Recap: Detroit vs. Milwaukee
Sports Network | November 28, 2008
Auburn Hills, MI (Sports Network) - Allen Iverson, despite not starting after missing Detroit's practice on Thursday, scored a team-high 17 points to lead the Pistons to a 107-97 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Detroit head coach Michael Curry called for the Thanksgiving practice session in order to give the Pistons more playing time with Iverson, who the club traded for earlier in the month. Iverson missed the 10 a.m. session, but entered Friday's game and led his team in points and assists, with seven.
"All the hoopla around everything, all the attention it got...I just wanted to do what -- especially just for my teammates, because obviously I let them down by not being here -- I wanted to make up for that with my play," Iverson said. "My whole game was just not losing the basketball game, that's what my concern mainly was. I was hoping that it wouldn't be a distraction to my teammates and carry over into the game."
Six Pistons reached double figures, as Walter Herrmann added 16 points off the bench -- he made five of six three-pointers -- in a little more than 18 minutes of court time. Jason Maxiell, who also did not start, finished with 13 points and eight rebounds for the Pistons, who have won two in a row.
Richard Jefferson and Ramon Sessions each finished with a game-high 21 points for the Bucks, who have dropped three straight games.
"For whatever reason, particularly in the last three games, we've lost a bit of our will to defend," Bucks head coach Scott Skiles said. "I'm having a hard time finding lineups that are willing to go out there and try and defend. We've got to find a way to get it back, otherwise we won't win."
A back-and-forth first quarter was capped by a Tayshaun Prince jumper, which gave the Pistons a 28-24 lead going into the second. Detroit slowly drew out the lead into double digits, getting consecutive baskets shortly into the second from Maxiell and Arron Afflalo for a 36-26 advantage.
Approaching the midway point, Maxiell had a free throw and dunk, and Rasheed Wallace followed with a three-pointer for a 46-31 lead.
The Bucks briefly got their deficit under 10, when Sessions had a jumper and Dan Gadzuric deposited a layup back-to-back, making it a 53-45 game with 3:13 remaining. But the Pistons responded with five straight points, and finished the half strong to go into the break ahead by a 62-49 margin.
Milwaukee began the third with jumpers from Jefferson and Luc Mbah a Moute, and eventually got within 70-64 on a Jefferson three-pointer midway through the stanza. But Wallace got to the line and made one free throw, then Prince followed with another to make it a three-possession game.
The Pistons' lead hovered around eight until a Richard Hamilton free throw at the end of the third made it an 82-72 contest going into the fourth.
Herrmann did most of his damage in the final quarter, scoring 10 straight Pistons points, including a free throw and triple about midway through. The three-pointer boosted Detroit's lead to 97-83 with 6:15 left, and the Pistons held on from there.
Detroit got to the free throw line 39 times, and made 27 (69.2 percent)...Maxiell also blocked six shots...Iverson will also be heavily fined for missing Thursday's practice...Milwaukee was just 4-for-15 from three-point range...Gadzuric had 10 points, along with Charlie Villanueva, for the Bucks. Gadzuric also had 12 rebounds.
