 |
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE |  |
Detroit snaps losing streak in Orlando Hill pours in season-high 42 as Pistons knock off Magic
Posted: Tuesday January 04, 2000 02:05 AM
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Orlando Magic coach Doc Rivers knows the secret to Grant Hill's success. "Before the jump shot, it's called the summer," Rivers said. "Grant Hill has worked over the summer to make himself a better basketball player. He's one of the top five players in the league and he's still working on his game. That says a lot about Grant Hill." Hill scored a season-high 42 points as the Detroit Pistons snapped a 13-game losing streak at Orlando with a 118-106 victory Monday night. Hill scored nine of his team's first 13 points and never slowed down. He had a complete game, adding seven rebounds and eight assists. But Hill doesn't consider it anything extraordinary. "It was all right. I took a lot of shots so that kind of negates it a little bit," said Hill, who made 17 of 30 shots. "I thought I had a better performance against Denver [Dec. 1, 39 points]. It felt better." Instead, Hill was more pleased that Detroit snapped a 13-game losing streak to the Magic in Orlando. The Magic lead the all-time series 13-7 in Orlando. Hill said the losing streak served as plenty of motivation.
"I think we all were aware of [the streak]," Hill said. "None of us as a Piston has won in this building. We wanted to come out and match their intensity and we did." The Magic shot 50.6 percent from the field, but struggled with 27 turnovers. Detroit, which shot 45.5 percent, scored 37 points off Magic miscues. Hill, whose previous season high was 41 against Miami in the season opener, was helped by Lindsey Hunter with 25 points and Jerry Stackhouse with 19. Orlando was led by reserves Chris Gatling with 26 points and 11 rebounds and Corey Maggette with 20 and eight. Only one Orlando starter, Tariq Abdul-Wahad, scored in double figures with 11. "We beat a good team tonight even though they are about .500," Christian Laettner said. "They are very talented. You have to be ready, especially after you've been beaten twice by them already. We had something to prove and we came out and played very well." Detroit shot 58 percent in the third quarter to pull ahead 91-74. The Pistons led by as many as 21 in the quarter, 89-68. Detroit held a 17-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but Orlando went on a 10-0 run and cut its lead to 93-86 on a jumper by Chucky Atkins with 8:50 remaining. Orlando would only get within seven again, 105-98, the remainder of the game. Hill scored 24 first-half points as Detroit led 57-47 at the break. The Pistons led 55-38 with 4:43 remaining before Orlando finished on a 9-2 run. Notes: Detroit leads the all-time series with Orlando 21-20. ... Hunter had a career-high seven steals. ... The Pistons had 32 fastbreak points to 13 for the Magic. ... Laettner had a season-high 14 rebounds. ... Gatling recorded his sixth double-double of the season. ... The Magic committed a season-high 19 first-half turnovers with 12 coming in the first quarter.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
