DETROIT, Michigan (AFP) – The Detroit Pistons shrugged off an embarrassing start to their weekend with a welcome victory, with Rodney Stuckey delivering 28 points in a 120-116 NBA triumph over Utah.
Saturday's win came a day after the Pistons used just six players in a lopsided defeat at Philadelphia, an embarrassing outing that came after several Detroit players missed part of a team shoot-around and sparked rumors of discord in the team.
Stuckey and Austin Daye, who arrived late to the shootaround and didn't play on Friday, were back on court against Utah. Daye scored 18 points, 11 in the fourth quarter.
Will Bynum, who had played all 48 minutes against Philadelphia, put the Pistons ahead for good with a three-point play with less than two minutes left.
Utah closed to 114-112 when Al Jefferson scored with 27.4 seconds to play, but Stuckey made two free throws, then stole a Utah pass to help Detroit hang on for the victory.
It was Detroit's highest point total of the season and came after a somewhat tumultuous day on Friday.
Seven Pistons players missed at least part of Friday's shootaround, and none of them played against the 76ers.
The team said Richard Hamilton, Chris Wilcox, Stuckey and Daye missed the bus, with Stuckey and Daye able to arrive late to the training session.
Tayshaun Prince, Tracy McGrady and Ben Wallace also missed the shootaround. The team said Prince had an upset stomach, McGrady had a headache and Wallace was tending to a family matter.
Wallace was also unavailable Saturday night after the death of his brother earlier in the day.
Prince and McGrady didn't play either. Coach John Kuester said McGrady was ill and Prince had a back problem. Hamilton remained out with a sore groin.
Kuester said Saturday that the team was moving on from Friday's issues.
"It was an internal thing. We're moving on. We're ready to go," Kuester said. "For me personally, it's over, and we've got to move on. We've got to."
source: mb.com.ph
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