Detroit fans flocked to The Palace of Auburn Hills in droves Saturday to watch Ben Wallace get his No. 3 jersey retired, but the Pistons put on a show of their own by upsetting the Warriors 113-95.
Stephen Curry was his usual dangerous self, scoring 38 points and grabbing seven rebounds, but the Warriors had no answer for Pistons center Andre Drummond. Detroit's 6-11 center scored 14 points and hauled in 21 rebounds, seven of which came on the offensive end.
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Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 20 points of his own. His ability to shoot over Curry helped Detroit carry a 65-49 lead into halftime.
The game was especially sweet for the home fans because Wallace, who was a key member of the Pistons' 2004 championship squad and a four-time Defensive Player of the Year, had his jersey hung in the rafters. The halftime ceremony was ripe with familiar names, as Larry Brown, Rasheed Wallace and owner Tom Gores gave uplifting speeches before Wallace spoke.
Watching Wallace speak at halftime — he's a notoriously unwilling public speaker — must have helped the Pistons keep their momentum in the second half.
The Eastern Conference has been much more competitive this season than in the past, so the Pistons (22-18) still have quite a bit of work left to secure a spot in the postseason.
The 76ers are starting to look like a real team
This is not something anyone would have said a couple of weeks ago, but the addition of Ish Smith has done wonders for the Sixers franchise. When Philadelphia traded for Smith on Christmas Eve, it had just one win all season. Now, the 76ers are 5-37 and have played top teams such as the Bulls and Cavaliers close.
Smith makes all the difference for this team. The 27-year-old point guard is averaging 16.6 points and 7.6 assists per game in January and has made a very positive impact on power forward Nerlens Noel and rookie center Jahlil Okafor. Saturday night's 114-89 win against the Trail Blazers proved this team has the talent. It just needs to put it together on a consistent basis.
Highlights:
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope found out he can't give Stephen Curry space anywhere on the court:
Wallace's No. 3 jersey gets lifted in the rafters:
Ben Wallace's @DetroitPistons #3 goes to the rafters in Detroit! #FearTheFro https://t.co/XdUM7tSgNO
— NBA (@NBA) January 17, 2016 Studs of the night:
The point guard battle in the Celtics-Wizards game was a spectacle to behold. John Wall scored a game-high 36 points and dished out 13 assists, but it wasn't enough to stop the Celtics. Led by Isaiah Thomas, who scored 32 points with five assists and four rebounds, Boston squeaked out a 119-117 road win.
Dud of the night:
Hornets forward Nicolas Batum was ineffective Saturday. The talented Frenchman scored just six points on 2-of-10 shooting in a little over 35 minutes on the court. The Hornets needed more from their star on a night when Charlotte lost 105-92 to the Bucks.
What's Next:
Heat (23-17) at Thunder (29-12) 7 p.m. — Miami will again have to suit up without Goran Dragic, but Tyler Johnson has played well when given the opportunity. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are playing well together and Serge Ibaka is starting to wake up.
Mavericks (23-18) at Spurs (35-6) 7 p.m. — With the Warriors struggling a bit and San Antonio in complete cruise control, the Spurs all of the sudden look like the team to beat in Western Conference. Dallas needs a big game out of its aging stars to keep up in this one.