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The San Antonio Spurs on their rodeo road trip took the Detroit Pistons, put them on the wall they bleeping formed last month and pushed them and their Humpty Dumpty offense and defense off it, 104-87.
24 hours after the Pistons' biggest win in three years in the Queen City, the Spurs were royalty at The Palace on Wednesday night, stifling the Pistons' offense to a season-worst 12 points in the first quarter before carving up their defense like hunted game the rest of the way.
The Spurs are a guilty pleasure to watch and then you realize they're playing the Pistons. They move the ball so exceptionally well it'll make ya dizzy. They scored 62 points in the middle two frames with 16 assists. The Pistons scored 51. The Spurs are a well-oiled sewing machine always threading that nylon. The Pistons are more like is-my-car-going-to-start-today scrap.
Give the Pistons credit for "sticking around" on the back-end of a back-to-back after a big win in another city, though, knowing a long layoff's on the horizon. By "sticking around" I mean, they flirted with a 'Don't Look Now' (DLN) midway through the fourth quarter when a Kentavious Caldwell-Pope three-pointer made it an 11-point game. That was as close as they would get after falling back by as many as 20.
The Pistons didn't get a whole lot from its big men, as Greg Monroe was obviously jinxed by Steve Hinson only 3-10 and Andre Drummond was 4-10. Drummond especially looked like he was on early break. D.J. Augustin led the way with 22 points, but he had five turnovers. John Lucas III earned a second 10-day contract with nine and six in just 12 minutes, including a half court buzzer beater. KCP had 20 points. The Pistons hit 43 percent of their threes.
Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker are a combined 107 years old. Respect your elders.
Now your All-Star break thoughts.