Clock or Not - The Pistons Up 2-0 on The Magic

There will be talk, talk for the rest of The Pistons - Magic series about the shot clock malfunction that allowed a three pointer to count for Detroit at the end of the third quarter that shouldn't have. Chauncey Billups knocked down a 3-pointer with 0.5 seconds left in the third, the clock clearly stopped mid play and the officials weren't able to look at the replay due to the rules. The refs were put in a tough situation and made what they thought was the right decision. The TNT broadcast however put a stopwatch to the play and it was indeed a couple of fractions of a second late.

It happens all the time, whether it's a questionable foul call or an instance like this, but the fact of the matter is that Detroit is now up on The Magic 2 games to none after their 100-93 victory on their home court.

Key Points:

• Yes, the Pistons benefited from a incorrect judgment call by the refs. I'll be the first one to admit it, but if Rodney Stuckey pulled up and saw the clock at 2 seconds do you think he would have dished it to Chauncey? He probably would have taken the shot and hopefully made it. The Magic got hosed, but I can remember being on the other side of that call plenty of times, so I'm ok with it. Did it cost them the game? There is truly no answer to that.
• "It sucks to be on the other end of that play," said Billups, who had a game-high 28 points. "But I'll take it. I'll take it." Via MLive
  
• Tight first quarter that ended tied at 29.
• Once again The Palace Crowd was loud as can be. I truly believe Detroit feeds off them, especially in the fourth quarter. You could barely hear yourself think late in the game, even when play was stopped the crowd was going nuts.
• Foul trouble all game long for the four bigs who went after Dwight hard all night. Dyess was the only Pistons to foul out, and he looked quite upset about it. Flip Saunders on the other hand did the right thing by substituting Rasheed in and out of the game in the fourth quarter when he was playing with 5 fouls in case we needed him had the game went into OT.
  
• Big night for Big Shot who lead all players with 28 points. Billups put a scare in the crowd, along with his teammates, when he went down hard in the fourth quarter after landing on his back when going up for a layup and being fouled. Though shaken, he got up and sank his two free throws. He was a perfect 10-for-10 from the line. Chauncey was big on both ends of the floor for Detroit.
  

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• The "Clock Play" via YouTube.
  
• Detroit couldn't quite contain Dwight Howard but his 22 points and 18 boards actually came quietly. He never really got a rhythm going and looked frustrated plenty of times during the game. They are huge numbers, but he did turn the ball over 5 times, maybe his hand really was bothering him.
• If I could have actually punched something, besides my friend sitting next to me, I would have after watching the Magic knock down 7 straight three's in the third quarter to take the lead for the first time in the game. The Palace crowd was shocked and shaken.
• Was it just me or did the starters slack on the defensive end during the Magic's surge?
• After allowing the Magic only 12 second quarter points, the Pistons got outscored 36 to 28 in the third.
• You will hear this a thousand times when referring to this game....Live by the three, die by the three. Hot in the third for Orlando and ice cold in the fourth from downtown when it mattered. Orlando was 11-for-26 from behind the arc for the night.
• I must say it once again, and will keep saying it until it isn't deserving - TAYRIFFIC! Tayshaun Prince put up a double-double with 17 points and 10 boards on 8-for-13 shooting with 5 assists, 2 takeaways and a really timely blocked shot.

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• And this..............

Courtesy of The Detroit Pistons, The NBA and TNT

• So good I knew you would want to see the full clip of the Dunk. Heck you asked for it in the comments on more than one occasion.
• By the way, thanks for all of you who leave comments during the game. It's hard actually catching everything like stats and calls when I'm in the arena. So getting your comments while you post them on my phone is very helpful. We in the Palace were clueless to what was happening at the end of the third with the clock.
  
• Detroit's bench outscored Orlando's 13-4.
• Big talk from Rashard Lewis who scored 20 points, but had to put up 21 shots to get them.
• Hedo finished with just 12 on 5-for-11 shooting. He always looks like he just rolled out of bed.
• Get ready to hear about the shot clock malfunction 'till you just can't stand it anymore.
• Stuckey scored 5 points and had 4 assists with a steal in his 20 minutes. He still looks a bit green, but he's getting the job done when he's out there.
• It's not like we didn't love Maxie in the first place, but him stepping up since he's been put in the starting lineup has been huge. Many of us wanted Maxiell to start for quite some time, but to actually see it happening and working just puts smiles on faces. Jason scored 11 on 5-for-5 shooting with 4 boards and 3 blocked shots. Does he have a smooth stroke or what?

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• Did I mention the key defensive plays he's been making down the stretch?
• When Herrmann enters the game you would think Isiah Thomas was checking in for the Pistons. Dude gets much love from the Detroit fans.
• I don't know about you, but this game was killing me. Call me a wimp, but I'll take a nice blowout any day.
• Sorry Theo, you did get posterized. Unlike Tay, who moved out of the way in the first quarter when Dwight was coming in for a thunder dunk, Theo took it like a man.
• Rip struggled all game long going 4-for-18 for 14 points. Love Rip, but when he's not hitting like that he usually doesn't shake it off. I almost cringed when he took that three late in the fourth quarter, but it was the one shot he did hit. If fact that was the last field goal that Detroit made in the game, the rest came at the foul line.
• Detroit's last 13 came at the stripe, which they were 24-for-28.
• Why did Detroit stop going to Tayshaun, he was HOT and I don't remember him touching the ball in the fourth quarter.
• Sorry Jarvis, Afflalo and Herrmann are in the front of the line now.
• Mr. Wallace was on, shooting 7-for-10 for 17 points. He did his work defensively at times on Rashard and Dwight. Oh, and then there was this....

Courtesy of The Detroit Pistons, The NBA and TNT

• Again, so good you'll want to see the Tay to Sheed alley oop again, and don't forget it all stemmed from a Theo block.
• I was surprised by Turkoglu's erratic three with seconds left in the game, but maybe you can chalk it up to the Magic's playoff experience and ability to close out games. "The Magic called timeout to set up a play, but Hedo Turkoglu inexplicably broke off the play and fired up an errant 3-pointer. "I don't know," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said of why Turkoglu did that. "I don't understand that shot at all and nobody on our team can understand it either. Down two and a full shot clock. I don't know why he did that." Via The Detroit News
• Arron Afflalo knows how to play in big games.
• 19 turnovers for the Magic to just 8 for Detroit. You can't have 19 turns against a team like Detroit and expect to win.
• Out rebounded 40-35.
• NBA.com Highlights of The Game.
• Maxiell shows Fratello his defensive skills.
• Mr. D., who I mentioned before usually heads to the tunnel at the start of the fourth, stayed in his court side seat 'till the game was all but a lock.
  
• Wednesday in Orlando, we are used to hearing plenty of Pistons fans in the crowd but this time I think they won't have an easy time of it.
• Third Quarter Collapse on the Magic's side of the whole clock controversy. Sorry Ben, but it's nice to see a class act. Had this been a game against Cleveland I cringe at the thought of the abuse the whole city of Detroit and the state of Michigan would take.
  
• Plenty to say about this one, leave yours in the comments.