Detroit Pistons edge out Milwaukee Bucks 96-94: NBA Recap
Tayshaun Prince scored 20 points and hit two key free throws down the stretch to lead Detroit Pistons to a 96-94 win over the Milwaukee Bucks here at the Palace of Auburn Hills on Sunday night, after the Bucks blew a 15 point advantage.
Both teams were coming into the game with their confidence sky high; and why not, both of them just beat the defending NBA champions Miami Heat earlier this week.
Greg Monroe posted a double-double for the Pistons with 14 points and 10 rebounds while Brandon Knight chipped in with 11 points as they erased a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter.
Detroit’s reserves have been scoring a large chunk of their points lately, as their bench combined for 85 points against Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday and posted 64 points in their win over the Miami Heat on Friday. It was the first
time in the franchise history that the bench has topped the 60 points mark in back to back games. But this time around it was a much balance performance by the Pistons; their bench collected only 33 points on the night.
Monta Ellis led all scorers on the night with 30 points and dished out 9 assists, Ersan Ilyasova had 24 points and grabbed 5 rebounds.
"For the most part, we stayed with it. They responded well, which we knew they would. Obviously, we didn't want them to take the lead but it was a good win for us. We've just got keep taking advantage of these games at home while
we have this streak." Prince on his team’s improved play.
Milwaukee trailed throughout the game but they came back late in the fourth quarter and took the lead with only 1:06 left on the clock. Monta Ellis fadeaway jumper put the Bucks up 94-92, and the Pistons who have blown double-digit
leads in some of their losses before this season did not fold.
Prince wasted little time to make a 5-foot hook shot to tie the score with 50.5 left in the regulation. Ellis missed a potential game winning jumper and Maxiell secured the rebound. Prince was fouled to save some time, but he stepped
up calmly and secured both his free throws to put the Pistons up by two with less than 10.9 seconds left to go. Ellis missed another jump shot as the Pistons hanged on for a two point win.
Injury watch:
Rodney Stuckey missed his second consecutive game with a left ankle sprain. Milwaukee forward Luc Mbah A Moute had his lip cut in the heat of the moment and required 3 stitches to contain the damage.
Up Next:
Bucks will face the red hot San Antonio Spurs next, while the Pistons host Sacramento Kings on Tuesday.
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