Pistons' third act carries them past Kings

Pistons' third act carries them past Kings

Published Jan. 15, 2011 9:04 p.m. ET



-- Gravity was bound to come into play for the Sacramento Kings, but the question was, would the Pistons take advantage of the inevitable opening?

They did, and ironically, it was the third quarter that sparked the Pistons (14-26) to their second straight victory, a 110-106 decision Saturday at the Palace. Richard Hamilton did not play for the third straight game.

Tired legs or the Pistons defense caught up with the Kings (9-29) in the third quarter, the quarter that usually spells doom for the Pistons. After giving up 70 points in the first half, their defense stiffened and the Pistons took a two-point lead headed into the fourth.

Rodney Stuckey led the defensive charge, guarding Tyreke Evans, and what was once a freeway to easy layups and dunks suddenly became clogged. In the fourth, Austin Daye made a couple heady defensive plays, and with Chris Wilcox played well despite foul trouble.

"I thought he did a great job at times," Pistons coach John Kuester said of Stuckey. "What helped was one of the adjustments we were looking to do with the pick-and-roll, getting the ball out of his (Evans') hands."

Kuester said he didn't say much during halftime against Toronto on Friday, but with his team trailing by 11, he stated, "I talked a little more."

"We just buckled down in the second half, they were making everything," forward Charlie Villanueva said. "It was more of a mental thing. It was intensity, we got the stops we needed."

The Pistons held the Kings to 31-percent shooting in the second half, after the Kings shot 70 percent in the first 24 minutes. The Pistons held the Kings to 36 second-half points and methodically pulled away in the fourth.

Stuckey and Villanueva carried the Pistons' offense in the final quarter. Stuckey returned to his slashing roots, free from the burden of playmaking on his way to 19 points. Villanueva stayed in the paint, scoring 16. Tayshaun Prince led the Pistons with 21 points, six rebounds and three assists.

Tracy McGrady landed hard on his chin in the first quarter and didn't return. Will Bynum stepped in admirably, with 18 points and seven assists. He also made a highlight block of Evans' late drive to seal the victory.

"I've had game-winning blocks before, just not here," said Bynum, referring to a winning block when he played in Tel-Aviv, Israel.

"Did you guys see that block?" asked Villanueva, whose locker is next to Bynum's. "I thought it was Tay or something, but it was Will. I was like, 'Wow!' "

Bynum's playing time has been spotty this season. He's been yanked in and out of the rotation, so playing big minutes in the fourth quarter came as a relief.

"It felt good. I'm not in control of my minutes and when I play, all I can control is being ready," Bynum said. "I'm gonna play my game and if I come out, I come out."

The Kings, though, coming off a surprising win at New York, carried that momentum to the Palace. DeMarcus Cousins, the big man many Piston fans coveted, battled counterpart Greg Monroe to a standstill. Monroe finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and three assists. Cousins had 14 points, eight rebounds and three assists in 19 minutes.

"It's fun going up against him," Monroe said. "We've known each other for a while, and we want each other to do well."

Cousins and the Kings started out well, making 20 of their first 27 shots and scoring 24 points in the paint during the first quarter alone.

Jason Thompson made his first eight from the field, most of them in the paint on his way to 18 first-half points. He finished with 22. Evans scored a game-high 25, although he found things much more difficult after halftime.

The Pistons switched to a zone but there was little to no resistance, as the Kings shot 70 percent in the first half.

They stayed close with hot shooting of their own (61 percent) and cut the lead to 11 before the half. Ben Gordon added 16, making seven of 14 from the field.

Jan. 15, 2011

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