Game #25: Detroit Pistons (13-9) @ Milwaukee Bucks (15-9)
DET 115, MIL 114
Billups’ Clutch FTs Beat Bucks- Detroit Overcomes Late Bucks Charge to Win
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN- In a possible future playoff matchup, the Detroit Pistons visited the Milwaukee Bucks for a game last night at the Bradley Center. Detroit is known for their very physicality, defensive intensity, and overall gritty play that generates low scoring and ugly boxscores. However,
yesterday’s game was the very opposite- both teams’ offenses were in high gear, and a total of 229 points were put up between them.

Much of this may have been due to the fact that the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Ben Wallace, was hampered by foul trouble for most of the game, and was more often seen sitting on the bench than grabbing rebounds and blocking shots. Without him in the middle, the Bucks attacked the paint with their slashers playmakers such as Dwyane Wade, Grant Hill, and Nate Robinson.

An early 19-12 Pistons lead was answered by a 7-0 Bucks run to tie that game at 19-19, and the first quarter ended with Milwaukee clinging to a 2-point advantage, 29-27. In the quarter, Hill (8 pts), Wade (10 pts), and Robinson (5 pts) had combined for 23 of the teams’ 29 points, or
79.3% 
. The Pistons’ Tayshaun Prince had the hot hand, scoring 13 in the period.

The second quarter and third quarters were much like the first. Both teams continued to light it up from the field, and keep the scorers’ table very busy, but neither squad could take command of the game. Pistons reserve Carlos Delfino was the story of the 2nd quarter, going crazy with 19 points on 9-for-10 shooting in the period.

He was hitting absolutely EVERYTHING, draining long jumpers like they were free throws, just putting on an exhibition. But still the Bucks held a 3-point lead at halftime, and a 4-point lead after 3 quarters.

The fourth quarter, however, was won by the Pistons. Their PG Chauncey Billups got hot, draining a three and getting into the lane for a few leaners. With him leading the way, Detroit took the lead, and was holding on to a 3-point advantage until there was about 1 minute left. With the score 113-110, Grant Hill got into the lane, and made a short-but-tough jumper off the glass, bringing the Bucks to within 1. After Rasheed Wallace missed on the other end, it was Wade’s turn to step up to the occasion. He crossed over his defender Rip Hamilton at the three point line, got into the lane, and hit an 8-footer to give the Bucks the lead, 114-113, with 22.5 seconds left.

But once again it was Billups with an answer. Chauncey isolated his defender, Beno Udrih, and
blew by him to the rim. He cleared space, and rose up for a dunk! But Dwight Howard clobbered him in mid-air, sending him to the free throw line to earn his 2-points. With his team down 2, and with 1.9 seconds left in the game, many players would have been extremely nervous. But Billups showed no signs of that as he
calmly swished in both free throws.

The Bucks advanced the ball with a timeout, and inbounded it to Wade, but Dwyane missed a long three that was out of his range, and the Bucks lost 115-114.
GAME NOTES
To account for Ben Wallace’s short minutes and limited production, Rasheed Wallace stepped it up with a great performance. He recorded 20 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 blocked shots, and 3 steals, on 9-for-21 shooting. He also held his man, Dwight Howard, to a 5-for-14 shooting night. “
’Sheed did it all tonight,” Pistons coach Larry Brown remarked.
GAME STATS
MILWAUKEE
Divac: 2 pts, 5 reb, 1 ast, 1-4 FGs
Howard: 17 pts, 14 reb, 4 ast, 5-14 FGs
Hill: 24 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast, 9-15 FGs
Wade: 32 pts, 6 reb, 4 ast, 15-26 FGs
Robinson: 9 pts, 0 reb, 4 ast, 3-6 FGs
Drew: 5 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 2-3 FGs
Bowen: 4 pts, 3 reb, 2 ast, 2-3 FGs
Udrih: 5 pts, 0 reb, 7 ast, 2-2 FGs
Rush: 8 pts, 0 reb, 2 ast, 4-5 FGs
Traylor: 4 pts, 4 reb, 0 ast, 1-5 FGs
Ely: 4 pts, 2 reb, 0 ast, 2-5 FGs
TOTALS: 46-89 FGs (51.7%
), 19-21 FTs, 38 REB (9 OFF), 26 AST, 19 FL
DETROIT
B. Wallace: 2 pts, 5 reb, 0 ast, 1-1 FGs
R. Wallace: 20 pts, 12 reb, 7 ast, 9-21 FGs
Prince: 21 pts, 4 reb, 1 ast, 8-19 FGs
Hamilton: 22 pts, 5 reb, 1 ast, 10-18 FGs
Billups: 18 pts, 1 reb, 14 ast, 6-15 FGs
Delfino: 19 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 9-11 FGs
Marshall: 4 pts, 2 reb, 1 ast, 2-7 FGs
Feick: 2 pts, 6 reb, 1 ast, 1-3 FGs
Hunter: 5 pts, 0 reb, 8 ast, 2-4 FGs
Milicic: 2 pts, 1 reb, 0 ast, 0-1 FGs
TOTALS: 48-100 FGs (48%), 15-16 FTs, 37 REB (13 OFF), 33 AST, 17 FL
QUARTER-BY-QUARTER SCORING
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Pistons 27 32 30 26---115
Bucks 29 33 31 21---114
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Three-point field goals: Milwaukee 3-9 (Udrih 1-1, Drew 1-2, Robinson 1-3, Wade 0-1, Traylor 0-1, Bowen 0-1), Detroit 4-14 (Billups 2-4, Prince 1-3, Hunter 1-3, R. Wallace 0-1, Delfino 0-1, Marshall 0-2).
Turnovers: Milwaukee 18, Detroit 11.
Steals: Milwaukee 8 (Howard 2, Robinson 2), Detroit 15 (Billups 4).
Blocks: Milwaukee 8 (Howard 3), Detroit 8 (R. Wallace 5).
BUCKS’ RECORD: 15-10