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Pistons win seventh consecutive game Tayshaun Prince scored a career-high 25 points, and the Detroit Pistons won their seventh straight game by beating the Orlando Magic 101-89 on Saturday night.
Richard Hamilton scored 15 points with six assists for the Pistons, and Corliss Williamson added 13 points and six rebounds.
Chauncey Billups missed his second straight game with a sprained left ankle, but Lindsey Hunter and Mike James combined for 14 assists filling in for the starting point guard. James had 12 points to go with his eight assists.
The Pistons has a season-high 34 assists.
DeShawn Stevenson led Orlando with 21 points, his best since being acquired from Utah in a deadline-day trade. Reece Gaines added a season-best 14.
Orlando shot 50 percent, but had 17 turnovers.
The Pistons went ahead by 13 points less than eight minutes into the game by repeatedly driving straight at the NBA's worst defense. Detroit's first 11 field goals were in the paint, including six dunks.
The last slam surrendered was Orlando's worst. Tyronn Lue tossed a wild crosscourt pass that was picked off by Rasheed Wallace — the third consecutive Magic turnover. He then jogged down, no defender within 20 feet, for a windmill dunk and 23-10 lead.
Orlando coach Johnny Davis had seen enough and called a timeout — boos from the crowd not quite drowning out Wallace's jubilant bellowing. When play resumed, all five Magic starters were on the bench.
The reserves briefly put a charge into Orlando, cutting the deficit to 27-19 on Gaines' driving layup.
But Prince made a layup to re-establish a double-digit lead, and kick off a 10-0 run. Within 4 1/2 minutes, Detroit led by 21 and had made 21 of 34 shots.
Prince had a career-best 11 field goals on 14 shots.
Detroit shot 49 percent, fading after a first half of 58 percent.
The Pistons stretched the margin to a game-high 26 late in the second quarter, but Orlando scored the half's final seven points and trailed 56-37 at the break.
The final margin of 12 points was the closest the Magic came in the second half.
The Magic's losing streak is only their second-longest of the season. Orlando lost 19 straight early in the season. |
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Orlando dropped its 13th straight game to secure the NBA's
worst record. The Magic will have the best chance — 25 percent — of landing the
No. 1 pick in next month's draft lottery. Their selection can fall no lower than
fifth.
