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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- Despite a three-game losing streak
that included a loss at San Antonio, Grant Hill felt the Detroit Pistons could beat the Spurs.
Hill scored 28 points and the Pistons played one of their best
games of the young season, ending San Antonio's seven-game winning
streak with a 102-80 win Friday night.
|  | | The Pistons made things difficult for Tim Duncan all night. Duncan was 5-for-12 for 14 points. |
The Spurs had beaten Detroit by 19 points Tuesday night in San
Antonio.
"We came out of the game Tuesday thinking we could win this
one," said Hill, who also had six assists. "They kicked our
butts, but we walked out thinking we could beat them."
And they did.
There were two keys: The Pistons hustled, doing a nice job of
double-teaming David Robinson and Tim Duncan. And the Spurs played
one of their worst games in recent memory, giving up 30 points on
22 turnovers while making just 24 of 66 shots.
"It's been a long time since we've had a game like this,"
Robinson said. "It's disappointing. This is the kind of stuff we
can't let happen."
This was the first time the Spurs allowed 100 points in 22
games, dating back to last season.
"This is the first time I can remember seeing 10 shots in a row
rim the basket and not go in," Spurs guard Avery Johnson said.
Johnson, who scored a season-high 22 points against Detroit in the
first game, was scoreless in this one.
Robinson had 15 points, Duncan 14 and Chucky Brown 13 for the
Spurs, who made only three baskets in the fourth quarter. San
Antonio went into the game tied with Portland for the NBA's best
record at 14-3.
The Spurs trailed by 20 points entering the fourth quarter, then
went without a basket for the first 4:42 of the period, scoring
only on free throws.
"Against a team like that, you can't afford to let them get set
on defense," said Lindsey Hunter, who scored 20 for Detroit.
"You've got to take it right to them and get some mismatches."
Jerry Stackhouse scored six of his 21 points as Detroit opened
the third quarter with a 9-2 run, and a driving layup by Stackhouse
gave the Pistons a 74-52 lead with 2:46 left in the third quarter.
They took a 78-58 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Spurs took a 12-4 lead as Duncan hit three consecutive
jumpers.
Robinson's three-point play with 7:02 left in the first quarter
gave San Antonio a 17-9 lead, but the Pistons then rallied.
Hunter scored eight of his 12 first-quarter points as the
Pistons went on a 16-6 run. Detroit took its first lead, 25-23, on
a jumper by Michael Curry with 52 seconds left in the quarter.
That was only the beginning.
The Spurs, who turned the ball over eight times in the first
quarter, had four more turnovers in the second period and Detroit
took advantage. The Pistons opened the quarter with an 20-3 run for
a 45-26 lead on Jerome Williams' dunk off a steal with 5:21 left in
the first half.
"They did a nice job double-teaming our big guys, and our other
guys didn't make shots," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "If
you're going to get double-teamed, you've got to make shots. It's a
pretty simple game."
Hunter's jumper gave Detroit a 53-34 lead with 1:55 left in the
half, but the Spurs closed to 53-41 at halftime on Brown's
three-point play and free throws by Mario Elie and Terry Porter.
Game notes
This was the last meeting between the Pistons and the Spurs
this season. Last season they met only once, because of the
lockout-shortened schedule. ... The 41 points by San Antonio were
the fewest first-half points by a Pistons' opponent this season.
... Williams left early in the fourth quarter with a cut on top of
his head after catching a stray elbow. But he was back with 7:53
remaining with a bandage over the wound.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
San Antonio Clubhouse
Detroit Clubhouse
RECAPS
Boston 96
Miami 84
Toronto 95
Washington 93
Philadelphia 102
Cleveland 100
Detroit 102
San Antonio 80
Indiana 100
Utah 75
Orlando 112
Denver 100
Charlotte 113
Vancouver 94
LA Lakers 93
Portland 80
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