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Feed me starter minutes. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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It started out as another one of Rodney Stuckey's patented wild drives through the lane.  With the score tied at 86, Stuckey was determined to get a shot up, at all costs, praying he'd get a call or his circus shot would fall with less than 10 seconds left.  Unfortunately, he was swarmed by Sixers and Andre Iguodala taught him a quick, clean, lesson by blocking his wild attempt.  Luckily, the loose ball wound up right back in Stuckey's hands.  He promptly put up a fade away jumper that toilet bowled home and the Pistons had a two point lead they wouldn't give up.  

It elicited the thought of a scene from one of my favorite movies.  A sharp pang in my stomach seeing him try to force up a shot, followed by elation witnessing him redeem it a second later.  

And Stuckey deserved that second chance opportunity.  He had arguably the best game of his season, scoring a game-high 27 points on 10-19 shooting.  He was perfect from the free throw line (including two clinchers), had eight assists, five rebounds, and committed just two turnovers.  Rodney Stuckey was tonight's player of the game. 

Allen "The Answer?" Iverson, not so much.  While he did hit a tying jumper with a minute to go, he shot just 3-10 and had six (count 'em) turnovers against his former team. As he looked the other night against his other former team, the Denver Nuggets, Iverson seemed intent on sticking it to his former squad.  Unfortunately for him, he just didn't have it either night.  

It's a shame ESPN decided to cancel this match up, because with the Iverson "drama" and the game itself it was a great one.  Neither team held a lead larger than eight throughout the course of the game and the leads were going back and forth the entire fourth quarter.  Aside from the rebounding discrepancy (45-32 Detroit) the statistics were nearly identical. 

But in the end, it was the Pistons who walked away with their third straight win and handed Philly their 11th straight loss.  Detroit ended a five game road losing streak and a two game losing streak in Philadelphia.   And, as George Blaha would say, don't look now, but the Pistons are currently sitting in the 8th seed in the Leastern Conference with a 9-12 record.  

More after the leap.

• This game was a great example of Pistons basketball.  Detroit scrapped it out, hustled down rebounds, moved the basketball around (24 assists).  It was like watching the good ol' days again.  It's nice actually being entertained while watching the Pistons again, unlike the past few years where it was like going through the motions.  
• Jonas Jerebko has developed some offensive swagger.  He had 17 points on 7-12 shooting and 10 rebounds for his third double-double in his last five games.  He's averaging 14 points and 8 rebounds per game in his last six games.  Unreal.
• Kwame Brown had his best offensive showing of the season, thanks in large part to hitting 7 of 8 freebies.  He was just 2-5 from the field but got to the charity stripe often.  He also had five rebounds. 
• Will Bynum played 18 minutes and shot poorly again.  He was just 2-7 and finished with four points.  His ankle has to be bothering him. I plan on having a separate post up on that tomorrow maybe. 
• For all the jive I was giving Stuckey for his poor shooting earlier this year, he has really turned it on.  He's currently 26-48 in his last three games, averaging 24 ppg and 6.3 assists per game.  
• Also, Stuckey absolutely broke AI's ankles tonight (although it could have been a mix between a fall & cross-over).  I'll be on the lookout for that highlight.
• Notable: Ben Wallace and Chucky Atkins were a team best +14 tonight.  I'm not in love with Chucky at point guard, but the way Stuckey has been playing, I don't want Kuester to change anything right now.
• Charlie V had a relatively quiet 11 points and five rebounds in 27 minutes.
• Andre Iguodala led the Sixers with 18 points, 9 assists, and 6 rebounds.  What I failed to mention in the recap above was he had a WIDE open three pointer to win it for the Sixers that banged off the back of the rim.  
• Box score
• Liberty Ballers 
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