The Pistons may rank "only" third in the league in points allowed per game, but I firmly believe they have the best defense in the league. When they sense the need, they can completely shut down any team.
Case in point: the third quarter last night against the T-Wolves. The Pistons entered the half trailing by one, but they clamped down in the second half by allowing just 13 points in the third and 37 for the entire second half. And tight defense didn't come at the expense of the offense, as Detroit exploded for 33 points in the third and 29 more in the fourth.
Except for Chauncey Billups (27 points, eight assists, seven boards), it was a pretty quiet game from the starters, but the bench came through big. Antonio McDyess had one of his better games of the year with 16 points and nine boards in 22 minutes, and Mo Evans went 5-of-5 from the field to finish with 12 points, five boards, two assists, a steal and a block in 27 minutes.
Carlos Delfino sat out with the flu, which opened the door for 18-year-old Amir Johnson to make his debut. He got into the game in garbage time and made a HUGE impression with a windmill dunk and a blocked shot. As usual, Need 4 Sheed is all over it, so check out the video. If only Darko had that kind of energy late in games. Not sure what kind of handle this kid has -- he had two turnovers and two personal fouls in four minutes -- but it looks the reports from practice that he can flat-out jump out of the building are true.
Detroit 107, Minnesota 83 box score [ESPN]
Amir Johnson's First NBA Points - Video [Need 4 Sheed]