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Going up against the NBA's best defense in terms of points per game, the Pistons put up 53 points in the first 20 minutes with just AH turnover. Up 17 points with four and some change left in the first half, the Pistons looked like they were maybe on their way to ending a 15-game drought against their old "rivals" and winning their seventh game in their last 13.
And then they got outscored 72-51 over the next 28 minutes.
The Pistons' collapse coincidentally started shortly after FSD interviewed Ben Wallace, who was at the game as a fan because a lot of small forwards are apparently important. Big Ben picked a good game to attend, though, as he was able to witness one of his protégés put up 30 points, 23 rebounds, and six assists to go along with two blocks and two steals. Unfortunately, that man - Joakim Noah - did his business (on the Pistons) for the Bulls. Noah is the first player in the NBA to have at least 30 points, 23 rebounds and six assists since Kevin Garnett did it in 2003 and the first Bull to do it since Charles Oakley in 1986!
Noah dominated the Pistons in every way and was a big reason for the Bulls' turnaround after they fell behind by 17 in the second quarter. You know who may have been able to help? ... Sigh.
Someone Lawrence Frank didn't think could be of much service to the Pistons in the fourth quarter was Greg Monroe. Monroe did not get into the game in the fourth until the 2:14 mark (for Andre Drummond) when the game was all but decided and only saw 24-plus total minutes in the game.
It's easy to suggest Frank was punishing Monroe for his recent six-game slump and, more so, the naughty things Noah was doing to him (and the rest of the Pistons), and that may have been a fair discipline if playing Monroe with Drummond wasn't an option to help. Instead, Drummond only played 22 minutes, ZERO of which induced CAPS LOCK. Meanwhile, Charlie Villanueva was allowed to not box out for 20 minutes and make a few threes. For crying shame.
Game Bullets
• Noah's historical night overshadowed a really strong game from Rodney Stuckey. Stuckey had 24 points on 12 shots and seven assists opposite two turnovers in 35-plus minutes.
• Moose finished with 13 and five rebounds. He scored four of his points late, preventing his fifth game in single-digit points in the last six.
• Drummond had seven and four.
• Brandon Knight was the Pistons' other high scorer with 21 points. He started 4-for-6 shooting with an assist and some other good looks early, but was again much worse in the second half, shooting 2-for-5 with two turnovers.
• Pistons head to Cleveland Saturday night.