Pistons motor past Bucks in Game 1
Detroit can attribute much of its success in recent years to a combination of a strong defense and a balanced offense.
Sunday night, the top-seeded Pistons followed the same formula to dominate Milwaukee 92-74 in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.
Detroit started the final quarter with four players in double figures in scoring, and the Pistons were so tough at the other end that Milwaukee didn't have one.
"One of the strengths of Detroit's team is it's hard to focus on one guy," Bucks coach Terry Stotts said.
Milwaukee guard Michael Redd was held to 11 points on 4-of-15 shooting after averaging 25.4 during the regular season and 30 in four games against the Pistons.
"They obviously made Mike a priority," Stotts said. "They didn't give him any open looks."
Reserve Charlie Bell led the Bucks with 13 points.
The Pistons took control with a 13-2 run midway through the third quarter to go ahead 64-45, then responded when the Bucks showed signs of life to open the fourth.
Milwaukee scored the first eight points -- six on Bell's 3-pointers -- of the final quarter to pull within four, but couldn't stop four Pistons players from combining for an 11-0 run to give Detroit a 79-64 lead.
After easily winning their playoff opener, the Pistons hope it didn't cost them Richard Hamilton.
Hamilton limped off the court with a sprained left ankle after scoring his 21st point midway through the fourth quarter.
Detroit's leading scorer, who averages 20-plus points in the playoffs, rolled his left ankle early in the fourth and stayed in the game after a timeout. Hamilton appeared to be OK until he limped off the court in pain after his layup with 5:18 left gave the Pistons a 15-point lead.
"The first time, it was really hurting. I just tried to gut it out," he said. "The second time, it was more like me aggravating it."
Hamilton bristled at the idea that he should have stayed out of the game after he hurt his ankle the first time.
"I'm not sitting out," he said. "I don't care who would have told me to sit out. Coach tried to sit me out. I just told him, 'Let me just play. Let me see how it feels.' I didn't want to be sitting down over there, especially in the playoffs."
Hamilton had X-rays after the game, and the Pistons said they were negative.
"The nice thing is we have a couple of days off," Pistons coach Flip Saunders said.
Detroit hosts Game 2 in the best-of-seven series Wednesday.
Exactly 10 months after losing Game 7 of the NBA Finals at San Antonio, Rasheed Wallace and the Pistons opened these playoffs as if they were itching to get right back.
"This is what we've been looking forward to all year," said Wallace, who scored 17 of his 22 points in the first half.
But Wallace said the Pistons were too excited to play, leading to an uneven start.
"We were running around like chickens with our heads cut off, but we got it settled," he said.
Detroit's Tayshaun Prince scored 15, Chauncey Billups had 14 and reserve Antonio McDyess added nine points and 10 rebounds.
Milwaukee's Andrew Bogut had eight points midway through the second quarter but finished with just 10. Jamaal Magloire scored 11 points for the Bucks.
Milwaukee, the lone sub-.500 team still playing, is the first team in NBA history to make the postseason with at least four different starters from the previous season. Redd was the only starter who didn't make his postseason debut for the Bucks in Game 1.
"I thought we played well in stretches," Stotts said.
Free throws: The Bucks flew home to practice today.
** Detroit's Ben Wallace had 17 rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
** Milwaukee was without reserve forward Toni Kukoc (back spasms).
** The Pistons were 24-of-34 at the line while Milwaukee took just 10 free throws, and made eight.
Sunday night, the top-seeded Pistons followed the same formula to dominate Milwaukee 92-74 in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.
Detroit started the final quarter with four players in double figures in scoring, and the Pistons were so tough at the other end that Milwaukee didn't have one.
"One of the strengths of Detroit's team is it's hard to focus on one guy," Bucks coach Terry Stotts said.
Milwaukee guard Michael Redd was held to 11 points on 4-of-15 shooting after averaging 25.4 during the regular season and 30 in four games against the Pistons.
"They obviously made Mike a priority," Stotts said. "They didn't give him any open looks."
Reserve Charlie Bell led the Bucks with 13 points.
The Pistons took control with a 13-2 run midway through the third quarter to go ahead 64-45, then responded when the Bucks showed signs of life to open the fourth.
Milwaukee scored the first eight points -- six on Bell's 3-pointers -- of the final quarter to pull within four, but couldn't stop four Pistons players from combining for an 11-0 run to give Detroit a 79-64 lead.
After easily winning their playoff opener, the Pistons hope it didn't cost them Richard Hamilton.
Hamilton limped off the court with a sprained left ankle after scoring his 21st point midway through the fourth quarter.
Detroit's leading scorer, who averages 20-plus points in the playoffs, rolled his left ankle early in the fourth and stayed in the game after a timeout. Hamilton appeared to be OK until he limped off the court in pain after his layup with 5:18 left gave the Pistons a 15-point lead.
"The first time, it was really hurting. I just tried to gut it out," he said. "The second time, it was more like me aggravating it."
Hamilton bristled at the idea that he should have stayed out of the game after he hurt his ankle the first time.
"I'm not sitting out," he said. "I don't care who would have told me to sit out. Coach tried to sit me out. I just told him, 'Let me just play. Let me see how it feels.' I didn't want to be sitting down over there, especially in the playoffs."
Hamilton had X-rays after the game, and the Pistons said they were negative.
"The nice thing is we have a couple of days off," Pistons coach Flip Saunders said.
Detroit hosts Game 2 in the best-of-seven series Wednesday.
Exactly 10 months after losing Game 7 of the NBA Finals at San Antonio, Rasheed Wallace and the Pistons opened these playoffs as if they were itching to get right back.
"This is what we've been looking forward to all year," said Wallace, who scored 17 of his 22 points in the first half.
But Wallace said the Pistons were too excited to play, leading to an uneven start.
"We were running around like chickens with our heads cut off, but we got it settled," he said.
Detroit's Tayshaun Prince scored 15, Chauncey Billups had 14 and reserve Antonio McDyess added nine points and 10 rebounds.
Milwaukee's Andrew Bogut had eight points midway through the second quarter but finished with just 10. Jamaal Magloire scored 11 points for the Bucks.
Milwaukee, the lone sub-.500 team still playing, is the first team in NBA history to make the postseason with at least four different starters from the previous season. Redd was the only starter who didn't make his postseason debut for the Bucks in Game 1.
"I thought we played well in stretches," Stotts said.
Free throws: The Bucks flew home to practice today.
** Detroit's Ben Wallace had 17 rebounds, two blocks and two steals.
** Milwaukee was without reserve forward Toni Kukoc (back spasms).
** The Pistons were 24-of-34 at the line while Milwaukee took just 10 free throws, and made eight.
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