Detroit was forced to play another back-to-back (most in the NBA) after facing the defending NBA champions the night before. The Dallas Mavericks were only on a six-game winning streak.

The Pistons, too, had won their last six. They came out of the gate with the same energy that propelled them to last night’s heroics. We looked like a confident team, starting with the lead and forcing our old coach to call a quick timeout.

Detroit dictated the pace by again playing aggressively. At times, we didn’t fully understand this concept, turning it over as well. The key is to play hard defensively, and since we are a strong, physical, athletic team, this will lead us into our offense. We don’t need to rush it up the court without numbers, though, instead utilizing the size in our post and letting the offense flow through them. That’s how you cut down on those turnovers – just slow it down a little.

We won the first quarter, taking a five-point lead. Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe piled up the rebounds, helping us with second chances on the glass. Once again, we set the tempo and held our ground, never letting Dallas take the lead. “The Moose” added a clutch putback just before time ran out. At halftime, it was still Pistons up by five.

It was mostly a defensive third quarter, exactly the style Detroit wanted. The Mavs came in leading the league in scoring, so limiting their 3’s and keeping them from finding a rhythm was important. We also faced Charlie V., who did what he does – air balling a three and cherry-picking. Brandon Jennings gave us a six-point lead with a drive at the horn.

The Man

The Man

D.J. Augustin found himself frustrated in the fourth when J.J. Barea, the most obnoxious little elf, flopped to gain an offensive foul. Augustin drew a tech and my ire, for it let them come within four in crunch time. I was wrong, and D.J. became a Man on Fire, draining a pull-up three on the next play. Then, he drained another triple when the drive was there, an ice cold vindication for his anger.

Augustin stayed hot, driving to the hoop for an And-One and drawing a technical on his opponent. He completed a four-point play. He kept driving to the hole, blurring to the basket and upping Detroit’s double-digit lead. In a game where everyone’s offense had been a little nervous, our point guard was unafraid to knock down bucket after bucket, finishing with 17 points in the quarter.

A Jodie Meeks dagger put them away down 102-85 with under four minutes to play. The Mavericks couldn’t cut it to single digits, losing a game in which they never tasted the lead. Our stars Drummond and Jennings unselfishly told Stan Van not to make any subs towards the end, supporting their teammates. This type of attitude is a dream come true.