Box Score

 

DETROIT (99)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
T Prince            45  5-10   0-1   2-4   2   6   10
R Wallace           48  9-19   0-0   2-7   1   4   18
B Wallace           45   5-9  5-11  4-14   0   4   15
R Hamilton          41  9-26   2-4   1-3   4   6   20
C Billups           50  4-10 10-10   0-5   9   2   20
A McDyess           16   1-5   0-0   3-4   1   2    2
C Delfino           11   0-3   0-0   0-2   2   3    0
L Hunter            20   2-5   3-4   0-2   2   4    8
E Campbell           7   1-1   0-0   2-3   2   2    2
D Ham                7   2-3   0-0   0-0   0   1    4
D Coleman          DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
D Milicic          DNP  - SPRANED RIGHT ANKLE                            
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             290 38-91 20-30 14-44  23  34   99
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.418, FT-.667. 3-Point Goals:
3-13, .231 (R Wallace 0-4, C Billups 2-6, C 
Delfino 0-1, L Hunter 1-2). Team Rebounds: 
13. Blocked Shots:5 (R Wallace 2, B Wallace 
2, C Delfino). Turnovers:16 (C Billups 4, R 
Wallace 3, R Hamilton 3, T Prince 2, A 
McDyess, D Ham, B Wallace, C Delfino). 
Steals: 11 (L Hunter 3, C Billups 3, R 
Wallace 2, T Prince 2, E Campbell).


LA CLIPPERS (96)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
B Simmons           37  3-10   2-3   2-5   3   6    9
E Brand             52  8-17   5-7   0-4   0   3   21
C Wilcox            46 10-14   4-9   6-9   3   4   24
C Maggette          47  6-13 13-15  2-19   4   5   25
M Jaric             42  4-12   3-4   0-1   3   5   12
S Livingston        18   0-6   1-2   1-2   1   4    1
M Moore             18   1-1   0-0   1-2   0   2    2
R Brunson           10   0-1   0-0   0-0   5   1    0
Q Ross              20   1-3   0-0   1-2   1   3    2
M N'diaye          DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
Z Rebraca          DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
L Chalmers         DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                               
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             290 33-77 28-40 13-44  20  33   96
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.429, FT-.700. 3-Point Goals:
2-9, .222 (B Simmons 1-2, C Maggette 0-3, M 
Jaric 1-3, R Brunson 0-1). Team Rebounds: 18.
Blocked Shots:7 (E Brand 4, M Moore, C 
Wilcox, S Livingston). Turnovers:24 (C 
Maggette 5, E Brand 4, M Jaric 4, C Wilcox 4,
B Simmons 3, S Livingston 2, M Moore, Q 
Ross). Steals: 7 (E Brand 2, C Wilcox 2, R 
Brunson, S Livingston, C Maggette).

---------------------------------------------------
DETROIT               18  24  23  18   6  10  -   99
LA CLIPPERS           21  22  16  24   6   7  -   96
--------------------------------------------------- 

Technical fouls: Detroit - 2 (R Wallace, 4:18
2nd; C Billups, 8:26 3rd). La Clippers - 1 (C
Wilcox, 4:03 4th).
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 15,866. T: 3:08. 
Officials: Blane Reichelt, Courtney Kirkland,
Eddie F. Rush.

Extended Box

 

DETROIT (99) AT LA CLIPPERS (96)

DETROIT

                                               REBOUNDS                        
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
T PRINCE          F    45    5-10     0-1      2   2   4    2   6   2   2   10
R WALLACE         C    48    9-19     0-0      2   5   7    1   4   2   3   18
B WALLACE         F    45    5-9      5-11     4  10  14    0   4   0   1   15
R HAMILTON        G    41    9-26     2-4      1   2   3    4   6   0   3   20
C BILLUPS         G    50    4-10    10-10     0   5   5    9   2   3   4   20
A MCDYESS              16    1-5      0-0      3   1   4    1   2   0   1    2
C DELFINO              11    0-3      0-0      0   2   2    2   3   0   1    0
L HUNTER               20    2-5      3-4      0   2   2    2   4   3   0    8
E CAMPBELL              7    1-1      0-0      2   1   3    2   2   1   0    2
D HAM                   7    2-3      0-0      0   0   0    0   1   0   1    4
D COLEMAN             DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
D MILICIC             DNP  - SPRANED RIGHT ANKLE                                      
  
TOTALS                290   38-91    20-30    14  30  44   23  34  11  16   99
                            (.418)  (.667)  TEAM REBS: 13 TOTAL TO: 16 (20 PTS)    

LA CLIPPERS

                                               REBOUNDS                         
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
B SIMMONS         F    37    3-10     2-3      2   3   5    3   6   0   3    9
E BRAND           F    52    8-17     5-7      0   4   4    0   3   2   4   21
C WILCOX          C    46   10-14     4-9      6   3   9    3   4   2   4   24
C MAGGETTE        G    47    6-13    13-15     2  17  19    4   5   1   5   25
M JARIC           G    42    4-12     3-4      0   1   1    3   5   0   4   12
S LIVINGSTON           18    0-6      1-2      1   1   2    1   4   1   2    1
M MOORE                18    1-1      0-0      1   1   2    0   2   0   1    2
R BRUNSON              10    0-1      0-0      0   0   0    5   1   1   0    0
Q ROSS                 20    1-3      0-0      1   1   2    1   3   0   1    2
M N'DIAYE             DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
Z REBRACA             DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
L CHALMERS            DNP  - COACH'S DECISION                                         
  
TOTALS                290   33-77    28-40    13  31  44   20  33   7  24   96
                            (.429)  (.700)  TEAM REBS: 18 TOTAL TO: 27 (30 PTS)    
  
   DETROIT            18   24   23   18    6   10   -   99
   LA CLIPPERS        21   22   16   24    6    7   -   96
  
BLOCKED SHOTS: DETROIT - R WALLACE 2, B WALLACE 2, C DELFINO.  LA CLIPPERS -
E BRAND 4, M MOORE, C WILCOX, S LIVINGSTON.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: DETROIT 3-13 (.231), R WALLACE 0-4, C BILLUPS 2-
6, C DELFINO 0-1, L HUNTER 1-2. LA CLIPPERS 2-9 (.222), B SIMMONS 1-
2, C MAGGETTE 0-3, M JARIC 1-3, R BRUNSON 0-1.
TECHNICAL FOULS: DETROIT - R WALLACE, C BILLUPS. LA CLIPPERS - C 
WILCOX.
FLAGRANT FOULS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: BLANE REICHELT, COURTNEY KIRKLAND, EDDIE F. RUSH.
A - 15,866. T - 3:08.

Game Story

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- Chauncey Billups capped a perfect night 
at the line with four free throws in the final 34 seconds as the
Detroit Pistons posted a 99-96 double-overtime triumph over the
Los Angeles Clippers.

Billups was part of a Detroit starting lineup that logged big
minutes in posting a fourth straight win over the Clippers. Each
of the starters played at least 42 minutes and, with a couple
of chances to let the game slip away, the defending world
champions responded.

Billups, who played 51 minutes, shook off the fatigue to score
nine of his 20 points in the two overtime sessions.  He erased a
96-95 deficit with two free throws with 34 seconds to go and
added two more shots from the line 25 seconds later.

"I'm always going to be there at the end of the game when they
need me," Billups said. "I'm going, more times than not going to
come up with something.  I'm going to knock them down."

With Detroit clinging to a 99-96 lead, Los Angeles got Corey
Maggette free for a 3-pointer on its final possession.  But
Maggette, who had 25 points and 19 rebounds, missed an
off-balance jumper and Billups ran down the loose ball as the
buzzer sounded.

"That is a veteran ballclub, the world champions, we have to
give them respect," Maggette said. "I think we played hard
enough to beat them."

"That's what the good teams in this league do," Pistons center
Ben Wallace said. "When you make things hard on you, when you
don't play the way you're capable of playing, and then you come
down to the wire.  You have to find a way to win ugly games.
That definitely wasn't our type of basketball out there but in
the end we found a way to pull it off.  I think that's the
experience we had last year."

Richard Hamilton added 20 points before fouling out and Wallace
chipped in 15 points and 14 rebounds as Detroit kicked off a
three-game road stretch in positive fashion.

Chris Wilcox had 24 points and Elton Brand 21 for the Clippers,
who were shooting for their first 3-1 start since 1991-92.

"On the one hand, I am really proud of the way the guys played,"
Los Angeles coach Mike Dunleavy said. "On the other hand, I am
disappointed at the way we gave the game away.  We had a really
good chance to beat this team."

"(The Clippers) are a very good young ballclub and they don't
give up," said Detroit coach Gar Heard, who continued to fill in
for Larry Brown. "I think they're going to win their share of
ballgames."

Detroit led 65-59 entering the fourth quarter and was ahead
79-72 with 3:24 to go in regulation.  Brand had a layup 17
seconds later to ignite an 8-0 run.  Wilcox had five points in
the spurt.

The Pistons took an 81-80 edge on a layup by Hamilton with 51
seconds remaining, but Maggette hit a fadeaway and Marco Jaric
had a free throw to push the Clippers edge to 83-81 with 12
seconds to go.

Hamilton then tied the game with a jumper with six seconds left
and Jaric missed a driving layup at the buzzer.

In the first overtime the game was deadlocked, 87-87, with 28
seconds to go.  Wilcox had a tip to give Los Angeles the lead
but Wallace had a layup seven seconds later.  Neither team could
come up with the clutch shot in the waning seconds, forcing a
second five-minute period.

Billups opened the second overtime with a 3-pointer but the
Clippers scored the next seven points.  Billups had two free
throws with 2:27 to go, igniting the game-ending 7-0 run,

"They are a well oiled machine," Dunleavy added. "They are real
good defensively.  They won the championship last year and they
were able to come back and win this game."

"We've got the heart of a champion," Billups said. "We never
give up, we never give up.  No matter how ugly we play, no
matter what, we never give up."