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Detroit Pistons News

Detroit 99, New Jersey 92: Pistons show confidence in third win in row
February 9
Detroit Free Press
 
"Greg Monroe and rookie power forward Vernon Macklin were joking around Wednesday night at the Prudential Center. Macklin (and every one in the Pistons' locker room) was expressing amazement at the emphatic one-handed, left-handed dunk Monroe had just brought down only a few moments earlier on the Nets' Kris Humphries and Keith Bogans in the closing minutes of the Pistons' 99-92 victory. "That was just a flashback to my 6-9, 225-pound AAU days," Monroe said in his deep baritone voice."
Greg Monroe, Pistons hold off Nets for third straight win
February 9
Detroit News
 
"Lawrence Frank routinely calls the most crucial point of games — "The moment of truth." After Wednesday's victory over the Nets, Frank might call it "baby steps" as the Pistons withstood a late charge, winning their season-high third straight game, 99-92 at the Prudential Center. It was capped off by perhaps the most emphatic play of Greg Monroe's career. With the Pistons (7-20) nursing a six-point lead and the shot clock running down, Monroe drove on Kris Humphries, dunking on him and Keith Bogans. It was followed by a flex and a stare from the usually even-keeled Monroe, who scored again on the next possession and finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds and four assists."
Pistons Brandon Knight, Greg Monroe to play in rookie-sophomore All-Star game
February 9
Detroit News
 
"The Pistons' last two first-round draft picks will represent the team on the All-Star weekend stage. Greg Monroe and Brandon Knight have been named to the NBA's rookie-sophomore game, which will be played in Orlando, Fla., on Feb. 24. Monroe, also a candidate to be an All-Star reserve, is averaging team-highs in points (16.3 ppg) and rebounds (9.9 rpg) in 32.9 minutes per game. Knight, a rookie, is averaging 12.5 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 32.0 minutes."
Pistons' forward Jason Maxiell eats less, plays more
February 8
Detroit Free Press
 
"Postgame meals in the Pistons' locker room when the team is on road are a personal trainer's nightmare. Fried chicken strips, pizzas and french fries are just a few of the calorie-filled snacks players gorge on well past recommended dining hours. Jason Maxiell tries to eat healthy, and he credits his fitness coming into training camp as the reason Pistons coach Lawrence Frank routinely calls him "one our most consistent players all season.""
Brandon Knight becomes man in the mask for Pistons
February 8
Detroit News
 
"Pistons guard Brandon Knight stayed longer after practice Tuesday, getting acclimated to his new friend: A plastic mask. "It's my first time shooting with it," said Knight, who didn't go through any contact drills. After going through shooting drills with assistant Ryan Hoover, Knight emphatically threw it down and cracked a joke before talking to reporters. Knight was fitted for the mask Monday, and it looks similar to the ones worn by Richard Hamilton and Charlie Villanueva."
Tayshaun Prince endures troubled times for Pistons
February 8
Detroit News
 
"This is where Tayshaun Prince grew into a man. This is where he honed his skills as a basketball player. This is where he was named a member of the all-NBA defensive team four times. This is where he became an All-Star and Olympian. This is where he went to six consecutive Eastern finals and back-to-back NBA Finals. This is where he won a title. And this is where he's facing one of the most difficult periods in his life, playing for a team that's fallen on hard times."
Deron's not down on Pistons
February 8
New York Post
 
"As the Nets begin a home-and-home set with the 6-20 Pistons tonight at Prudential Center, they have a pair of golden opportunities to begin to create some positive momentum after losing three straight games. Of course, considering the Nets are merely 8-18 this season, there's little doubt the Pistons are thinking the same thing. "I'm never gonna overlook anybody, or belittle anybody," Deron Williams said after yesterday's practice. "They're a good team, an NBA team . . . they have great players on that team, they have a good coach. "Anything can happen, but it's definitely a team we think we can compete with and beat on any night, and we're going to try to do that.""
Greg Monroe anticipates All-Star Game snub
February 7
Detroit News
 
"The All-Star reserves will be announced soon, but Pistons center Greg Monroe doesn't expect to receive a phone call. Monroe's numbers certainly make him worthy: He's fifth in the East in rebounding (9.9). He's 15th in the East in scoring (16.3). He's fifth in the East in shooting percentage (.518). But the Pistons 6-20 record (third-worst in the East) is Monroe's biggest hindrance. "I don't really think about it," Monroe said. "There's some guys on some good teams that are having good years. Maybe a year or two from now but right now I want to help my team get better, get some wins before the All-Star break.""
Brandon Knight (broken nose) will be Pistons' latest masked man
February 7
Detroit News
 
"The Pistons can't seem to go without a masked man. Pistons rookie guard Brandon Knight broke his nose early in Saturday's victory over New Orleans and wasn't at practice Monday due to preparation for his latest accessory. "He was fit for a mask early this morning," Pistons coach Lawrence Frank said. "He'll get an actual mask this afternoon and we'll go from there." Former guard Richard Hamilton famously wore a mask for years, and Charlie Villanueva donned one during his first season in Detroit after breaking his nose. There's a good chance Knight will be available for Wednesday's game in New Jersey, and he could have some company."
Notebook: Pistons veteran Ben Wallace says defense born, not made
February 6
Detroit News
 
"The magic number for the Pistons winning championships has always been two. In winning titles in 1989, 1990 and 2004, their roster was stocked with two deluxe defenders. Dennis Rodman, a two-time defensive player of the year, teamed with Joe Dumars in shoring up the Pistons' defense during the Bad Boys era. During championship runs in 2004 and 2005, Ben Wallace and Tayshaun Prince were lockdown defenders. The Pistons do not have that type of player on their roster, Wallace said. He said the team must find those players either in the draft or via free agency if they are to become a supreme defensive team again. The Pistons are giving up 95.9 points a game, which ranks 19th. Opponents are"
Rookie Walker D. Russell gets a chance to show Pistons his stuff
February 5
Detroit Free Press
 
"Ready or not, Walker D. Russell Jr. is in for more playing time. With fellow rookie Brandon Knight out with a broken nose, the Jacksonville State and Rochester native is one of only two healthy guards on the roster, the other being Rodney Stuckey. Russell Jr. had been playing 17.8 minutes per game, but that number is bound to increase drastically if Knight is out for any significant time. Russell Jr., started the second half, and his three-point play tied the game at 44. He scored the last two points of the third quarter, and came up with a steal and lay-up with 3:47 left in the fourth with the game in the balance. He also missed two key free throws."
Pistons' guard Brandon Knight stung by Hornet's elbow, breaks nose
February 5
Detroit Free Press
 
"Trying to win back-to-back games for the second time this season, and minus Ben Gordon (shoulder), Will Bynum (left foot) and Charlie Villanueva, the Pistons continued to suffer from the injury bug when rookie point guard Brandon Knight went down at about the 7-minute mark of the first quarter after receiving a blow to the face and suffered a broken nose in the team's 89-87 victory over New Orleans (4-20) Saturday night at the Palace. "He has a broken nose. They'll have to reset it, get him fit for a mask and hopefully by Tuesday we'll have him back at practice," said coach Lawrence Frank. "To give him unbelievable credit, he has a broken nose and he's begging those guys to get back in the"
Frustrated Charlie Villanueva says staying off ankle has helped
February 5
Detroit News
 
"Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva was as surprised as anyone that he is out indefinitely with bone spurs in his right ankle. He never expected to hear those words because he expected to be healthy by now. But Villanueva sat on the bench in a gray suit while the Pistons slugged through an 89-87 victory over the New Orleans Hornets Saturday night. He's been in a walking boot for more than a week and is not expected to play any time soon. "This is tough," he said. "I want to be out there to help the team any way possible. This is something that has been going on for a little bit now. Being out there is definitely my priority. That is what I am trying to do, get healthy so I can help this"
Pistons win second straight, but Brandon Knight breaks nose
February 5
Detroit News
 
"Tayshaun Prince looked weary and beaten up as he slipped on a sweater to battle the February cold. He'd just played his seventh game in nine nights and looked forward to a day off to relax around the house and stay under the covers. "Man, I can't keep up with these young guys anymore," he joked. "Sometimes you are so tired that you can't even go to sleep." The Pistons will get a chance to recharge their batteries following a high-energy 89-87 victory over the New Orleans Hornets Saturday night at The Palace — a second consecutive victory. The Pistons don't play again until Wednesday, when they fly to New Jersey to play the Nets. That's an eternity in today's lockout-shortened season where"
Pistons have new plan for healing Charlie Villanueva's sore ankle
February 4
Detroit Free Press
 
"The Pistons have provided an answer -- of sorts -- for the right ankle injury that has limited forward Charlie Villanueva to two games this season. Shortly before Friday night's game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Palace, the Pistons issued this news release that essentially amounted to Villanueva suffering from tendinitis and bone spurs. "Following repeated imaging studies as well as multiple consultations from foot and ankle orthopedic surgeons," the release stated, "it has been determined that Charlie Villanueva's right ankle soreness can be attributed to a resolving posterior tibial tenosynovitis with small talotibal spurs. "A few weeks of partial ankle immobilization have been"
Pistons' defense suffocates Bucks to snap 7-game skid
February 4
Detroit Free Press
 
"Call it Knight and day. And this night, it looked like Pistons guard Brandon Knight could have gone all day in Friday's 88-80 win over the Milwaukee Bucks that snapped a seven-game losing streak before 13,181 at the Palace. Knight had been accused of hitting the so-called rookie wall this year, especially after he went scoreless in a loss at Milwaukee on Monday. But if there was a wall, Knight busted clean through it like the Kool-Aid Man. He scored a career-high 26 points with no turnovers and got the best of his counterpart, Brandon Jennings. "I don't really pay much attention to walls or anything like that," Knight said. "I just feel like you find a way to become energetic or find a way"
Ailing Pistons Will Bynum, Ben Gordon work out, could be nearing return
February 4
Detroit News
 
"The Pistons roster is expected to remain short-handed Friday night when they face the Bucks at The Palace. Pistons coach Lawrence Frank said guard Will Bynum (foot) is a game-time decision, and guard Ben Gordon (shoulder) and forward Charlie Villanueva (ankle) remain out. Bynum has been out since Jan. 15, Gordon hasn't played since Jan. 20, and Villanueva has been limited to just two games through the season's first 24. Villanueva's lengthy absence prompted a fan to ask him Thursday on his Twitter page (@CV31) if he and his teammates "even care anymore" to be competitive after a 4-20 start. Villanueva's response: "Of course we still care and aim to win, it's just tough with some unexpected"
Charlie Villanueva will be sidelined awhile
February 4
Detroit News
 
"Pistons forward Charlie Villanueva's right ankle injury appears more serious than the team thought. The team said in a press release Friday night that he has "a resolving posterior tibial tenosynovitis with small talotibal spurs. In other words, Villanueva, according to definitions of those symptoms, has tendinitis and bone spurs in the ankle, and likely will remain sidelined for at least a few more weeks. It's unclear if he'll need surgery. The Pistons release said Villanueva, limited to just two games this season, will undergo "a few weeks of partial ankle immobilization" in an attempt to alleviate soreness and discomfort before the team's medical staff re-evaluates his progress."
Pistons hold off Bucks, end seven-game skid
February 4
Detroit News
 
"On a night that saw Vanilla Ice perform "Ice, Ice Baby" at halftime, rookie Brandon Knight was far from cold with a career-high 26 points. Knight dueled with Milwaukee's Brandon Jennings and clearly got the best of the third-year veteran in the game's final minutes as the Pistons downed the Bucks, 88-80, Friday night to stop a seven-game losing streak. Jennings finished with 20 points, 16 in the first half, but went scoreless in the fourth quarter, ending it with seven straight missed field goals. Knight played turnover-free and dished out seven assists. His floating layup over the outstretched arms of Jennings gave Detroit an 80-69 lead with 5:29 left. Knight claimed he didn't take"
Palace's halftime shows are here to stay; more ideas on Pistons' horizon
February 3
Detroit Free Press
 
"The appearance of '90s flash-in-the-pan Vanilla Ice at halftime of tonight's Pistons-Bucks game at the Palace has been the subject of more than a few jokes on Twitter. The common theme is the Pistons are so desperate to reverse dead-last attendance figures that they will try anything -- even calling on Vanilla Ice, whose "Ice Ice Baby" hit song is one few will admit to liking despite topping the Billboard charts in its day. But new Pistons and Palace Sports & Entertainment president Dennis Mannion is quick to say that this is just a part of rethinking the complete game-day experience. He says Vanilla Ice (and others like Morris Day, Rose Royce and T-Pain) would be appearing even if the"
Pistons guard Brandon Knight hasn't hit rookie wall
February 3
Detroit News
 
"Pistons coach Lawrence Frank has emphasized mental toughness — not physical — during tough stretches of the schedule. Rookie Brandon Knight appeared to be a prime example. And although he insisted he didn't hit any rookie wall, Knight's lack of aggressiveness in recent games said otherwise. "My legs always feel good to me," Knight said, in the attempt to shrug off any notion of fatigue. "That's just a mental thing, but your legs might be telling you something different. I try to get rest and treatment.""
Jason Maxiell starts for Pistons as coach seeks slump solutions
February 2
Detroit Free Press
 
"The insertion of Jason Maxiell into the Pistons' starting lineup at power forward Wednesday night wasn't a major surprise. When coach Lawrence Frank hinted he would look over his starters following Tuesday night's 27-point loss to the Knicks, a basketball novice could look at the lineup and tell Ben Wallace probably would lose his spot -- largely because of the team's struggles on offense and slow starts at the beginning of halves. But Frank, who announced the move before Wednesday's game against the Nets, was almost apologetic in his comments and went out of his way to say he wasn't pointing the finger at Wallace, a 16-year veteran likely in his final season. Frank said he was just"
Pistons' losing streak reaches seven with loss to Nets
February 2
Detroit News
 
"Pistons coach Lawrence Frank asked rhetorically what kind of team he had after their blowout loss to the Knicks on Tuesday. Wednesday's 99-96 loss to the New Jersey Nets at the Izod Center probably didn't provide much clarity, but the fact is undeniable: The Pistons (4-20) are a team that has one win for every five losses. Pistons rookie Brandon Knight had a chance to send the game into overtime, but his contested three-point attempt at the buzzer hit the back rim, sealing the Pistons' seventh straight loss and continuing their inevitable march to the draft lottery."
Nets stave off Pistons despite a small bench
February 2
New York Post
 
"With a roster ravaged by injury and illness, the Nets walked from the locker room before tipoff last night. Shelden Williams, for one, stared at those in uniform. "When we stepped on the court for the first time, we looked around and said, 'Is this all?' " Williams said incredulously. Yup, eight. But who's counting. "The 'Great Eight,' " coach Avery Johnson said. With just eight available players, the Nets (8-15) found oxygen, sports drinks and whatever or whoever worked whenever as their chief allies in holding off the struggling but determined Pistons, 99-96, at the Prudential Center."
Pistons coach Lawrence Frank surprised at poor start, bad stats
February 1
Detroit Free Press
 
"If coach Lawrence Frank ever leads the Pistons back to respectability, folks might look back on the growing pains of his first season and laugh. Frank famously warned a few weeks ago that "everybody wants the baby; you have to go through the pregnancy. These are going to be labor pains." But no one -- including Frank -- was expecting this much pain. Frank admitted as much before tip-off Tuesday night in New York."
Pistons lose sixth straight by largest margin this season
February 1
Detroit News
 
"The Knicks and Pistons came into Tuesday's game with the same record in their last nine games: 1-8 However, it didn't take long to figure out which team would get well, as the Knicks welcomed back Carmelo Anthony with an easy 113-86 win over the Pistons at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks gave the Pistons a 23-point spanking at the Palace on Jan. 7 and Tuesday didn't look much different in the middle game of a three games in three nights. In a season full of them, this ranks among the Pistons' (4-19) worst losses of the season. The 113 points was the most they've given up all season, along with the point differential (27 points)."
Tayshaun Prince refuses to make excuses after Pistons' latest loss
February 1
Detroit News
 
"In the middle of their toughest road stretch to date, Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince wasn't about to use that — or any other factor as a crutch after another blowout loss. After the Pistons' third straight 20-point beating, this time to a Knicks team that was struggling just as bad as the Pistons — and enduring the infamous New York rumor mill, someone suggested to Prince the lack of practice being a chief reason for their recent issues. "We can say that all we want, but all the other teams are going through the same situation," Prince said. "Practice time has been a problem and, with being a young team we have to get better at it and practice is how you get it done. "We have to find a"
Pistons rookie Brandon Knight learns lesson
February 1
Detroit News
 
"Rookies getting torched happens, but it occurs to point guards with more frequency. So it wasn't surprising to see Pistons rookie Brandon Knight go through the gamut Monday against the Bucks Brandon Jennings, one of the league's hottest point men. Jennings dominated Knight, scoring 21 as Knight went scoreless for the first time in his career in a 103-82 loss to the Bucks. In a way, it seems like a rite of passage for point guards to have an older player light them up. "Heck, I've seen a Hall of Fame point guard go through it," said Pistons coach Lawrence Frank, referring to Jason Kidd. "If you're struggling and the other guy has it going, it happens.""
Knicks get visit from awful Detroit Pistons at perfect time, run away with 113-86 laugher
February 1
New York Daily News
 
"Carmelo Anthony had a bounce in his step and more confidence in his jumper. Apparently a little rest, not to mention the arrival of the Detroit Pistons, can do wonders for the Knicks and their best player. "My legs felt great out there tonight," Anthony said. "I felt refreshed, just taking off these five, six days that I did, it really helped me out big time. I could feel me having my explosiveness back. Anthony, who missed the last two games, scored 25 points in his return as the Knicks crushed the dreadful Pistons, 113-86, at the Garden. It was as if Melo and his teammates suddenly discovered the secret cure for their bumps, bruises and losing streak."
Melo's return sparks Knicks
February 1
New York Post
 
"This is exactly what Knicks owner James Dolan envisioned when he traded for Carmelo Anthony — greatness. This is what Dolan envisioned when he held Landry Fields out of that deal — a dynamic teammate for Anthony. Desperate for a victory, a healthier Anthony returned from a two-game absence and breathed life into a dying season as the Knicks clobbered the woeful Pistons from start to finish in a blissful 113-86 victory at the Garden. Anthony, in his most efficient, selfless performance of the season, scored 25 points, made 9 of 14 buckets, was 2 of 3 from the 3-point line, made all five of his free throws and dished out six assists."
Short-handed Bucks roll past Pistons
January 31
Detroit News
 
"It was a different Milwaukee Bucks team than the one the Pistons took on three weeks ago, but the result was much more painful. Even without Stephen Jackson and Andrew Bogut, the Bucks handled the Pistons easily, 103-82, Monday at the Bradley Center, for the Pistons' fifth straight loss and second straight beating of 20-plus points. Brandon Jennings gave Detroit the business on Jan. 12 and Monday was no different, as the Bucks' uptempo offense led to quick shots, easy opportunities and a confused Pistons defense starting its first of three games in three nights. Jennings restored order in the third quarter after the Pistons (4-18) cut an 18-point deficit to six at the half. He scored 11 in"
Pistons hit busy stretch of schedule
January 31
Detroit News
 
"Monday started the first three-games-in-three-nights stretch for the Pistons, but nobody was really worried about the physical toll it could take. Veteran center Ben Wallace won't play a lot of minutes under any circumstance, so his situation doesn't change much. "As a player, you don't ever try to pace yourself," Wallace said before the Pistons played the Bucks at the Bradley Center. "It's on the coaches to manage the minutes but every time you step on the floor, you have to go as hard as you can go.""
Pistons young players getting plenty of court time
January 30
Detroit Free Press
 
"There is a perception that the Pistons are playing veterans at the expense of playing time for the young guys. That perception is false. Take the four players considered part of the Pistons' youth corps: third-year forwards Jonas Jerebko and Austin Daye, second-year center Greg Monroe and rookie point guard Brandon Knight. Jerebko is averaging 27 minutes points per game and Daye 15.2. Daye has averaged 28 minutes the last three games as he is showing signs of breaking out of his season-long shooting slump."
Pistons' Greg Monroe showing maturity
January 30
Detroit News
 
"Pistons center Greg Monroe stood in front of his locker after a blowout loss to Oklahoma City last week and did something that hasn't been seen in recent memory. It's a concept so rare, so foreign you wonder where it's been. He blamed himself. He missed easy shots early on, which triggered the Thunder's dangerous fast break and was a small factor in the Pistons' 20-point loss. "I take a lot of the blame," Monroe said. "I missed a lot of easy buckets around the rim. Myself and the team, we have to come out with a little more fire early.""
Lowly Pistons can't copycat Tigers' move
January 29
Detroit Free Press
 columnist Drew Sharp
"The Pistons aren't getting their Prince Fielder. They signed a Prince to a free-agent contract recently, but bringing back Tayshaun didn't exactly inspire celebratory news conferences. There is no 27-year-old NBA All-Star free-agent cornerstone who will consider Detroit, regardless if the salary cap didn't exist and new owner Tom Gores could blow away somebody with a nine-year contract. The Tigers paying a king's ransom for their Prince -- making him the third-most expensive player in baseball history behind Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols -- only magnifies the long-range problems facing the Pistons. They have no choice but to draft their next star."
Pistons' late-game letdowns serve as hard lessons
January 29
Detroit Free Press
 
"Brandon Knight was standing in front of his locker Wednesday night and patiently answering questions when someone finally asked him about the two key free throws he missed in the Pistons' 101-98 loss to the Miami Heat. The 20-year-old rookie point guard made a salient point about how the team really hasn't been in many late-game situations this season, and playing winning basketball at crunch time is something that has to be learned as well. "We really haven't been in that situation a whole lot this year as a team or as a unit," Knight said. "I think it will help us the next time we're in that situation.""
Notebook: Fired-up Jason Maxiell likes coming off Pistons bench
January 29
Detroit News
 
"Pistons forward Jason Maxiell doesn't know if he's on his way to the starting lineup, but he likes playing exactly where he is just fine. "I like coming off the bench, that's my role," Maxiell said. "I like surveying things and giving the team what we need." Pistons coach Lawrence Frank said he hasn't talked to Maxiell about starting yet, which is his policy before announcing anything to the media. However, Maxiell is more offensive-minded than Ben Wallace, who starts alongside Greg Monroe — and Monroe has struggled early in games. Maxiell has provided some unexpected offense in recent games — when he holds onto the basketball. "I think he's been very, very good, Max been what we"
Pistons get their bell rung by 76ers
January 29
Detroit News
 
"The Philadelphia 76ers gave the Pistons their worst beating to date earlier this season, only to see the Chicago Bulls top their effort three days later. Well, the 76ers couldn't snatch the baton right back but dominated the Pistons from the start Saturday, winning 95-74 at Wells Fargo Center. In their two meetings this year, the 76ers have beaten the Pistons by a total of 44 points. After two inspiring home performances against Atlanta and Miami, the Pistons didn't have anywhere near that kind of look in their fourth straight loss and eighth of nine."
Ben Gordon: Shoulder is getting better
January 28
Detroit Free Press
 
"No Tayshaun Prince, no Ben Gordon, no Will Bynum and no Charlie Villanueva. The shorthanded Pistons continue to lose without a full complement of players. "In this league, no one cares who you don't have, so you just focus on the players you do have," coach Lawrence Frank said. Prince was attending to a family matter and didn't play Friday against Atlanta. Villanueva is still out with a slow-healing sore right ankle, and Bynum is still out with a strained right foot. In somewhat good news, Gordon said during Friday morning's shoot-around that his shoulder is getting better, although there's no timetable for his return. "I'm actually feeling pretty good," Gordon said. "Every day it feels a"
Pistons allow victory to slip away in fourth
January 28
Detroit Free Press
 
"The Pistons "kicked" one away according to coach Lawrence Frank after the team's 107-101 overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night at the Palace. Ahead by three, the Pistons (4-16) allowed Joe Johnson a three-pointer without fouling with 1.9 seconds left. In overtime, the Hawks dominated the Pistons, 20-14, scoring the first three baskets. Johnson scored 28 of his 30 points in the second half and overtime. "Yes (we wanted to foul), but it goes back to this," said Frank. "We hit the bucket with 39 seconds to go to go up six (87-81), and they're walking the ball up the court, and we don't get matched up, and we give Marvin Williams (22 points) the three; now six becomes three. "We"
Breakout game could be dawn of a new Daye for Pistons swingman
January 27
Detroit Free Press
 
"On the morning after arguably the best performance of his three-year career, Austin Daye showed up at the Pistons' practice facility early to work more on his game. It was good timing -- considering his personal trainer, Joe Abunassar, based in Las Vegas, was still in town. Daye was working to prove his 28-point explosion against the Miami Heat in a 101-98 loss at the Palace on Wednesday night wasn't a fluke."
Pistons coach says losing stinks, but fun starts again after midnight
January 27
Detroit News
 
"The only sounds on Roundball One were the roaring engines. Lawrence Frank still was upset the Pistons folded against the Timberwolves on the road. He was in one of those moods. He didn't want to talk to anyone. And he didn't want to hear anyone. But by the time the clock struck midnight last week, laptops were open, and coaches started talking about what went wrong and how to improve against the next opponent."
This time LeBron James finishes, as Heat hold off Pistons
January 26
Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel
 
"This time LeBron James was finishing. On the court. At the foul line. Whatever it took. And this time, Erik Spoelstra, who has taken such pride this lockout-compacted season in measuring the minutes of his star forward, wasn't about to get in the way. So with Dwyane Wade sidelined yet again, and with the too-young-to-know-any-better Detroit Pistons mounting an unexpected challenge, Spoelstra stepped back."
Yeah, Pistons lost, but it felt different
January 26
Detroit Free Press
 columnist Michael Rosenberg
"Forget the final score. You have to do that a lot this season, anyway. (I think that is actually the Pistons' slogan: Forget The Final Score!) This was a night for a little hope for the fans, some belief for the players, sunlight in the winter. The Miami Heat came to town, and the Pistons were supposed to roll over and play like the Pistons. Instead, they ... well, they lost, 101-98. But it was an encouraging loss in so many ways Wednesday."
Brandon Knight shrugs off key misses
January 26
Detroit News
 
"The Pistons have endured their share of losses so far this season, but rarely in a tight situation. That's why it was not shocking to see rookie Brandon Knight miss two crucial free throws down the stretch of a close game. Late free throws against the reigning Eastern Conference champions, no less. Knight, an 81 percent free-throw shooter, had the chance to give the Pistons a five-point lead with 1:25 left. The nearly-full Palace crowd was rocking and Knight had a chance to really put some pressure on the Heat."
Pistons stumble late, despite Austin Daye's effort
January 26
Detroit News
 
"Conventional wisdom says a lot of things, but this isn't an ordinary NBA season. The Pistons, led by "The Kids," nearly upset the Miami Heat Wednesday but came up short, 101-98 at The Palace. Austin Daye scored a career-high 28 points, but traveled while attempting a game-tying 3-pointer with 0.08 left on the clock. LeBron James led the Heat (13-5) with 32 points, making the last six free throws to give them the lead. With Tayshaun Prince out (family matter), in addition to being without Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva and Will Bynum, the Pistons (4-15) gave their most inspired effort of the season, arguably after their worst in Oklahoma City."
Even without Dwyane Wade, Heat presents tough challenge for Pistons
January 25
Detroit Free Press
 
"There's never a good time to face the Miami Heat, but at least the Pistons get the favorites to win the Eastern Conference without one of the Big Three. All-Star guard Dwyane Wade missed his fifth straight game Tuesday night and isn't expected to play tonight at the Palace. Wade has an ankle injury, and there would appear to be no reason the Heat would risk further injury against a team that has trouble scoring 85 points."
Heat about to turn up in Palace
January 25
Detroit News
 
"No, Miami isn't the running circus it appeared to be last season. But you'd be hard pressed to find many people who'll bet against the Heat returning to the NBA Finals this season. And, Miami is the last group a struggling team wants to see on the court. Enter the Pistons, coming off what coach Lawrence Frank termed an "embarrassing" loss to the Thunder on Monday. Miami strolls into Auburn Hills at 12-5, and is the only team in the East averaging more than 100 points, headlined by the Big Three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh."
Thunder roar as Pistons sputter
January 25
Detroit News
 
"The Oklahoma City Thunder are primed for a title run this June. The Pistons look well on their way to a spot at the draft lottery. Thus, Monday's result was predictable. The Thunder didn't leave any doubt and the Pistons didn't put up much of a fight with their 99-79 loss at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Guard Russell Westbrook led the Thunder with 24 points, six assists and five rebounds. The Thunder once were where the Pistons are, when they started 3-29 in head coach Scott Brooks' first season (2008-09) but the next season made the playoffs. Now they own the league's best record (14-3)."