Pistons surprisingly outlast Suns

Ok, so you look at the situation on paper and it seems pretty clear: The Detroit Pistons were without Richard Hamilton and Juan Dixon, and the rookies or role players that were on the team have not done too much to really make a significant impact on the team this year. On the other side, the Suns were surging, having won seven in a row and really looking like the Shaquille O'Neal trade was actually--gulp--working. So what happens? The Pistons win.

In the crazy NBA world, anything can and usually does happen. But normally when you put two quality teams on the floor and one has an obvious flaw, it really doesn't deviate too much. In this case, however, it certainly did. Rookie Arron Afflalo came out and really hounded Steve Nash, and Rodney Stuckey played a pivotal role on offense to score 12. If the Pistons were looking for backups that would be effective, I think they've got it.

Not taking away from the Pistons leaders (Chauncey Billups had 32 and Rasheed Wallace had 23), but this is the kind of thing that wins championships--those little role players that can step up when needed and make losing a player of Hamilton's magnitude seem kind of "bland". The Pistons, while still sporting a great overall record, have kind of been the quiet winners, still being effective, but the hype in the East has been all over Boston and Orlando, and of course the Western Conference playoff battle. But that's ok--that's just how they want it.

Picture Source: AP

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Pistons surprisingly outlast Suns

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