Saturday, January 5th, Boston at Detroit

[DrWho17 13]

Saturday 5th of January 2008

Time 7.30pm

WDFN 1130am

TV: TV20 Detroit HD; NBA LP

Palace Auburn Hills, Detroit, MI

Detroit Pistons

Billups/Hamilton/Prince/Wallace/McDyess

vs

Boston Celtics

Rondo/R.Allen/Pierce/Garnett/Perkins

[jackson_cannery 11]

HOW is this game not on national TV. Ugh.

[thunderhead 10]

I'll be at the palace tonight.

Anyone else going?

[jackson_cannery 11]

I'll be at the palace tonight.

Anyone else going?

I'd love to go, but I don't have 5 million dollars for a nosebleed seat.

[DrWho17 13]

If you can't get the game, it's actually on a good sopcast channel (www.sopcast.com), cctv-5, the quality isn't great, but it's watchable and stable on this channel.

[Porcelain God 10]

It really sucks that less than half the games are on FSD. I find it makes it harder to get behind the team when you only see them a couple times a month.

[iceteebone 10]

Where do you guys get your stats like bench scoring and opponents win %? Trying to compare the teams and can't find these stats.

[Anthony 10]

try http://www.basketball-reference.com

[Anthony 10]

I'll be at the palace tonight.

Anyone else going?

95% Chance i'll be there.

[84 Lives!!! 186]

Oops... Looks like I stuck this in the wrong thread... anyways...

Boston Globe article...

Link: http://www.boston.com/sports/basketb...e_place_to_be/

Palace place to be

By Peter May

Globe Staff / January 5, 2008

Enough with the Grizzlies and other assorted flotsam and jetsam. Tonight, in Auburn Hills, Mich., the two best teams in the East again meet in what promises to be, as Johnny Most might have said, a real barn burner.

Neither team has lost since they last met Dec. 19, when Detroit came away with an 87-85 victory at TD Banknorth Garden, the only blemish on the Celtics' home record. The Pistons ripped off their 11th straight victory last night in Toronto, 101-85, while the Celtics were making it eight in a row with their ho-hum 100-96 dispatching of Memphis. (What? Two straight home games decided by 4 points each?)

After the Pistons' win here, Chauncey Billups said he hoped the Celtics wouldn't lose another game until the next Boston-Detroit meeting, the easier for the Pistons to fly under the radar, which is their preferred altitude. But it's impossible to ignore Detroit anymore, not that you ever could. The Pistons have won 26 games - only two fewer than the Celtics - and they are 13-2 at The Palace, where their average victory margin exceeds 15 points.

"I've always said that when we sit and talk about teams that are going to challenge us, and are going to be challenging, I feel that Detroit is one of those teams," Kevin Garnett said after last night's game. "I feel if we're going to be of any substance, we're going to have to beat teams like this. It's a measuring stick for our team."

That's pretty much the same line of thinking offered by that well-known philosopher Rasheed Wallace. Earlier in the week, the Pistons forward said, "For them, it's a big game to try and test their team." Last night, after the Pistons' win, he added, "It's going to be the same game it was last time. It's two good teams that know each other pretty well. It ain't like either of us is going to break anything new."

In that both teams played last night and had to travel, neither has the advantage. In December, each team had two days off prior to the game. In all likelihood, another 87-85 game is probably in the offing, given that the Celtics (1) and Pistons (2) stand at the top of the list for best defensive units in the league.

The game is a hot sell in Auburn Hills, even though the Pistons routinely sell out The Palace. (Their last non-sellout was in 2003-04; they've banged out the joint 200 straight times.) On Stubhub.com, the ticket buying website, a seat in a lower-level suite was going for $3,530. (Let's hope the food and beverages are good.) The most expensive lower-bowl seat was being sold for $589 and a seat in the nosebleed section was being offered for a comparatively reasonable $115.

Detroit's 11 straight wins matches the fourth-longest winning streak in franchise history. The 1989-90 team, which won the second of the Pistons' two straight titles, won 13 straight, as did the 2003-04 team, which also won the NBA championship. The 1989-90 team ripped off 12 straight wins.

"We have a lot of guys playing really well right now," said Billups, the hero of the first Boston-Detroit meeting. "Winning 11 in a row is a great feat in this league. There are a lot of great players and a lot of great teams. I am real happy with the way we are playing right now."

One thing the Celtics can count on - a field goal from Ray Allen. One of the league's sweetest shooters bricked all nine of his field goal attempts last night, six in the first quarter. He's only done that once before in his career. He ended up with 2 points and admitted in the past that if he had a game like that, or one close to that, his team wouldn't have won.

Allen said he thought the Celtics would like a little revenge for their only home loss of the season. Asked if the Celtics needed to win to prove anything to themselves, Allen said, "The better teams have that cockiness in the playoffs and that can come from beating a team during the season. You want to give them something to think about if you play them in the postseason."

Doc Rivers said regardless of who wins tonight, or who finishes where at season's end, the Pistons will always have one big advantage over his team: the experience of having been there before.

"We're not going to be able to make that part up," he said. "They've been through Game 7s where they've won, Game 7s where they've lost, Eastern Conference finals . . . That's an advantage that they have over us, still."

Detroit coach Flip Saunders said he expected The Palace to be rocking.

Garnett said, "I expect them to be revved up. I look forward to it being hostile, like always. Should be fun, though."

Asked what he thought about tonight's Armageddon, Pistons hoops boss Joe Dumars fired back an e-mail saying, "Armageddon?? Wow. I was just hoping for a really good, intense basketball game."

He closed the dispatch with two smiley faces.

Peter May can be reached at p_may@globe.com.

© Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company.

[iceteebone 10]

Met a lady at work who is a Pistons fan (I'd prefer Tigers fan, but I'll take a Piston fan) who invited me over to her house to watch the game tonight. I'm more excited about this game then meeting women. is there something wrong with me?

[DTroppens 37]

Only the second game I'm going to this year - but a dandy!

[DTroppens 37]

Oops,

Third game.

[jackson_cannery 11]

[Chaz 10]

I WISH I COULD GO!!!!! but after this, they have to go to San Antonio and Dallas! this could be the two weeks that clearly sets the Pistons from anyone else..

[tigerfanfromchicago 10]

I'll be following along over here, and once again, I'm extending an invitation for you to follow along on our side:

http://www.celtic-nation.com/forum/showthread.php?p=153854#post153854

I'm expecting another close game. Hopefully we'll do to you guys what you did to us at the Garden.

[Chaz 10]

If you can't get the game, it's actually on a good sopcast channel (www.sopcast.com), cctv-5, the quality isn't great, but it's watchable and stable on this channel.

I down loaded sopcast and have cctv-5, but at this time, there are still Chinese on it.. is there a schedule of events?

[Chaz 10]

SWEEET... It is on!!! just turn down the volume.. can't understand a word they say...lol

GO STONES

[holygoat 131]

Here's the difference between the Pistons and the Celtics: when Kevin Garnett goes out with 2 early fouls, they bring in James Posey; when McDysse goes out with 2 early fouls, Detroit brings in Jason Maxiell. And when Garnett went out, Detroit put the hammer down and dominated, scoring 17 unanswered points, and 19-2 to finish the 1st quarter. Boston looked totally overmatched without KG.

[tigerfanfromchicago 10]

Haven't seen anything like this since last year. It's like a 2005 style Tigers game in 2006. I hate having KG out due to foul trouble. They could fall behind so badly here that it won't matter whether they have him later in the game.

[DrWho17 13]

SWEEET... It is on!!! just turn down the volume.. can't understand a word they say...lol

GO STONES

Chaz, sure, sometimes they do the English audio though, but unfortunately not for this one. I've got the WDFN audio streaming going, while watching the sopcast video (piped to the TV).

[Chaz 10]

up by 10 at the end of the 1st.. Dice and Garnett in foul touble..one down, 3 to go...

Go Stones

[DrWho17 13]

Garnett went to the bench, and the Pistons went on a 17-0 run. Without Garnett, the Celtics are a lottery team.

[tigerfanfromchicago 10]

Here's the difference between the Pistons and the Celtics: when Kevin Garnett goes out with 2 early fouls, they bring in James Posey; when McDysse goes out with 2 early fouls, Detroit brings in Jason Maxiell. And when Garnett went out, Detroit put the hammer down and dominated, scoring 17 unanswered points, and 19-2 to finish the 1st quarter. Boston looked totally overmatched without KG.

But KG and Posey are very, very different players. Replacing Ray Allen with Posey won't kill the Celtics. Replacing KG with Scot Pollard works most of the time. Replacing KG with Posey will kill you.

Pistons are up by 12. The Celtics only come back from as much as 11 down this year, and that was against the Sixers.

[Chaz 10]

Chaz, sure, sometimes they do the English audio though, but unfortunately not for this one. I've got the WDFN audio streaming going, while watching the sopcast video (piped to the TV).

thanks for the info.. did not think of that.. now I am hooked up..only bad thing, the sound is behind the action..