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BOX SCORE
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GAME FLOW
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) – Athletes usually are quick to play
down any kind of revenge angle. But not the Detroit Pistons – at
least not Sunday night.
Jerry Stackhouse scored 32 points and Ben Wallace added 16
rebounds as they beat the Golden State Warriors 104-87 to gain a
measure of revenge for a March 24 defeat at Golden State -- the
Warriors' only victory in their last 16 games.
"We really felt bad about losing that game -- especially when we
lost the next game to the Clippers, too," said Corliss Williamson.
"We wanted to do something tonight to make up for that."
Wallace missed the game in California after the death of his
grandmother, and Pistons coach George Irvine had no doubt about the
difference he made.
"They are a big, strong team, and they beat us up inside out
there," he said. "They did that again tonight, except for Ben.
Thank God for him."
Wallace said he watched the Golden State defeat on television and knew what they needed.
"That game was like when a playground bully beats up a kid when
his big brother is gone," he said. "I just went out and did my
thing tonight, and that was what we needed."
Joe Smith added 19 for Detroit, while Chucky Atkins had 17 and
Williamson 15.
Adonal Foyle had 20 for Golden State, while Antwan Jamison and
Vonteego Cummings had 18 each.
"It was just one of those games," Jamison said. "It's
frustrating to be out there, but you have games like that as an
individual and as a team. Tonight, it was both. You could tell from
the get-go that we were out of sync."
Detroit dominated the first half, outshooting the Warriors 55
percent to 33 percent and taking a 63-46 lead. Stackhouse had 17 in
the half, with Smith and Atkins also reaching double figures.
Golden State scored the first five points of the second half,
cutting the margin to 12, but the Pistons answered with a 9-0 run
of their own to make it 72-51. Williamson, who started the second
half in place of Billy Owens, had seven of the points.
"We were flat and they took advantage," said Warriors coach
Dave Cowens. "It just wasn't a very good game for us."
Detroit led by as many as 29 before a fourth-quarter rally by
the Warriors cut the lead to 102-85 and forced Irvine to put his
starters back in the game.
"I'm tired of guys complaining about playing time and giving me
dirty looks. I gave them a chance ...," Irvine said. "I didn't
think we were going to lose the game. I was just tired of watching
us play that badly."
Game notes
Golden State guard Chris Porter sprained his left ankle in
the first quarter and did not return. That left the Warriors with
just eight players, because Larry Hughes, Marc Jackson and Bob Sura
did not dress due to injuries. .. The Pistons will be trying for
just their second three-game winning streak of the year when they
play at Chicago on Tuesday. ... Detroit forward Billy Owens left
the game with a bruised left thigh and did not return.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Golden State Clubhouse
Detroit Clubhouse
RECAPS
Philadelphia 104
Indiana 93
Charlotte 80
Boston 79
Minnesota 99
Portland 95
Utah 92
Vancouver 73
New York 79
LA Lakers 78
Orlando 104
Toronto 101
Detroit 104
Golden State 87
New Jersey 101
Houston 98
Phoenix 106
Milwaukee 99
Dallas 119
Sacramento 107
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