T'Wolves @ Pistons: Official Game Thread

Pistons @ T'Wolves: Official Game Thread

<div align="center"><font color="Blue"><font size="2">Detroit Pistons</font></font> @ <font color="Teal"><font size="2">Minnesota Timberwolves</font></font>

Minnesota Timberwolves: 21-19
Detroit Pistons: 23-17

Game Info
Date: Monday, January 24th
Time: 8:00 pm EST
TV: FSNN, NBATVHighDef

Previous games:
T'Wolves @ Blazers 92-83(W)
Bulls @ Pistons 100-89(L)



<font size="2">Starting Lineups</font>



<font size="2"><font color="Teal">The T'Wolves</font></font>

<font color="Teal">Coach Flip Saunders</font>

" target="_blank">http://aol.nba.com/media/playerfile/latrell_sprewell.jpg"></a>
<font color="Teal">PG: Sam Cassell (15.6PPG, 2.8RPG, 5.9APG)
SG: Trenton Hassell (5.4PPG, 3.0RPG, 1.7APG)
SF: Latrell Sprewell (12.9PPG, 2.7RPG, 2.1APG)
PF: Kevin Garnett (23.2PPG, 14.9RPG, 6.3APG)
C: Ervin Johnson (1.0PPG, 2.2RPG, .1APG)

Sixth Man

Wally Szczerbiak
(15.8PPG, 3.7RPG, 2.2APG)

Injuries:
C Mark Madsen
G/F Ndudi Ebi</font>





<font size="2"><font color="Blue">The Pistons</font></font>

<font color="Blue">Coach Larry Brown</font>


<font color="Blue">PG: Chauncey Billups (16.0PPG, 3.7RPG, 6.1APG)
SG: Rip Hamilton (20.8PPG, 3.7RPG, 4.2APG)
SF: Tayshaun Prince (12.6PPG, 6.6RPG, 3.1APG)
PF: Rasheed Wallace (13.7PPG, 7.7RPG, 1.8APG)
C: Ben Wallace (9.2PPG, 12.2RPG, 1.9APG)

Sixth Man

Antonio McDyess
(10.0PPG, 6.5RPG, 1.0APG)

Injuries:
G Carlos Delfino
G Horace Jenkins</font></div>


Series History:
The Pistons and the T'Wolves have met once thus far this season. The Pistons won that game on a final score of 93-85. Minnesota looks to split the season series. The two teams also met twice in the preseason. In the first game, Minnesota won on a score of 76-70 in which Smush Parker was the leading scorer for Pistons, whom is not on the team anymore. In the second meeting, Minnesota one once again on a score of 102-95. So Minnesota took both preseason meetings.


Keys to the game:

<ul>Defend the big men: As we know, the Pistons have two big men downlow, Rasheed Wallace and Ben Wallace. Both are good defenders. Rasheed Wallace is the better scorer of the two. We should be able to have Garnett and Griffin play most of the game considering the fact that neither Ben Wallace nor Rasheed Wallace are over 7 ft. Thus meaning, Garnett can play some of the center spot for a while. We need to win the board battle against these guys.[/list]

<ul>Keep up the bench production: Off of the bench, the production in the last two games has been astonishing. In the game against the Sonics, Minnesota scored <u>72</u> points off of the bench. When you score that much off of the bench, it's very hard to lose unless you let up big time. And in the game against the Blazers, the bench scored 59 total points. The bench scoring has mainly been led by Hudson, Wally, and Hoiberg who has been given big minutes lately. This really shows how deep and how deadly are bench can be. If we score close to that amount once again, you can mark a W on the schedule.[/list]

<ul>Defend Rip Hamilton: Of course, it is very hard to just shut down Rip Hamilton because of how efficient of a scorer he is, but we need to slow him down in this game. Rip will be matched up with Trenton Hassell, which is a good matchup because Hassell is one of our best perimeter defenders. I feel as though Hassell can keep up with Rip as he cuts through screens trying to get open for the shot. In two of the last three games, Rip has led the Pistons in scoring with 26 in one game, and 32 in another. Unfortuneatly for them, they lost the past three games.[/list]


Grueling Schedule:
The Timberwolves have a pretty grueling schedule coming up. They will have to play 26 games in 45 days leading up to the All-Star break. During that stretch of games, the T'Wolves will not have more than one day off in between games. We play some pretty tough teams coming up, and rest will be at a minimum, so we may find ourselves on some losing streaks here and there. But if we can play the way we have played in the last two games, we should be able to get ourselves back on track to compete for a higher seed in the playoffs.


CUSA Fan's Prediction:
Well, I guess this is the game where Cassell returns. He was expected to return Saturday against the Blazers, but it did not happen so my guess is that he will be returning for this game against the Pistons. I feel like the bench will keep up the production they have been giving and we win this game.

T'Wolves: 90
Pistons: 84


------------------
Sorry guys, not one of my better previews.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Sorry guys, not one of my better previews.</div>
Man it looks fine, at least you are doing some previews. I think that in order for the Wolves to win the bench is going to have to step up big time.
The Pistons starters and sixth man average 82 points a game, while the Wolves starters and sixth man only average 73.
I think that Rip will be awesome and they will win
Pistons- 98
Wolves- 94

 

I wonder if Sam will play? and if he does play should he start or do you keep A C in there cause it has been working

 

Great news, I don't have NBA League Pass, but this week, from the 24th, which is tomorrow, until the 30th, NBALP is giving a free week of it. So I get to watch the T'Wolves games that occur in the span. Finally, I get to see them in action. I only got to see them in two games, against the Nuggets and against the Cavs, but I will now be able to see them in action.

 

Anyway, this one will be a dog fight tommorrow. The Pistons seem to be slumping again, it seems if they need a big matchup to motivate themselves. I still consider a matchup with the Wolves a big matchup and so does the rest of the league, so I expect the Pistons to come out a little more motivated them they have the last few games against the likes of the Bulls. That means that the Wolves should be locked up in another 4 quarter battle, which means it will come down to how they execute in the 4th & down the stretch. If they look like they did against the Blazers in the 4th, they come away with the win. If they look like they did against the Raptors & Lakers, particularily defensively(defending the perimeter & 3pt land) they lose.

The Wolves got to find away to keep Billups out of the lane. And settling for long jumpers, that is when you see the Pistons offense start to fall apart. When Billups is standing outside launhing quick jumpers all night with a hand in his face. Also Trenton is going to have a difficult task trying to keep up with Rip coming off all those screen curl plays. Rip has tore him apart in the past running off screens, so this is where Trenton makes his money. His sole job is to dig in defensively and make it difficult on Hamilton, easier said then done tho... I'll be happy if Trenton doesnt score a point but holds Rip under his season average.

Anyway, 4th quarter execution,defending the perimeter, controlling the backboards, and quality shot selection against the Pistons defense pretty much sums up the keys for the Wolves. And Darn it Iam ready to see Sammy back on the court

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting CUSA Fan:</div><div class="quote_post">Great news, I don't have NBA League Pass, but this week, from the 24th, which is tomorrow, until the 30th, NBALP is giving a free week of it. So I get to watch the T'Wolves games that occur in the span. Finally, I get to see them in action. I only got to see them in two games, against the Nuggets and against the Cavs, but I will now be able to see them in action.</div>

As a Timberwolves fan in Northern New Jersey, I need the League Pass. I will be so glad to see them in action this week. I am salivating.

Keep in mind tommorow's game is a NBATV game not NBA League Pass.

 

When the Pistons god beat by the Bulls at home it changed my thoughts about this game. We need 26 from KG and Wally and Spree to have about 19. And good bench scoring. And always of course Denfend the 3, I cant count how many times this year we have been killed by that.

I predict
Wovles 89
Pistons 84

 

The pistons can play against an elite team like minnesota it's been the below-average teams and average teams that beat detroit. Toronto, Milwaukee and chicago have killed detroit all year. The suns and miami and the other upper elite teams they have played well against. It's a matter of motivation i know that in a game like this to end a three game skid and against a very good underachieving minnesota team they will try and send a message .i got detroit winning this game by 10+. 98-85

 

Just so you know, this game is in Minnesota and not Detroit.

 

Oh, sorry about that. I thought it was at the Palace. My apologies.

 

Rip's not playing tonight. We gotta get some scoring from somewhere tonight. Tayshaun has a sore knee and neck, Sheed has a sore right elbow, Lindsey's back is hurtin' him, and Ben has leg fatigue. I'll be glad when this part of the schedule is done.

 

Tonight should be a great test for sure.

Both teams have struggled so far this year, but I expect a great game. Hopefully, both teams will be on track before the playoffs.

I really wish the Wolves/Pistons was the Finals last year. That would have been great.

 

WE WON! a tough game down the stretch but free throws did not let us down...E.G was amazing scoring 14 pts. 10 rb. and 7 blk. wally couldn't make shots down the stretch but still was good with 15...garnett didn't conribute a double-double but he did 22pts. 9rb. and 4as.

once again WE WON!

 

I am just glad the Timberwolves won and I am sure glad the game was over. The game was so boring to watch from my VCR tape as I recorded the game from work. I like to think I was tired coming from work and I did not pay attention, but that was not the case. It was hideously bad and boring. Yeah great defense helped, but both teams were shooting lousy in this game. It was just a horror show to watch. I thought the Patriots brand of football was more exciting than this. It was pretty bland. I am just glad the Wolves pulled this one out, but make no mistake that it was not pretty.

Eddie Griffin's D was huge in crunch time. He was the swatter tonight as he had like 7 blocks tonight. He was huge. I know he blocked a big shot when the Pistons shot a jumper very late in the game. That was the difference maker.

Wolves got lot of free throws in the crunch time and that made a difference in this game.

Wolves got most of their points from outside shooting. Wally was fantastic from downtown along with Fred and Trenton.

I really am glad Flip has started to use more of Fred and Trenton. I don't think I saw Latrell in crunchtime. I am glad Flip finally has the guts to not use Latrell. Fred and Trenton are not only just great on offense, but on defense. The offense seems to work well with those two.

A ugly game. Not great for the eyes. I am just glad the Wolves got a W. Three in a row. I am loving it.

 

Oh my gosh, we are one a three game win streak. I bet they're breaking out the champagne already. But yeah, awesome win for us, it has to be huge for the confidence.

Griffin really should be starting, I don't care if he isn't a real center or not. He can score, rebound, and play amazing defense. I honestly think sometimes he rips down rebounds that no one but maybe Ben Wallace could take.

Like before mentioned, our hitting free throws was huge.

Go Wolves!

 

That last block by Eddie Griffin on Carlos Arroyo's lay-up was a goaltend, can't believe the refs failed to call that. Overall the refs were terrible throughout the game. With that said, It was a good close game which was a surprise to me considering Hamilton, Prince and Delfino were all out for the Pistons. Wolves simply had more options.

 

PLEASE allnet....how many times did KG get bodied up and pushed around going for rebounds, shots and they refs never give KG the MVP of the league the respect calls that other superstars get. Hell billups got so many little touch fouls called for him on A C and hudson that both had like 3 fouls at the end of the first half....the wolves get to the free line the fewest in the league and wth the way the pistons bodied up...they should of changed that last night!

 

Most of the time KG was putting his shoulder into the Pistons defender. So It works both ways. The refs were quite bad both ways (not saying Wolves got all the calls) but in the final 3/4 minutes the Wolves clearly got all the right calls as they did last year when the two teams met. The refs screwed the Pistons in both games last year as well. The Wolves anouncers even stated so. Eddie Griffin should of been called for over the back foul twice in that last 1.30 but once again there was no call. It's not new though, the Pistons have been getting the short end of the stick all season long when It comes to fouls.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AllNet:</div><div class="quote_post"> Eddie Griffin should of been called for over the back foul twice in that last 1.30 but once again there was no call. It's not new though, the Pistons have been getting the short end of the stick all season long when It comes to fouls.</div>

The call on the block that Griffen had could either be a close call (good either way) or, IMO, more of a rebound because the shot has to look like it had a chance, which it didn't. Guys like Ben should rather KG shoulder in the post because he's bigger. I saw a couple of times when it looked like KG was using his free hand to push Wallace (when we had the shot clock violation late in the game). Also, the "Over The Back" by Griffen should have been called as that (right) or at least Piston ball. Still, both teams had some questionable calls, and I can understand the frustration on the part of the Piston fans.........but last seasons "push off" was the right call. I called this win after the Pistons beat us at the Palace.

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AllNet:</div><div class="quote_post">It's not new though, the Pistons have been getting the short end of the stick all season long when It comes to fouls.</div>How come? Because of the brawl?