76ers-Pistons Preview

By JEFF MEZYDLO
Posted Apr 26 2012 12:50AM

Despite a largely rough final two months of the season, the Philadelphia 76ers have played well down the stretch.

The visiting 76ers hope to build even more momentum heading into the playoffs with a fifth consecutive victory in Thursday night's regular-season finale against the Detroit Pistons.

Philadelphia (35-30) had a four-game lead in the Atlantic Division on Feb. 13, but is 15-21 since then and headed to the postseason as the seventh or eighth seed. The 76ers are tied with New York in the standings, but they are eighth in the Eastern Conference based on the Knicks owning the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Philadelphia can earn the seventh spot and a first-round matchup versus Miami with a win Thursday and a New York loss to lowly Charlotte. If the 76ers remain in eighth place, they will open the postseason in Chicago this weekend.

"The one thing I've learned is don't start jockeying," coach Doug Collins said. "Just win and play who you're supposed to play. Sometimes you can fool yourself and try to be too slick. We're going to try to win the game and then play whoever is in front of us."

Regardless of where they finish, the 76ers just want to continue to gain confidence. With Elton Brand, Andre Iguodala, Lou Williams and Thaddeus Young all given the night off, Evan Turner had a career-high 29 points with 13 rebounds and Jodie Meeks scored 27 as Philadelphia overcame 35.6 percent shooting to win its fourth in a row - all on the road.

"I'm proud of them," Collins said. "We have a competitiveness about us. Regardless of who plays, guys play to win."

It's uncertain if any of those players who sat out Wednesday will be in the lineup for the finale.

Meeks has averaged 15.0 points on 53.6 percent (15 of 28) shooting while the 76ers have won all three meetings with Detroit this season by an average margin of 24.3 points.

Set to miss the playoffs for a third consecutive season, Detroit (24-41) will try to win a second straight game at home, where it is 17-15.

Greg Monroe, who had 18 points and 12 rebounds in the Pistons' 103-97 loss at Indiana on Monday, has been one of the few bright spots while averaging team highs with 15.5 points and 9.7 boards. The second-year center has averaged 19.3 points in the three games versus Philadelphia this season.

This contest will almost certainly be the last for veteran center Ben Wallace, who said in February he'd retire at the end of the season. Wallace, who turns 38 in September, is a four-time All-Star and a four-time NBA defensive player of the year. He's played nine of his 16 seasons with the Pistons, including 2004 when they won their last NBA title.

"Ben can still contribute in a winning way," coach Lawrence Frank told the Pistons' official website. "I can't speak for him, but I would imagine you would want to keep your options open. What he decides to do, ultimately, is totally on him. The impact he's had on our team is well-documented."

Wallace has averaged 1.3 points and 4.2 rebounds while playing 15.8 minutes per game this season.

Gordon leads Pistons past 76ers in finale

Posted Apr 26 2012 11:41PM

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) Ben Gordon came into the Detroit Pistons' season finale with one goal in mind: He wanted to help his teammates send Ben Wallace off in style.

Gordon did that and more, hitting a franchise-record seven 3-pointers in the second quarter and finished with 26 points as the Pistons routed the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers 108-86 Thursday night.

"We wanted to go out there and honor Body, just in case this is his last game," Gordon said. "We were extra inspired and we went out there and hit our shots. It's going to be tough without him, because he is the epitome of the consummate professional."

The night was filled with tributes to Wallace, who announced his retirement earlier in the season.

"Ben Wallace has had an incredible career," Philadelphia coach Doug Collins said. "To be undrafted, but to come through with the career he's had, including bringing Detroit a championship, that's an amazing testimony to his work ethic. If this was his last game, it was an honor to be a part of it."

Wallace, who set an NBA record for games by an undrafted player, finished with seven points and a season-high 12 rebounds. He left the game late in the third quarter, but checked back in for the final 90 seconds as the crowd chanted "We Want Ben!"

"That was a crazy moment," he said, fighting back emotions. "Even in my heyday, it took a couple minutes for me to get warmed up, but the fans here have always supported me, and if they wanted me in the game, I was going into the game."

The four-time Defensive Player of the Year, though, left a crack in the door for a 17th season.

"Do I think it is time to retire? Yes, I do," he said. "But it is harder to walk away when so many people in the game are asking you to come back. I'm going to take some time and think about it."

Pistons coach Lawrence Frank has made it clear that he's not going to try to influence Wallace's decision, but he'd be happy to have him back in the fall.

"It hasn't just been an honor to coach him, it has been an honor to watch him every day," Frank said. "This is a man who was undrafted, originally projected as a 2-guard and made himself into one of the great defensive post players of all time. If this is the end, I'm glad he went out the way he did. He's a special player."

Philadelphia entered the game with a mathematical chance at the Eastern Conference's seventh seed, but didn't make much of an effort. Elton Brand, Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young and Lou Williams all sat out the game in order to rest for Saturday's postseason opener against Chicago.

"We're going to be playing a very, very tough team in Chicago," Collins said. "They are one of the best defensive teams in the NBA, and Derrick Rose, when healthy, is an incredible point guard."

Spencer Hawes led the 76ers with 16, while Jodie Meeks had 15.

"Tonight was about trying to get the guys who were playing into a comfort zone and to tune some things up," Hawes said. "Coach has done a good job of managing our players all season, and we trusted him with his decisions tonight."

The Pistons already held a comfortable 26-15 lead after the first quarter, but blew the game open in the second. Detroit tied an NBA record with 11 3-pointers in the quarter, including a franchise-record seven from Gordon, and led 65-43 at the intermission.

Gordon hit another long jumper at the end of the third period - his first 2-point shot of the game - to give the Pistons a 86-66 advantage heading into the final 12 minutes.

"I'm proud of our guys for the way they played tonight, and I'm proud that we played .500 ball after a 4-20 start," Franks said. "A lot of times, these last games turn into something like And-1 ball, but we went out and did our jobs."

NOTES: Wallace finished with 529 double-rebound games. He is the Pistons' career blocks leader, second in steals and third in rebounds. ... All of the Pistons players wore Wallace's trademark blue headband. ... Brand, Iguodala and Young arrived at the arena just before game time. They didn't make the trip to Milwaukee for Wednesday's game, but joined the team in Detroit. Philadelphia coach Doug Collins said before the game it was too risky leaving the trio at home, since the 76ers didn't know if they would open the playoffs in Chicago or Miami.

Notebook: Pistons 108, Sixers 86

Posted Friday April 27, 2012 12:10AM

By Dana Gauruder, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Guard Ben Gordon scored 26 points, including eight 3-pointers, as the Detroit Pistons rolled to a season-ending 108-86 victory over the playoff-bound Philadelphia 76ers on Thursday night. Center Ben Wallace, playing in perhaps the final game of his 16-year NBA career, added seven points and 12 rebounds. Center Spencer Hawes led Philadelphia, which saw its four-game winning streak snapped, with 16 points and seven rebounds. Philadelphia, the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, will play top-seeded Chicago in the opening round, beginning Saturday. Philadelphia sat five regulars -- forwards Andre Iguodala, Thaddeus Young and Elton Brand and guards Jrue Holiday and Louis Williams.

QUOTABLE: "It's one of those things I've got to think about a little bit. It's tough to walk away from the game when you've got so many people who keep asking you to come back. Do I think it's time for me to retire? Yeah. But people are asking me to come back, so obviously they see something in me that I really don't see in myself right now. But we all feel good to be wanted."
-- Wallace on his retirement plans.

THE STAT: 11. The Pistons tied an NBA record for most 3-pointers in a quarter with 11 in the second. Gordon made seven during the flurry while forward Charlie Villanueva had three and forward Jonas Jerebko added one. Cleveland made 11 3-pointers in a quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers on Jan. 31, 2010 and Milwaukee established the mark of 11 in a quarter against Phoenix on March 28, 2006.

TURNING POINT: Even before the second-quarter outburst, the :Pistons took control by finishing the first quarter on a 17-6 run. Center Greg Monroe scored six of his eight points during that stretch.

QUOTABLE II: "I feel we're a better team now than we were when we were 20-9. Navigating through the ups and downs of the season, the highs and lows, the injuries, the five-game losing streak, all the stuff we had to go through, I think we are better for it on the other side. I was really pleased the way our guys ended the year."
-- Philadelphia coach Doug Collins on his team's play entering the postseason. The Sixers started the season 20-9 but finished 35-31.

HOT: Gordon tied his own NBA record this season by going 9-for-9 on 3-pointers during a 45-point performance in Denver. For awhile, it looked like he might surpass that. He made all seven of his attempts in the second quarter before going 1-for-3 from long range in the fourth quarter. He ended the season at 42.9 percent on 3-point tries.

NOT: Sixers guard Evan Turner needed to carry the offense with so many of his teammates sitting out. But Turner could only deliver 10 points in 32 minutes while making four turnovers.

ROOKIE WATCH: Pistons guard Brandon Knight had six points and seven assists to complete an impressive first season. Knight finished with a 12.8 point average, third-best on the team. His 3.8 assist average tied for the team lead.

NOTABLE: The Pistons finished 25-41, their fourth straight losing season, but went .500 after a 4-20 start. ... Detroit players wore blue headbands to honor Wallace. ... Forward Craig Brackings had 10 points and six rebounds in his first career start for Philadelphia. ... The Sixers lost to Miami in the opening round last season, 4-1.

UP NEXT: For the Sixers, Eastern Conference Playoffs -- Saturday @ Chicago at 1 p.m. ET. For the Pistons, end of season.

• 76ers: Brand
• Pistons: Russell

• 76ers: --
• Pistons: --

• Lead Changes: 2
• Times Tied: 1

• Arena: Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, MI
• Officials: #9 Derrick Stafford, #70 Brent Barnaky, #75 Eric Dalen
• Attendance: 15372
• Duration: 1:57