RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- Times have quickly changed for the
Detroit Pistons.
They're not just happy to win, they want to look good doing it.
Detroit beat the Washington Wizards 93-87 Sunday night to win a
third consecutive game for the first time this season.
Jerry Stackhouse, who missed the previous game with the flu,
scored 24 points. Stackhouse, the NBA's leading scorer at 28.7
points per game, was not happy after the game and it had nothing to
do with his health.
"We've raised the bar a little bit," he said. "We raised the
bar as far as our expectations and what we think we should do. It's
not only to win games, but how we should win games. I think that's
a good thing.
"Maybe earlier in the season we would've been happy to win this
game, but now there's a certain way that we can play and the way we
have to play."
The Pistons know they don't have the size or talent to just show
up and win games.
They acknowledge that playing hard for 48 minutes will be the
biggest key to success.
That's why Detroit coach George Irvine was disappointed,
especially after seeing one of his reserves, who he would not name,
yawning as he ran onto the court before the game.
"I was not pleased with the way we played," Irvine said. "I
am happy we won, obviously. We did not come into the game as
focused as we were the other night.
"I've been less upset after a loss than I am after this win."
The Pistons know they were lucky to have put forth such an
effort against the struggling Wizards, who have lost four straight
and six of seven and were without Mitch Richmond -- who stayed home
after injuring his left knee Saturday in the loss to Miami.
"Not to take anything away from their team, but that team
really didn't play with us," Stackhouse said.
The Pistons were in control for much of the game, but they never
did enough to put the game away.
The game was tied for a 15th time when Washington's Gerard King
tied it at 79 with 6:36 left.
Stackhouse and Jerome Williams made enough plays over the next
few minutes to win the lackluster game.
"They don't look back and see if you won ugly," Williams said.
"They just see if you won."
Detroit's Chucky Atkins scored 16 points, while Ben Wallace had
nine points and 14 rebounds.
The Wizards' loss spoiled the performances of two players who
are in their second season in the NBA.
Felipe Lopez scored a career-high 23 points, while King added a
season-high 16 off the bench.
"Felipe has been giving us great effort all year," Washington
coach Leonard Hamilton said. "Gerard has really helped us after
getting off to a slow start."
Detroit didn't trail in the first quarter, but entered the
second with just a 25-23 lead. The 52-52 tie at halftime was the
10th after nine lead changes in the first 24 minutes.
The Pistons took a 10-point lead after a 10-0 run early in the
third quarter, but their lead shrunk to 70-69 by the end of the
quarter.
"You can't allow yourself to be frustrated," Hamilton said.
Notes: Detroit goes on the road this week to face Vancouver,
Seattle, Portland and the Los Angeles Lakers. ... The Wizards
claimed Obinna Ekezie off waivers Friday, just three days after he
was traded along with Cherokee Parks to the Los Angeles Clippers
for Tyrone Nesby. Hamilton chose not to play Ekezie on Sunday. ...
Stackhouse did not score 30 or more points for the first time in
five outings.
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NBA Scoreboard
Washington Clubhouse
Detroit Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 96
LA Clippers 87
Milwaukee 92
Indiana 80
San Antonio 97
Vancouver 79
Detroit 93
Washington 87
Phoenix 84
Portland 79
Seattle 118
Golden State 102
LA Lakers 99
Dallas 97
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