~ [10-6] Motor City | Monthly recap - NOVEMBER.

[Oskar]

Brandon Jennings celebrating a made three pointer.



Pistons crush the 76ers thanks to a balanced team effort.




30th October, 2014 -- The Detroit Pistons started the season off on a high note, as they beat the 76ers in Philadelphia by a total of 31 points thanks to a great, balanced team effort.

Thanks to a red hot start, the Pistons managed to beat the 76ers by 20 points in the first half alone, as it finished 55:35 before half. The point guard duo of Detroit was the biggest highlight of the first half, and perhaps the game, as Brandon Jennings scored 15 of his game high 22 points in the first half and Isaiah Thomas chipped in with 8 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 steals in the first half alone. Thomas finished the game with a line of 13 points, 6 rebounds and 11 assists. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope also had a terrific game off the bench, as he finished with 17 points on 7-8 shooting in only 12 minutes. Drummond also had an outstanding performance with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 4 blocks.

Although Andrew Wiggins didn't have a spectacular debut to his career, his 12 point outing was definitely useful as the Pistons cruised to the victory. Wiggins also had 3 reobunds, 2 assists and 2 steals, plus a spectacular chase down block on Evan Turner, which absolutely stunned the crowd in Philadelphia.

For the 76ers, there was not much to brag about. Nerlens Noel was one of their few bright spots as the sophmore center finished with 15 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals on 7-9 shooting. Thaddeus Young also had a nice outing with 14 points and 4 rebounds. However, former Detroit Piston, Josh Smith, was a real disappointment as he finished the game with 5 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists, but shooting a woeful 2-8 from the field. Smith also turned the ball over three times. Rodrigue Beaubois also had a poor game as he finished with 2 points, 4 assists and 3 turnovers on 1-8 shooting, similarly to Josh Smith.

Pistons guard Lance Stephenson was definitely pleased with the result, judging by his comments after the game. "We played great as a team. Our defensive effort was huge and we played with great motor to start the game. We shared the rock, pushed it in transition, and on the other end, didn't allow the Sixers a thing. So yeah, we're definitely happy with the victory, but it's just the first game of the entire season, so we've got to build on it now." he said.



MVP of the game: Isaiah Thomas

Isaiah was the one that sparked his team to an early lead with a great all-around performance. Despite his size disadvantage, he managed to pull down more rebounds than any other player on the court other than Nerlens Noel and Andre Drummond. Delivered passes right on target and orchestrated the Pistons offense as it ran extremely smoothly.




LVP of the game: Royce White

#BeWell Royce White received a grand total of 12 minutes of playing time, in which he clawed 3 rebounds and delivered 2 assists. However, he did not manage to hit a single shot, in fact, both of his two attempts did not hit the iron. Despite having an underdog type story to his name, one would have to question his actual ability in this league.




Notable performances:

Isaiah Thomas - 13 points, 6 rebounds, 11 assists, 4 steals, 5/8 FG, 3/6 3PT
Brandon Jennings - 22 points, 3 assists, 7/11 FG, 4/8 3PT, 12 minutes
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - 17 points, 3 rebounds, 7/8 FG, 3/4 3PT, 13 minutes
Andre Drummond - 16 points, 8 rebounds, 4 blocks, 7/9 FG
Lance Stephenson - 13 points, 5 assists
Andrew Wiggins - 12 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals

Nerlens Noel - 15 points, 7 rebounds, 3 steals, 7/9 FG
Thaddeus Young - 14 points, 4 rebounds, 7/11 FG
Josh Smith - 5 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 2/8 FG




Photos of the game:

Lance Stephenson with the fast break layup.


Andrew Wiggins with the stunning chase-down block on Evan Turner.


Thaddeus Young with the thunderous dunk in the lane.


Kentavious Caldwell-Pope as he heated up late in the game.


Nerlens Noel, one of the few bright spots for his team.




Around the league:

LeBron James vs Cavs - 25 points, 9 rebounds, 13 assists
Robin Lopez vs Magic - 21 points, 13 rebounds, 6 blocks
Derrick Rose vs Mavs - 40 points, 7 assists
Blake Griffin vs Wolves - 35 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists

[Oskar]

MarShon Brooks with the Dunk of the Night as he puts Tony Mitchell on a poster.



Another terrific all-around performance wills the Pistons to a victory in Boston.




1st November, 2014 -- After crushing the Sixers in Philadelphia, the Pistons used their momentum to do the same with the Celtics in Boston. Thanks to another great team effort, led by Andrew Wiggins, Lance Stephenson and Andre Drummond, the Pistons finished their two game road trip with a 15-point victory.

As mentioned, the three that stood out the most were Wiggins, Stephenson and Drummond. The rookie from Kansas delivered a great all-around game as he finished with a game high 21 points to go with 9 rebounds and 4 assists. Lance Stephenson chipped in with 20 points and 5 rebounds, and the 'beast in the paint' finished with 14 points and 7 rebounds. Drummond was also a nightmare to face for the opposing players, as he blocked a total of 5 shots, to go with 3 steals.

The Celtics as a whole had trouble getting shots up against the shot-blocking giants of Detroit. Besides the 5 blocks by Andre Drummond, Greg Monroe had 3, and Anderson Varejao and Josh McRoberts each had 2 a piece, all four of them combining for 12 blocks - 9 more than the entire opposition.

Brandon Jennings was a good spark off the bench once again. He scored 13 points on 5-9 shooting, including 3-4 from the three point territory. Greg Monroe and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope were the other two in double digits, finishing with 11 and 10 points respectively.

Boston also responded with a solid team performance, by the looks of it, however not on the level of Detroit. For the Celtics, Avery Bradley finished with team high 14 points on 5-15 shooting, including 4-10 from behind the arc. Jeff Green had a rather quiet 12 point, 6 rebound game. The young front court of Jared Sullinger and Joel Embiid caused a little trouble for the Pistons. Sullinger finished the game with 11 points and 6 rebounds, while Embiid had a solid double-double with 10 points and game high 12 rebounds. While Rajon Rondo filled the stat sheet as usual with 10 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals, his 5-16 shooting was really troubling for his team.



MVP of the game: Andrew Wiggins

Although a case could be made for Andre Drummond, Wiggins definitely deserves the Player of the Game award thanks to the 21-9-4 performance in the second game of his career. His +/- of +23 indicates that Wiggins was a big plus for his team while on the court, which is absolutely true, as his presence was felt at all times.




Notable performances:

Andrew Wiggins - 21p, 9r, 4a, 8/14 FG
Lance Stephenson - 20p, 5r, 2a, 8/13 FG, 3/5 3PT
Andre Drummond - 14p, 7r, 5bs, 3st, 6/12 FT
Brandon Jennings - 13p, 3/4 3PT
Greg Monroe - 11p, 4r, 3bs, 5/8 FG

Avery Bradley - 14p, 4r, 4/10 3PT
Jeff Green - 12p, 6r, 6/9 FG
Jared Sullinger - 11p, 6r
Joel Embiid - 10p, 12r
Rajon Rondo - 10p, 6r, 7a, 3st, 5-16 FG




Photos of the game:

Isaiah Thomas with a fancy pass to Andrew Wiggins.


Joel Embiid with the emphatic block on Greg Monroe.


Lance Stephenson after making one of his three shots from downtown.


The Celtics promising front court duo that matched up well against the Pistons.




Around the league:

Tony Parker vs Bucks (W) - 33p, 10a, 14/19 FG, 3/4 3PT
Ty Lawson vs Blazers (W) - 26p, 15a

[Martti.]

Great games by Wiggins and Drummond, the latter was a beast defensively..

[Oskar]

Great games by Wiggins and Drummond, the latter was a beast defensively..

I think that if not already, Drummond has the potential to be one of the better defenders in the NBA. His physical tools are off the charts.

[Oskar]

Battle of the rookies - Hezonja going for a layup over Wiggins.



Pistons fall to the Knicks in home opener.




2nd November, 2014 -- After winning their first two on the road, the Pistons fail to go 3-0 in their home opener, losing to the Knicks in a tough battle. The game was about as even as it gets through the first three quarters of the game, but thanks to a late rally propelled mainly by Carmelo Anthony, Iman Shumpert and Pablo Prigioni, the Knicks managed to escape Detroit with a 9-point victory.

Iman Shumpert finished with a game-high 23 points on 9-17 shooting, including 3-4 from downtown. Two of his three pointers came late in the fourth quarter, as the final nails in the coffin. Carmelo Anthony had 19 points, 6 rebounds and 4 steals and the 37-year old Prigioni finished the game with 17 points and 8 assists. Rookie Mario Hezonja also had a solid input off the bench, scoring a total of 9 points in only 6 minutes. CJ Miles chipped in with 6 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals in only 9 minutes and Amar'e Stoudemire had a line of 6 points and 9 rebounds, including 5 on the offensive end.

For the Pistons, only 7 players scored a basket. 6 of them finished in double figures - the odd man out in Josh McRoberts, had 2 points. Andrew Wiggins was once again the leading scorer for the Pistons, scoring 18 points on 9-12 shooting. He also had 4 blocks in the game. Greg Monroe also had a solid, efficient game with 17 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists on 7-9 shooting. Lance Stephenson flirted with a triple-double, despite a poor shooting effort on his behalf. He finished the game with 17 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists, however, made only 6 of his 17 shot attempts. Isaiah Thomas had 14 points and 9 assists and the man in the paint - Drummond, finished with 12 points and 8 rebounds. Brandon Jennings was once again the leading bench scorer with 10 points, but he took a total of 11 shots to get to double figures.



MVP of the game: Pablo Prigioni

Prigioni led the Knicks with 17 points and 8 assists, a terrific performance for the 37-year old point guard. He set the table well late in the game for two easy looks by Shumpert, who had a great game of his own.




Notable performances:

Andrew Wiggins - 18 points, 4 blocks, 9-12 FG
Greg Monroe - 17 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 7-9 FG
Lance Stephenson - 17 points, 9 rebounds, 8 assists, 6-17 FG
Isaiah Thomas - 14 points, 3 rebounds, 9 assists
Andre Drummond - 12 points, 8 rebounds
Brandon Jennings - 10 points, 4-11 FG

Iman Shumpert - 23 points, 9-17 FG, 3-4 3PT
Carmelo Anthony - 19 points, 6 rebounds, 4 steals
Pablo Prigioni - 17 points, 8 assists
Mario Hezonja - 9 points, 6 minutes, 4-5 FG
C.J. Miles - 6 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 9 minutes




Photos of the game:

Lance Stephenson high-fiving Andrew Wiggins after an and-1.


Andrew Wiggins soaring for the dunk over Carmelo Anthony.




Around the league:

Chris Paul vs Lakers (win) - 26 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists
Jimmy Butler vs Pacers (win) - 2 points, 14 rebounds, 10 assists

[Oskar]

Nuggets trade Faried to the Clippers for Collison, Mullens.



November 3rd, 2014 -- An odd trade occurred from out of nowhere, as the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers agreed to a blockbuster trade, sending Kenneth Faried to Los Angeles in exchange for Darren Collison and Byron Mullens.

Kenneth Faried averaged 14 points and 8 rebounds in his two games so far this season, a win and a loss. He has been an important part of the Nuggets for three years, averaging nearly a double-double during his tenure there, leaving a lot of people confused about the trade. Even more so, the Clippers already seem have their front court locked in Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.

Darren Collison has not been as big of a spark off the bench for the last two years as he was before. He finished last year averaging 6.8 points and 3.4 assists per game, getting only around 17 minutes of action a game. In the three games this year, he averaged 6 points and 3 assists - nothing on the level of Kenneth Faried. And even so, the Nuggets have plenty of talent at the point guard position with Ty Lawson handling the keys. Perhaps the Nuggets see one of the two, more likely Collison, sliding to the 2 guard position, where Randy Foye is currently the first option.

Byron Mullens, the filler of the trade, has been improving steadily. In the three games this year, he saw the court for 8 minutes on average, chipping in with slightly below 4 points and 2 rebounds a game.



Read more...

[Oskar]

Paul George talks smack of Stephenson before the game at Detroit.



November 5th, 2014 -- With the Pacers heading to Detroit to battle the former Pacer, Lance Stephenson, and his Pistons, the Indiana Pacers superstar Paul George chose to say some words to downgrade his former teammate.

"Lance, he was alright. We were fortunate to have him. He don't deserve the money he get, though, so we much better off with Orlando (Johnson) at the 2 guard." he said. "Orlando been averaging like 20 points and he can shoot a hell lot better than Lance ever could, so there's no doubt in my mind that we're a better team without Lance."

Orlando Johnson, the replacement, has had a terrific start to the season. Last game against Orlando, he finished with a total of 33 points to go with 8 rebounds. In the first 4 games of the season, he's averaging about 18 points and 7 rebounds a game, which definitely appears like a great replacement for the Lance Stephensons spot.

"I'm definitely going to take it hard at Lance. I'm sure Orlando will, too. Barring a miracle, I don't see how the Pistons can beat us." George continued.

Upon hearing what his former teammate had to say, Lance Stephenson chuckled slightly, rolling his eyes in slight disbelief.



Read more...

[Oskar]

Stephenson slamming it down despite the defensive effort by Paul George.



Stephenson's career high 48 lifts the Pistons over the Pacers.




6th November, 2014 -- A day before the game, Paul George had some words to say about Lance Stephenson and his abilities compared to the Pacers new starting 2 guard - Orlando Johnson. Lance shook it off when he was asked about it, but he had definitely taken notes as he pretty much single handedly demolished his former team.

Lance Stephenson finished the game with a career best 48 points on 16-27 shooting, including 5-11 from downtown. He also had 3 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals, and shot 9-11 from the charity stripe. After some trash talk to begin the game, Stephenson demolished the Pacers in the first quarter. He carried the Pistons to a 29-22 lead in the first quarter of the game, in which he had a total of 18 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.

"They done talking now, I assure you that." said Lance Stephenson after the game. "I respect Orlando (Johnson) and his abilities, but Paul (George) ain't shown none for all the smack running through his mouth."

There were other solid performers for Detroit, as Isaiah Thomas chipped in with 14 points and 7 rebounds. Andre Drummond continued with his consistent play, scoring 13 points and grabbing 9 rebounds. He also had 3 steals, adding to the great defensive statistics he has produced early in the season. Andrew Wiggins and Greg Monroe were also extremely efficient. Wiggins finished the game with 13 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists on 6-8 shooting. Monroe had 11 points and 7 rebounds, making all five of his shot attempts. The two each had 2 blocks in the game, as well.

The surprisingly highly touted Orlando Johnson led the way for the Pacers. He went head-to-head with Stephenson for much of the game and finished with 29 points and 6 rebounds, shooting 13-24 from the field. The "Pacers superstar" Paul George added 12 points, shooting a horrific 5-15 from the field. George Hill quietly roamed to a 12 point and 5 assist game, while the 7'2" Roy Hibbert added 10 points and 8 rebounds.

"I'm glad they fired up Lance." said the Pistons Head Coach, Justin Cobb. "You can talk the talk, if you can walk the talk, but seeing how well we match up with Indiana, some of what Paul George said was definitely unjustified. We are definitely going to be ready next time we face off with the Pacers."

After the game, Paul George walked away from the court immediately after the buzzer sounded, clearly frustrated, and to some extent, ashamed.



MVP of the game: Lance Stephenson

Stephenson had a career night as he let his game do the talking against his former team. He kept on going to the rim at will, and also was on fire from behind the arc, as he cruised to a magnificent 48-point game.




LVP of the game: Brandon Jennings

Some say he smelled of alcohol as he stepped on the court, which makes sense as he absolutely failed to deliver. He played a total of 11 minutes, in which he scored a grand total of 2 points on 1-8 shooting, many of them being highly contested, off-balance looks, which have seemed to become a trend for the talented guard.




Notable performances:

Andrew Wiggins - 13 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 6-8 FG
Greg Monroe - 10 points, 7 rebounds, 5-5 FG
Lance Stephenson - 48 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 16-27 FG, 5-11 3PT, 9-11 FT
Isaiah Thomas - 14 points, 7 assists
Andre Drummond - 13 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals
Brandon Jennings - 10 points, 4-11 FG

Orlando Johnson - 29 points, 6 rebounds, 13-24 FG, 3-6 3PT
Paul George - 12 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 5-15 FG
George Hill - 12 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 5-8 FG
Roy Hibbert - 10 points, 8 rebounds, 4-5 FG





Photos of the game:

Orlando Johnson soaring for a windmill dunk in traffic.


Stephenson going to the rack, with Johnson by his side.


Kentavious Caldwell-Pope with the hustle play in mid-court.


Andrew Wiggins soaring for another highlight dunk - one of his four in the game.


Stephenson serving a massive facial on McGee.




Around the league:

DeMar DeRozan vs Lakers, 4th Nov (win) - 35 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals
LeBron James vs Knicks, 5th Nov (loss) - 36 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists
Dwight Howard vs Wolves, 5th Nov (win) - 39 points, 12 rebounds, 18-28 FG
Kevin Durant vs Grizzlies, 5th Nov (win) - 42 points, 6 rebounds, 15-24 FG
Emeka Okafor vs Raptors, 6th Nov (win) - 8 points, 23 rebounds
Dwight Howard vs Kings, 6th Nov (146-111 win) - 40 points, 10 rebounds, 14-16 FG, 12-16 FT
James Harden vs Kings, 6th Nov (146-111 win) - 34 points, 4 rebounds, 12 assists, 11-16 FG, 5-9 3PT, 7-7 FT

[Oskar]

Carmelo Anthony tears MCL against Miami, likely out for season.



November 5th, 2014 -- In the first quarter of play against the Miami Heat, Knicks' superstar Carmelo Anthony suffered a freak injury which might sideline him for the season.

Anthony was chasing Mario Chalmers for a chase down block, but fell down hard after the block attempt, twisting his knee horribly. Anthony was taken off the court by his teammates, and an MRI test later that night revealed that Anthony tore his MCL.

Carmelo Anthony started the season with a 25-point game and followed it up by two 19-point games. In the first 6 minutes which he played against Miami, he scored a total of 7 points on 3-5 shooting, and appeared to be on his way to another great scoring game.



Read more...

[Vespasian92]

Jennings spirals out of control, while Isaiah keeps delivering consistently. Drummond must be nice to have protecting the rim too.

Wow, the Rockets sure went to town against the Kings.

[Oskar]

Jennings spirals out of control, while Isaiah keeps delivering consistently. Drummond must be nice to have protecting the rim too.

Wow, the Rockets sure went to town against the Kings.

I'm actually expecting slightly better play from Isaiah, it's hard to get him going, although he's a really capable scorer in real life. And yes, Drummond is a huge presence inside, he's an unreal shot blocker.

And that game really surprised me as well, 146 points in regulation is insane.

[Martti.]

I would expect something like that from Lance, he's somewhat of a loose cannon. Maybe not 48 though.

Jennings has been awful, hopefully he can step it up, cause I like him a lot and hopefully he can stay.

[Oskar]

I would expect something like that from Lance, he's somewhat of a loose cannon. Maybe not 48 though.

Jennings has been awful, hopefully he can step it up, cause I like him a lot and hopefully he can stay.

It's really easy getting to the rack with him, and I didn't even plan to score a lot with him at first. But once he got hot, I kept feeding him the ball and he delivered.

Jennings hasn't been that bad actually, I like to draw him as a "bad guy" to start off as I intend to include him as one of the main characters in the storyline. We'll see though, I am not fully decided and will likely decide on spot.

[Martti.]

Is Jennings starting?

[Oskar]

Is Jennings starting?

He's usually the 6th man off the bench, Isaiah is starting at the 1. You can see the full roster in the second post of the thread.

[Oskar]

Pistons' Andrew Wiggins to sign a long-term endorsement deal with Adidas.



November 8th, 2014 -- Barely a week after debuting in the NBA, the Canadian wonder kid has agreed to a lucrative, long-term deal with Adidas. Although details of the deal were not disclosed, most rumors have the deal at 200$ million over a decade. Adidas has announced that Wiggins will be a big part of their upcoming marketing initiatives, while also playing a big role in the development of footwear and apparel.

"I am grateful for the opportunity and will try to make the most of it." said Wiggins. "I've seen players, such as Derrick Rose and Dwight Howard, receive international recognition thanks to their involvement with Adidas and I am definitely looking forward to my association with Adidas."



Read more...

Miami's big three extended to long-term contracts.



November 8th, 2014 -- The big three that has led the Miami Heat to three consecutive NBA titles, have all agreed to long term contracts with the organization. Despite many rumors about LeBron leaving for another shot in Cleveland and what not, the three "superfriends" have agreed to continue their journey in Miami.

To no surprise, LeBron James was signed to the biggest contract, which will give him 109.5 million dollars over the course of 5 years. Chris Bosh was also signed to a 5-year contract, during which he will get 62.63 million dollars. Dwyane Wade agreed to a 4-year, 63.91 million dollar contract.

"We got a lot of flack in 2010 for our ambitious goals, but we're not giving up." said LeBron. "We have won three in a row and we don't intend to slow down any time soon."



Read more...

[Oskar]

Stephenson hanging on to the rim after a dunk against the Pelicans.




9th November, 2014. @ Detroit


Pelicans manage to pull of a win in Detroit.



Notable performances:


Eric Gordon - 21 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 9-17 FG
Anthony Davis - 20 points, 12 rebounds, 3 steals, 9-14 FG
Jrue Holiday - 16 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 steals, 4-15 FG
Austin Rivers - 11 points, 9 minutes
Ryan Anderson - 8 points, 9 rebounds

Lance Stephenson - 22 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 4 blocks, 9-14 FG, 4-9 3PT
Andre Drummond - 20 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 5 blocks, 7-16 FG, 6-9 FT
Andrew Wiggins - 11 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists
Greg Monroe - 10 points, 7 rebounds
Anderson Varejao - 8 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists
Isaiah Thomas - 7 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists, 3 steals, 6 turnovers, 3-13 FG






12th November, 2014. @ Miami


Pistons late run not enough in Miami.



Notable performances:

LeBron James - 32 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 13-23 FG
Mario Chalmers - 20 points, 3 rebounds, 5 steals, 7-11 FG
Shannon Brown - 15 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists
Dwyane Wade - 13 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists
Greg Oden - 11 points, 8 rebounds
Chris Bosh - DNP, Strained Groin

Andre Drummond - 32 points, 11 rebounds (7 offensive), 2 blocks, 14-23 FG
Isaiah Thomas - 18 points, 3 rebounds, 9 assists, 7 turnovers, 6-14 FG
Brandon Jennings - 12 points, 5-15 FG
Andrew Wiggins - 12 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks, 5-7 FG, 2-3 3PT
Lance Stephenson - 10 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 5-11 FG







13th November, 2014. @ Orlando


Monroe shines in Orlando, carries the Pistons to a victory.



Notable performances:

Greg Monroe - 23 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 8-11 FG, 7-11 FT
Isaiah Thomas - 17 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 6-15 FG
Brandon Jennings - 16 points, 3 rebounds, 6-10 FG, 2-3 3PT
Andre Drummond - 14 points, 10 rebounds, 6-7 FG
Andrew Wiggins - 12 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks, 5-19 FG
Lance Stephenson - 12 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 2-2 3PT

Gerald Henderson - 21 points, 4 assists, 9-14 FG
Nikola Vucevic - 17 points, 17 rebounds, 7-10 FG
Russ Smith - 14 points, 3 assists, 5 turnovers, 4-14 FG
Glen Davis - 13 points, 5 rebounds, 6-8 FG
Tobias Harris - 12 points, 6 rebounds, 6 blocks, 5-9 FG
Victor Oladipo - DNP, Hyper extended knee






15th November, 2014. @ Chicago


Stephenson's big game not enough to finish the road trip on a high note.



Notable performances:

Derrick Rose - 35 points, 5 assists, 10 turnovers, 14-30 FG
Vince Carter - 18 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 7-14 FG, 3-7 3PT
Carlos Boozer - 14 points, 12 rebounds, 4 steals
Jose Calderon - 13 points, 3 assists
Joakim Noah - 10 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 5-5 FG

Lance Stephenson - 30 points, 8 rebounds, 13 assists, 2 steals, 13-23 FG, 0-6 3PT
Isaiah Thomas - 19 points, 5 assists, 7-16 FG, 5-12 3PT
Andrew Wiggins - 16 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, 7-12 FG
Brandon Jennings - 13 points, 4 assists, 5-8 FG, 3-5 3PT
Andre Drummond - 7 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks
Greg Monroe - 6 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks







Around the league:

LeBron James vs Suns, 7th Nov (W) - 35 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, 12-16 FG, 2-2 3PT, 9-11 FT
Kevin Love vs Hawks, 7th Nov (W) - 37 points, 18 rebounds, 3 assists, 12-19 FG, 4-8 3PT, 9-12 FT
Kevin Durant vs Clippers, 8th Nov (W) - 30 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists, 2 blocks, 11-19 FG, 8-10 FT
Derrick Rose vs Spurs, 11th Nov (W) - 42 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 15-32 FG, 3-8 3PT, 8-8 FT
Kevin Durant vs Celtics, 15th Nov (W) - 45 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 17-34 FG, 4-11 3PT, 7-7 FT

11/13 - Indiana Pacers trade JaVale McGee, Jordan McRae to Utah Jazz in exchange for Alec Burks.
11/13 - Orlando Magic trade Andrew Nicholson to Utah Jazz in exchange for Richard Jefferson, Jeremy Evans
11/14 - Brooklyn Nets trade Jason Terry to Indiana Pacers in exchange for Orlando Johnson, Chris Copeland (despite Johnson's terrific start to the season)

Kevin Love (MIN) out for 1-2 weeks with strained achilles.
Ersan Ilyasova (MIL) out for 1-2 months with sore knee.

[Martti.]

That trade by Indy makes no sense, also the amount the Big 3 re-signed for. I doubt the Heat would give so little to Bosh, or if he leaves for another team, he'd still get 15M per.

Tough stretch there, but Stephenson's playing great.

[Oskar]

That trade by Indy makes no sense, also the amount the Big 3 re-signed for. I doubt the Heat would give so little to Bosh, or if he leaves for another team, he'd still get 15M per.

Tough stretch there, but Stephenson's playing great.

2K14 has some odd salaries and trades, I agree. You can sign stars like Bosh for a lot cheaper than their stats would indicate. The amount I could hold on to Monroe and sign Stephenson for are also good indicators of the stated fact.

Some close wins indeed, but three road games, in which losses to Miami and Chicago were pretty much guaranteed, so we'll bounce back.

[Oskar]

The 5'9" Thomas battling with the giants, as per usual.



Isaiah Thomas's magnificent game carries the Pistons over the Nuggets.




16th November, 2014 -- The league's best shot blocking team once again proved themselves with terrific low post and help defense. The Pistons blocked a total of 17 shots, with 5 of those rather surprisingly coming form the 6'5" Lance Stephenson. Thanks to their great defensive effort, plus the stellar performances from Isaiah Thomas and Andre Drummond, the Pistons managed to hold off the Denver Nuggets and win the game by 9 points.

As mentioned, Isaiah Thomas was clearly the driving force in the game. He finished the game with 25 points, 8 rebounds, 12 assists, 6 steals and 2 blocks. The last person to have a 25-8-12-6 game was Stephen Curry, back in 2010. Before that, it had only been done 6 times. Of the total 8 times the stat line has occurred, not once has the player had more than a single block, unlike Isaiah Thomas. Thomas shot 10-22 from the field, including 5-9 from downtown, and did not get to the free throw line once during the game.

Andre Drummond also continued his great play as he flirted with a double-double, as usual. He ended the game with 19 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks. Stephenson added 15 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and a career-high 5 blocks. Josh McRoberts was the clear X-Factor in the game, as he chipped in with 13 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks. He got to the line 5 times and converted on all of his attempts.

For Denver, the recently acquired Darren Collison was the go-to guy. He went head-to-head with Isaiah Thomas for most of the game and finished with 24 points, 4 rebounds and 12 assists on 10-21 shooting. Randy Foye also caused a lot of headache for Detroit, as he added 18 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists. JJ Hickson, too, had a solid effort, as he continuously managed to find ways to score in the low post, finishing with 16 points to go with 8 rebounds. Gallinari was the last of the Nuggets to finish in double-digit scoring, as he chipped in with 12 points and 11 rebounds.



MVP of the game: Isaiah Thomas

Thomas was definitely the most valuable player on the court as his near quadruple-double effort propelled the Pistons to a great win. After the game, he received a lot of praise from the Pistons Assistant Coach, Rasheed Wallace.




Notable performances:

Isaiah Thomas - 25 points, 8 rebounds, 12 assists, 6 steals, 2 blocks, 10-22 FG, 5-9 3PT
Andre Drummond - 19 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, 8-13 FG
Lance Stephenson - 15 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 5 blocks, 7-13 FG
Josh McRoberts - 13 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 blocks, 4-10 FG, 5-5 FT
Andrew Wiggins - 11 points, 4-9 FG
Greg Monroe - 10 points, 6 rebounds, 5-7 FG
Brandon Jennings - 6 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2-7 FG, 2-4 3PT

Darren Collison - 24 points, 4 rebounds, 12 assists, 10-21 FG, 3-3 FT
Randy Foye - 18 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, 7-17 FG, 4-8 3PT
J.J. Hickson - 16 points, 8 rebounds (6 offensive), 4 assists, 2 blocks, 8-11 FG
Danilo Gallinari - 12 points, 11 rebounds, 5-13 FG
Nené - 8 points, 8 rebounds, 4-8 FG





Photos of the game:

Andre Drummond and J.J. Hickson squaring off for the jump-ball.


Darren Collison finding his way past Isaiah Thomas.


Drummond climbing over Anthony Randolph for the dunk.


The Pistons bench mob cheering after a made three by Isaiah.


Brandon Jennings talking trash to the Nuggets bench after a three pointer.


Glenn Robinson III going up for the nasty reverse throw down.


McRoberts with one of his four blocked shots.


The past and the future cheering for the victory.




Around the league:

Bradley Beal vs Indiana, 16th Nov (W) - 49 points, 6 steals, 16-20 FG, 6-8 3PT, 11-13 FT

11/16 - Mavericks (0-10) fire Head Coach Rick Carlslie, hire Theodore Stafford as replacement.
11/16 - Celtics trade Danny Green, '15 2nd round draft pick to Wizards in exchange for Kevin Seraphin.

[Oskar]

Jeremy Lamb was the key to Thunder's success early on.



The guard rotation of OKC too much to handle for the Pistons.




20th November, 2014 -- Despite the terrific defensive effort on Oklahoma's superstar and arguably the leading MVP candidate, Kevin Durant, the Pistons did not manage to pull off a win against the Thunder. Durant struggled from the get-go, but his role as the leading scorer was replaced by Jeremy Lamb, who scored 16 of his 32 points in the first quarter alone.

Russell Westbrook was also a key figure in the win as he added 24 points and 12 assists. Reggie Jackson came off the bench to score 19 points on 9-14 shooting. Despite scoring only 2 points in the first half of the game, Durant still managed to finish in double digits with 12 points. He also had 6 rebounds and 5 assists, but made only 5 of his 16 shot attempts. Serge Ibaka also played an important role as he finished with a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds on 5-7 shooting.

Andre Drummond and Andrew Wiggins were the two that led the way for the Pistons. Andre Drummond was on fire from the beginning and coasted his way to another great performance with 29 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 blocks. The rookie Wiggins who molested Durant on multiple occasions, was on fire late in the game, scoring 17 points in the final quarter. He finished with 27 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks on 11-16 shooting. The point guards of Detroit were a little bit sloppy. Even though Brandon Jennings finished with a solid statline, his shooting woes continue to raise some questions, even more so when you take his volume into consideration. Jennings had 15 points, 6 assists and 5 steals on the game, on 6-15 shooting, including 3-10 from downtown. Isaiah Thomas, meanwhile, added 13 points and 7 assists, but managed to turn the ball over 8 times.

After the game, Kevin Durant had some praise for Detroit's rookie, Andrew Wiggins. "He's a terrific defensive player, even so early in his career. He's light quick on his feet, has a calm demeanor about him, but always puts in a lot of effort. With good management, he can make it big in this league."



MVP of the game: Russell Westbrook


24 points, 4 rebounds, 12 assists, 11-21 FG

Despite a slow start to the game, Westbrook really picked it in the second half, delivering the ball to shooters right in the correct spots, which was a big part of why the Thunder managed to pull away. His aggression on the offensive end caused a lot of headache for the Pistons' guards, who seemed to waste too much energy on defense to actually contribute on offense.




Notable performances:


Jeremy Lamb - 30 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 12-22 FG, 4-8 3PT, 4-4 FT
Reggie Jackson - 19 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 9-15 FG
Kevin Durant - 12 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, 5-16 FG
Serge Ibaka - 10 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals, 5-7 FG

Andre Drummond - 29 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks, 12-20 FG, 5-7 FT
Andrew Wiggins - 27 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 blocks, 11-16 FG, 2-5 3PT, 3-4 FT
Brandon Jennings - 15 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 steals, 6-15 FG, 3-10 3PT
Isaiah Thomas - 13 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals, 8 turnovers, 5-12 FG, 2-6 3PT
Lance Stephenson - 9 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 4-10 FG, 1-2 3PT




Photos of the game:

The Pistons starting five making their way on to the court.


Andre Drummond getting his head to the rim on the ridiculous block on Jeremy Lamb.


Reggie Jackson fighting his way up for a shot against Jennings.


Andrew Wiggins with a huge facial dunk on Kevin Durant.


Brandon Jennings hoisting a three pointer right in the face of Russell Westbrook.




Around the league:


Kevin Durant (OKC) vs NYK, 17th Nov (W) - 33 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists, 6 blocks, 8-24 FG, 3-7 3PT, 14-14 FT
Russell Westbrook (OKC) vs NETS, 18th Nov (W) - 37 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 13-20 FG, 3-5 3PT, 8-8 FT
Blake Griffin (LAC) vs SAC, 19th Nov (L) - 32 points, 18 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 14-19 FG
LeBron James (MIA) vs ATL, 19th Nov (W) - 27 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, 11-14 FG, 1-1 3PT, 4-6 FT
Aaron Gordon (CHA) vs NETS, 20th Nov (W) - 26 points, 10 rebounds (6 OR), 4 assists, 10-13 FG, 6-7 FT
Julius Randle (PHO) vs POR, 20th Nov (L) - 24 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists, 9-17 FG, 2-5 3PT, 4-6 FT
Jimmer Fredette (SAC) vs LAC, 20th Nov (W) - 26 points, 10 assists, 2 steals, 9-20 FG, 5-13 3PT, 3-4 FT

Kobe Bryant (CHA) sidelined for 4-6 weeks with a broken index finger.

[Martti.]

Jeremy Lamb is amazing in 2K, much harder to stop then Durant. Tough loss, your guys played well, especially Wiggins and Drummond.

[Oskar]

Jeremy Lamb is amazing in 2K, much harder to stop then Durant. Tough loss, your guys played well, especially Wiggins and Drummond.

I was stunned at how he started off, and was somewhat disappointed at the fact that Durant wasn't really a challenge. Wiggins and Drummond are beasting, especially Drummond.

[Oskar]

Brandon Jennings splitting the Hornets' defense with a fancy crossover.




22nd November, 2014. @ Toronto


Pistons destroy the Raptors on their home court.



Notable performances:


Lance Stephenson - 33 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists, 12-20 FG, 3-7 3PT, 6-6 FT
Brandon Jennings - 20 points, 5 assists, 8-14 FG, 4-8 3PT
Andrew Wiggins - 18 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 7-12 FG, 3-6 3PT
Anderson Varejao - 16 points, 5 rebounds, 5-7 FG, 6-8 FT
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - 14 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 6-11 FG, 2-4 3PT
Andre Drummond - 14 points, 11 rebounds (6 OR), 4 blocks, 7-13 FG
Isaiah Thomas - 6 points, 3 rebounds, 11 assists, 3 steals, 2-7 FG

Demar DeRozan - 16 points, 3 assists, 5-13 FG
Kyle Lowry - 16 points, 7 assists, 5-13 FG, 2-5 3PT
Terrence Ross - 14 points, 6-11 FG
Leo Westermann - 11 points, 5-6 FG
Tyler Hansbrough - 8 points, 8 rebounds, 3-5 FG






23rd November, 2014. @ Detroit


Pistons' twin towers secure the win over the Hornets in an OT thriller.



Notable performances:

Greg Monroe - 30 points, 20 rebounds, 3 blocks, 12-21 FG, 6-7 FT
Andrew Wiggins - 23 points, 8 rebounds, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 9-21 FG, 1-6 3PT, 4-4 FT
Lance Stephenson - 20 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 8-15 FG, 2-5 3PT
Andre Drummond - 19 points, 14 rebounds (9 OR), 5 assists, 2 steals, 4 blocks, 9-14 FG
Brandon Jennings - 17 points, 2 steals, 2 blocks, 6-16 FG, 4-10 3PT
Isaiah Thomas - 10 points, 12 assists, 4 steals, 4-17 FG, 2-7 3PT

Kemba Walker - 28 points, 3 rebounds, 9 assists, 3 blocks, 13-26 FG, 1-8 3PT
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist - 24 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 blocks, 9-19 FG, 2-2 3PT, 4-4 FT
Aaron Gordon - 16 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 blocks, 8-9 FG
Aaron Afflalo - 16 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 steals, 7-18 FG
Al Jefferson - 13 points, 8 rebounds, 6-11 FG
Kobe Bryant - DNP, broken index finger.







25th November, 2014. @ Milwaukee


Pistons manage to hold off the Bucks in another high-scoring game.



Notable performances:

Isaiah Thomas - 33 points, 6 assists, 11-18 FG, 6-11 3PT, 5-7 FT
Andre Drummond - 20 points, 11 rebounds, 2 steals, 9-14 FG
Andrew Wiggins - 15 points, 4 rebounds, 3-15 FG, 2-7 3PT
Greg Monroe - 14 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists, 5-9 FG, 4-12 FT
Lance Stephenson - 14 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 5-7 FG
Brandon Jennings - 9 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists, 2-2 FG, 1-1 3PT, 4-4 FT

O.J. Mayo - 30 points, 5 assists, 9-21 FG, 4-11 3PT, 8-11 FT
Dante Exum - 14 points, 3 rebounds, 8 assists, 5-7 FG, 1-1 3PT, 3-4 FT
Earl Clark - 14 points, 9 rebounds, 7-9 FG
Brandon Knight - 14 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 6-14 FG
John Henson - 10 points, 11 rebounds, 5 blocks, 5-10 FG





Around the league:

Kyrie Irving (CLE) vs MIN, 21st Nov (W) - 31 points, 7 rebounds, 13 assists, 9-15 FG, 14-16 FT
Kevin Durant (OKC) vs CLE, 22nd Nov (W) - 32 points, 14 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 blocks, 10-23 FG, 5-10 3PT, 7-7 FT
Stephen Curry (GSW) vs LAL, 22nd Nov (W) - 29 points, 9 rebounds, 11 assists, 9-16 FG, 4-7 3PT, 7-7 FT
Anthony Davis (NOP) vs MIN, 23rd Nov (W) - 23 points, 18 rebounds (10 OR), 6 steals, 3 blocks, 10-15 FG
Brandon Knight (MIL) vs NETS, 24th Nov (W) - 26 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists, 10-18 FG, 4-8 3PT
Derrick Williams (MIN) vs NOP, 25th Nov (L) - 38 points, 14 rebounds, 14-23 FG, 4-6 3PT, 6-9 FT
James Harden (HOU) vs DAL, 25th Nov (W) - 36 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 9-15 FG, 4-5 3PT, 14-15 FT

- Granger asking for an increased role in Denver; Nuggets not denying availability of Gallinari.
- Mo Williams asks the Trail Blazers for a trade.

- Andre Iguodala out for 6-8 weeks with a broken arm.

[Oskar]

Information on Lance Stephenson's dislocated finger.



November 25th, 2014 -- One of the Pistons' leaders, Lance Stephenson, dislocated the ring finger on his right hand late in the fourth quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks, as him and Giannis Antetokounmpo jumped after a loose ball in mid-court. Stephenson is expected to recover in approximately one to two weeks and might miss a few games, as well.

Stephenson has been one of the most outstanding players for Detroit, as he has averaged 20.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 1.3 steals and a block per game, on extremely efficient percentages (.63 TS%). In the second week of the season, he received the Player of the Week honors, as his week included the brilliant 48-point game.

The Pistons are expected to start Kentavious Caldwell-Pope for indefinite amount of time, depending on when Stephenson is ready to participate.



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