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Friday, Dec. 10 8:00pm ET
Detroit delays Clippers' bright future | |||||
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 GAME FLOW
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- Detroit coach Alvin Gentry sees a bright future for the Los Angeles Clippers. Unfortunately for the Clippers, the future isn't now. The Pistons proved that Friday night, routing the Clippers 107-83 behind Grant Hill's 27 points and 12 rebounds. "That team can really turn into a really good one if they don't fall into a losing attitude," Gentry said. "They've got a lot of skill -- they just need some veteran leadership." Detroit won for the third time in four games to reach .500 at 10-10. The Clippers, who have lost eight straight since beating New York on Nov. 23, fell to 4-15. "It's hard losing when you come back home like this," said Maurice Taylor, a former University of Michigan player. "When you look at the talent on this team, we should be able to win some games. We just have to learn how to play as a team and not make the same mistakes every single game." Jerry Stackhouse added 23 points for the Pistons, and Jerome Williams had 17 points and 12 rebounds. "We felt like they would have a lot of trouble if we played like we are capable of doing," Williams said. "We really wanted to be at .500 now that we have to head out to the West Coast." Michael Olowokandi led the Clippers with 16 points. Lamar Odom was held to just 10, partly because of foul trouble. The Pistons led 50-42 at the half behind 16 from Hill, then increased the margin to 17 with a 16-5 run early in the third. Stackhouse had six in the surge, and Lindsey Hunter added five. "We really wanted to jump on them and take them out of the game," Hill said. "That's a dangerous team if you let them hang around until the end." Stackhouse finished with 10 points in the quarter, leading the Pistons to an 80-61 advantage. The Clippers scored the first five points of the fourth, but Hunter ended the run with a 3-pointer. He also was fouled on the play, but couldn't convert the four-point play. "It's the same scenario for this team," Clippers coach Chris Ford said. "We played hard for a while and we couldn't sustain our offense. Once teams get up on us, we find it difficult to come back." Game notesHill played despite a sore ankle that kept him out of practice all week. ... Because of last season's work stoppage, Friday was the first Pistons-Clippers game in nearly two years. They last played Jan. 22, 1998. ... Hill is averaging more than 27 points -- a feat only accomplished by two players in team history. George Yardley (27.8) did it in 1957-58 and Dave Bing (27.1) 10 years later. | ALSO SEE NBA Scoreboard LA Clippers Clubhouse Detroit Clubhouse RECAPS Boston 100 Houston 96
Detroit 107
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