, Amir needs more basketball IQ there

Was that Curry that I heard a while ago screaming pick and roll?

quote:

Originally posted by Kirsten19:
3 personal fouls in 9 minutes, Amir needs more basketball IQ there

He'll get there but he needs minutes to do so. Also D howrd is a tough cover to have to help on.

Why do we need Maxiell out there? he is outplayed by the Magic's big men. Max has been annonymous in the last 2 minutes

Dyess or Brown please