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Moments before tip off, news broke that the Pistons' best, and certainly most exciting, player will miss anywhere from four to six weeks due to a stress fracture to his fifth lumbar vertebra, an injury that pretty much destroys any glimmer of hope the Pistons had at making the playoffs. The team may have known earlier in the day, giving them time to cope, but had to have been quite a blow to the team nonetheless.
So how did the struggling Pistons respond against the team with the league's best record?
Oh, you know ... by spanking them, of course. 119-109.
The Pistons shot an astounding 52-percent from the field and 46-percent from three-point land en route to a weighty 119 points against the NBA's second best defense per the defensive rating metric. It's the most points the Spurs have given up all season and the most since March 9 of last year.
I don't really know, but it happened.
Greg Monroe had 26 points on 9-for-16 shooting and 16 rebounds, his first monster game of the season in which the Pistons actually won. He also had five turnovers, but that number looks a whole lot smaller when those other two are so big. Basic mathematics and stuff.
Brandon Knight was the Pistons' second highest scorer with 24 points on 10-for-21 shooting. Jose Calderon had eight assists and no turnovers. Mmmm, pointmesean guardicken.
Let's never mind the fact the Pistons closed out the first half on the doo-doo end of an 8-0 run and were only up a few baskets late in the fourth quarter. The Pistons ended a team's 11-game winning streak tonight on the heels of some bad news to a member of their family. 'Tis cause for celebration this Friday evening. Beam me up, Jimmy.
• 20/20 keys to the game: It's a good thing I wasn't on the road when I was typing up those keys. The Pistons failed to stop Parker (31 points and eight assists), did not deny Danny Green (5-for-7 threes) and I don't know if Brandon Knight's 24 points on 21 shots constitutes him playing really well, although I will certainly settle for it. MO_ose and Charlie Villaneuva's 21 points were the major keys to the Pistons winning. 26 assists, too.
• Freaking love Jose Calderon:
Really happy tonight! Great team effort! We share the ball and everybody trusted each other. My first Win as a Pistons. #feelgood
— jose manuel calderon (@josemcalderon8) February 9, 2013
• Peep the PtR
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