Detroit Pistons Fight Through Injuries to Quiet Seven-Game Winning Streak

A week into the new year, the Pistons are in the middle of a seven-game winning streak despite being plagued by injuries.

After losing their first six Sunday games this season, the Pistons managed to squeeze out a win last Sunday in L.A. giving them their seventh straight win. The win kicked off their latest four-game West Coast trip that continues tonight in Portland.

Rodney Stuckey, Tayshaun Prince and Allen Iverson have continued their stellar play including a 38-point game from Stuckey that earned him NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors.

The bench has also stepped up in the face of injuries.

Richard Hamilton has been out for five games with an injured groin and doesn't look to be back anytime soon.

Rasheed Wallace has been out for two games with a sore foot, and Antonio McDyess was out for a couple of games with thigh and rib injuries but made his return in Sunday's game against the Clippers.

Despite the losses, the team has found a way to continue winning.

Pistons 90, Thunder 88

It was the Iverson show at the Palace the day after Christmas.

Fans have been clamoring to see a true Iverson finish and after finding themselves with a slight lead over the league's last-place Oklahoma Thunder, the Pistons turned to him to close the game out.

The move was surprising, since Iverson was nursing his own groin injury and had been a non-factor early in the game. Living up to his "The Answer" nickname Iverson pushed through his injuries in the fourth quarter and found his shot, scoring 12 of the Pistons first 14 points.

He made the winning shot with three-tenths of a second seconds left.

In the double overtime loss to Utah, Iverson was widely criticized for passing up the game's final shot to Rodney Stuckey, who missed his shot. This time around the lively Palace crowd got what they wanted.

Pistons 87, Bucks 76

The Pistons started out slow in Milwaukee, missing their first four shots, but their stellar defense kept them in the game. They entered the fourth quarter with an 18-point lead.

Iverson continued to play strong and Amir Johnson played a solid 35 minutes with 8 points and 11 rebounds.

This was the Pistons' first game without Hamilton.

Pistons 88, Magic 82

The Pistons trampled Orlando in what should have been the toughest game during this stretch of the season. The Pistons' defense neutralized Magic star Dwight Howard, who did not have a field goal in the first half.

McDyess took a rough shot to the ribs but had his best game of the season, finishing with 8 points and 11 rebounds.

Pistons 83, Nets 75

The Pistons closed out the New Year with a win against New Jersey without Hamilton and McDyess.

By the middle of the second quarter Wallace had to leave the game because of his sore foot and Jersey star Vince Carter was ejected after arguing with referee Danny Stafford.

The Pistons bench compensated for Wallace's departure with Arron Afflalo and Kwame Brown stepping up.

Pistons 98, Kings 92

Still missing three of their key players, the Pistons managed to lead Sacramento the entire game.

Only 10 days after his 40-point game, Stuckey put up another 38 in front of the most raucous crowd the Palace has seen this season.

As the crowd chanted his name, he missed his final final shot that could have given him another 40 but it didn't matter because in the eyes of the fans he had truly arrived. Tuesday, he was named Player of the Week, and his name is already being thrown around for All-Star consideration.

Pistons 88, Clippers 87

The Sunday curse almost struck again in the final moments of the Pistons game against the Clippers. Iverson's final shot didn't go in but the refs felt it was on it's way calling a goaltend against L.A.'s Al Thornton.

Call it luck, call it divine intervention or call it good timing on Iverson's part but whatever it was it not only broke the curse but gave the Piston's their seventh straight.