Pistons rip Sixers to end 11-game skid
April 7, 2010
PHILADELPHIA (AP)—Charlie Villanueva(notes) scored 25 points, Rodney Stuckey(notes) added 24and the short-handed Detroit Pistons snapped an 11-game losing streak with a124-103 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night.
Ben Wallace(notes) added a season-high 18 points, Tayshaun Prince(notes) had 14 and BenGordon(notes) 13 for the Pistons (24-53), who won for only the eighth time on the roadthis season. Jonas Jerebko(notes) added 11 points and Will Bynum(notes) had 10.
Detroit halted a double-digit losing skid for the second time in 2009-10.The Pistons dropped 13 in a row from Dec. 15 to Jan. 11.
Marreese Speights(notes) scored 21 points and Jodie Meeks(notes) 19 for the strugglingSixers, who have lost four straight. Andre Iguodala(notes) and Lou Williams had 12apiece, while Jrue Holiday(notes) added 11.
Sixers coach Eddie Jordan limited the minutes for several of his starters,including Elton Brand(notes) and Samuel Dalembert(notes). Brand had a subpar game again withtwo rebounds in 12 minutes. In last Saturday’s 128-123 overtime loss to Toronto,Brand went without a rebound for the first time in 713 career games.
Detroit built an 18-point advantage in the fourth quarter when Jerebko’slayup pushed it to 104-86.
The Sixers never got the deficit under 10 the rest of the way.
The Pistons were already depleted with injuries to guard Richard Hamilton(notes)along with forwards Jason Maxiell(notes) and Chris Wilcox(notes). Then Stuckey limped off thecourt with 5:11 remaining in the third quarter after crashing to the courtfollowing a driving layup.
Stuckey—who was elbowed in the left rib—hit the free throw, left for thelocker room and was replaced by Gordon. Stuckey returned at the start of thefourth.
In addition, Villanueva and forward Austin Daye(notes) missed Detroit’s charterflight to Philadelphia. They took commercial flights and arrived at the game intime. Both players initially came off the bench in the first half.
The Sixers shot 60 percent from the field in the first half while Detroitwas close behind at 56 percent. The teams went into halftime tied at 61.
NOTES: Sixers guard Rodney Carney(notes) (right big toe) and forward Thaddeus Young(notes)(broken right thumb) were inactive. … The Pistons shot 68 percent from thefield in the first quarter. … Detroit committed only 10 turnovers.
