Pistons Stay Out West
After reaching the playoffs for the first time in 13 seasons last spring, the Golden State Warriors are off to a rough start this fall.
They’ll be trying once again for their first win when they host the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night.
Oddsmakers from Bodog have made Detroit -2.5 point spread favorites (NBA Odds) for todays game, the over/under has been set at 207 total points (Matchup). Our public betting information shows that 78% of bets for this game have been placed on Detroit -2.5 (View NBA Bet Percentages).
Golden State, Minnesota and Seattle are league’s only winless teams, and are off to their first 0-5 start since losing six straight to start the 2004-05 season. The Warriors went 34-48, the 11th of 12 straight seasons in which they finished with a losing record.
As the eighth seed, Golden State upset Dallas in seven games before losing to Utah in five in the second round. The Warriors then traded away Jason Richardson, who averaged 16.0 points per game last season, on draft day to Charlotte.
They’ve also been without Stephen Jackson, who was suspended for the first seven games after pleading guilty to a felony charge of criminal recklessness.
Still, Baron Davis is positive Golden State can turn things around.
"I wouldn’t count us out," said Davis, who leads the Warriors with an average of 24.8 points per game. "This team is capable of winning 10 games in a row. We have to lock in, get Jack back and we’re going to be good."
In Thursday’s 120-115 loss to Dallas, the Warriors also were without forward Mickael Pietrus, who stayed home with the flu, and point guard Troy Hudson, who missed the last three games with an inflamed hip and is day-to-day.
Davis scored a game-high 37 points, but missed a tying 3-pointer in the waning seconds as Golden State lost to Dallas in the regular season for the first time in five games. The oft-injured Davis also took a hard fall and has been nursing swelling in his right knee, but said he would be able to play a full game against the Pistons.
Kelenna Azubuike had 27 points and a career-high 11 rebounds for the Warriors, who will be up against another team they had some success against last season. Golden State won both of its games against Detroit in 2006-07, outscoring the Pistons (5-2) by an average of 25 points to snap a five-game skid against them.
The Warriors’ 111-93 win on March 5 in Detroit started a 16-5 run that got them the final spot in the playoffs.
The Pistons lost for the first time in three games on Tuesday, falling 102-94 at Portland. Tayshaun Prince scored a team-high 20 and Chauncey Billups added 19 for Detroit, which has played five of its first seven games on the road and is playing the third game on a five-game trip.
Billups, who is averaging 17.7 points per game, collided with Blazers center Channing Frye in the third quarter and suffered a right hip flexor injury, but remained in the game.
"It’s hurting. I’m banged up but hopefully I’ll be all right. I think it was a knee or an elbow," said Billups, who’s averaging only 14.3 points in 13 career games at Golden State.
Forward Antonio McDyess also re-aggravated a left shoulder sprain during the game, the team said. McDyess is averaging just 9.1 points.
By: Marc Young – theSpread.com – Email Us
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