Beating the Mavericks at home is one thing. So is beating the Pistons at home. But to beat Detroit on the road, like the Nets did Sunday 79-74, proves something more. It proves not only that they can prove dangerous in the upcoming playoffs, but that they're peaking at the right time. New Jersey has won eight straight and has split the season series with Detriot 2-2. Sunday's win came with stingy defense and a slow-it-down approach.
Detroit's biggest scorers never found a groove against the Nets, and all the credit goes to the defense. Chauncey Billups, Rasheed Wallace and company found theselves lost. Richard Hamilton scored 19 points, but he needed 29 field goal attempts to do it. These Pistons aren't the same team they were last year; their head coach Flip Saunders has emphasized offense more. That the Nets found it possible to take the Pistons out of their element bodes well for the future. Gothamist was most impressed that this game was on the road. Not only has New Jersey struggled away from the Meadowlands, but Detroit had lost only two games before at home, both in overtime. If the Nets can slow down their next opponent on Monday, that might even prove more startling. The high-flying Suns visit.
