Deeper and healthier, Pistons defeat the Nets

This past Sunday's early season rematch of last year's NBA Eastern Conference Finals wasn't similar in any way to last spring's New Jersey Nets annihilation of the Detroit Pistons, as the Pistons won convincingly 98-94.

The Nets are banged up, and no one in the NBA, including the Pistons, feel any sorrow for them.

"We definitely want our guys back, but we don't feel sorry for ourselves," said starting Nets small forward Kerry Kittles following the game. "We weren't feeling sorry for them when Chauncey Billups was a little sore. No one is feeling sorry for ourselves like the Spurs, who also have a lot of injuries. So no one should feel sorry for ourselves and neither should we."

"We're still breathing," said Nets center Alonzo Mourning after being asked about the team's morale and motioning that he has felt fine throughout the course of the season.

The Nets were without a few of their key players: power forwards Kenyon Martin (left ankle), Rodney Rogers (lacerated thumb) Brian Scalabrine (hip flexor) and guard Lucious Harris (disc in his lower back) are all out.

The loss of those players showed as three of their reserves -- Zoran Planinic, Brandon Armstrong and Tamar Slay -- are all virtual unknowns and received plenty of playing time.

(I do know a little about Armstrong though. His favorite TV show is "Martin?" Maaaartin! Yes, a special thanks goes to those who compiled the New Jersey Nets media guide for that tidbit.)

The Nets actually led 24-11 at one point in the first quarter, until Nets coach Byron Scott put in the three mystery men because of foul troubles. Fouls that many of the Nets described as "ticky tack."

The Pistons would close the lead to six by the end of the first, as starting shooting guard Rip Hamilton and key Pistons reserve forward Corliss Williamson took advantage of their on-the-job opportunity.

The Pistons incalculably metric balanced scoring and energy off the bench are the reasons why many teams in the NBA fear the Pistons.

On his own bobble head night at the Palace of Auburn Hills, second-year Pistons starting small forward Tayshaun Prince had a sub-par game scoring only two points, along with being pulled for receiving three first half fouls.

However, the Pistons, behind 10 players that they used throughout the bulk of the game, seven of which played 20 minutes or more, dominated their home floor for their fifth win in a row.

The Nets just couldn't match up with the Pistons after their two centers, Mourning and Aaron Williams, both got into foul trouble.

Williamson had nine-second half points, 20 overall, as forward Jason Collins wasn't quick enough, nor were any of the mystery men powerful enough to guard him.

Two players that Detroit got in off-season trades, guards Bob Sura and Lindsey Hunter, came off the bench and played strong defense, holding Kittles and Jason Kidd to 25 points combined in the first half, and only 10 in the second.

The Pistons also hammered down the much smaller Nets lineups throughout the game with their three 7-footers -- Mehmet Okur, Zeljko Rebraca and Elden Campbell.

"I think our starting lineup has the ability to take control of the game from the beginning," said Williamson. "And also, I think our bench has the ability to get us back into any game or to continue on with whatever are starting unit does. I think that puts a lot of teams in a bad situation cause we do have a lot of people that coach has confidence in."

Another Pistons inside banger, reigning Defensive MVP Ben Wallace, has now even found an offensive game under first year Piston head coach Larry Brown. He had 12 points, 11, four steals and one block. He is even adding a few spin moves and fade aways to his previously non-existent offensive game, and was six for eight from the free throw line.

Rip Hamilton had 24 points and has continued to be the most consistent man for the Pistons, as starting backcourt mate Billups has struggled in the early season.

Williamson's fourth quarter dunk, and Hamilton's fading, baseline, Jordanesque jump shot, along with Kittles and Kidds receiving some semi-serious bumps due to collisions with Piston players late in the fourth, resulted in Scott throwing in the towel.

He took out his remaining starters down only 11 points with about 1:30 to go, obviously fearing losing more of his key players and knowing he'll have to play the mystery men even more down the road this season.

As of Sunday night, the Pistons are 5-1, with their only loss being their home opener to Indiana.

The Nets at 3-4, showed vulnerability as they stretched their starting lineup very thin and couldn't run their high-octane offense.

"I talked to our guys and last year they felt they gave up a lot of cheap buckets to them in the Eastern Conference," said Larry Brown. "Last year in Philly, they beat us one game by 40."

For NBA fans, this obviously wasn't a tell all game due to the Nets injuries. Come playoff time, this could very well be a completely different ballgame.

However, the Pistons did show off their depth, added versatility, and continued ability to win at home.

The home crowd at the Palace of Auburn Hills led the league in attendance last year thanks in large part to having the lowest ticket prices in the league.

Because of those low ticket price, much younger and more jubilant fans have come out in droves.

Some fans even cheered for the Piston chief sponsor Rock Financial when they were announced by PA announcer.

"Everyone is a rival in the East, playing against Boston, playing against New Jersey, playing against Indiana, Hamilton said. "Cause everybody wants it so much."

Mourning echoed the sentiments about the hotly contested early matchup as not being a statement game necessarily.

"It's early on and we just wanted the win," said Mourning.

It's a long NBA season and time will tell if this Detroit team is ready to step up and win the East. It's a long NBA season and the Pistons had home court advantage in the East last year and it didn't phase the battle tested Nets one bit. That and the East might be a little crowded up top as Indiana with ex-Piston coach Rick Carlisle and Toronto with former Piston assistant Kevin O'Neil are winning games like they did in Detroit, with great defense.