DET-NJ: Pistons Clinch Playoff Spot

Friday night the Pistons clinched a NBA playoff spot with a 100-93 win over the New Jersey Nets.  The win came after beating the New York Knicks by 27 points in their largest victory of the season on Wednesday.  Friday's win solidified the eighth straight playoff appearance for Detroit.

The Pistons started out strong against the Nets and led the entire game.  The Pistons starters shot 70 percent in the first quarter and the bench kicked in 27 points in the second.  Reserve Will Bynum scored 11 points in the second and ended up with a team-high 20 points for the game. 

The Pistons outscored the Nets shooting 61 percent compared to Jersey's 36 percent.   Detroit out rebounded them 24-13 and took a 54-38 lead into halftime.

The second half was mostly in the Pistons' favor.  They were still up by 10 at the end of the third quarter but the Nets staged a comeback at the end of the fourth, bringing the score to 96-91 in the final minute.  However, Pistons' guard Richard Hamilton drained a three pointer to take the win.

The Pistons had two losses against the Nets this season mostly due to the strong play of Jersey guard Devin Harris.  Detroit had better luck on Friday as they limited Harris to one point and one assist.  He ended up leaving the game in the third due to a sore shoulder.

The game was unique in that much of the fourth quarter was played with six of the 10 players on the floor being in their first or second year in the league.

The Pistons have now won three in a row and are sitting in the final playoff spot.  They have three games left and need two wins to finish with a .500 record.  Monday's game against Chicago will be pivotal in deciding which playoff spot they will end up in.