Billups wins but Pistons lose

Source: Agencies  |   2008-11-25  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

THE Detroit Pistons could have used Chauncey Billups - or any guard who could shoot straight.

While Billups was helping Denver win again, his old team turned in a miserable performance on Sunday in a 80-106 home loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Allen Iverson, traded to the Pistons in the deal that sent Billups to the Nuggets, was 3-of-11 for nine points. Richard Hamilton was 2-for-11 and scored seven. Top backcourt reserve Rodney Stuckey missed all five of his shots and finished with four points.

"My top three guards were 5-for-27, but they've played enough basketball that they know they can't get frustrated," Detroit coach Michael Curry said. "Add in Rasheed Wallace, and it is 8-for-37. You aren't going to win many games like that."

Billups had 21 points and eight assists in the Nuggets' 114-101 home victory over the Chicago Bulls. Denver closed the game on an 18-2 run and improved to 8-2 since the November 3 trade.

"I guess we're learning how to win in the fourth quarter," Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin said. "Probably last year and a couple of years ago, we would've let this one slip away probably, because we hadn't focused on defense and different things like that. We're growing as a team. This is a testament to the guys in this locker room."

In other National Basketball Association games, it was: Celtics 118, Raptors 103 76ers 89, Warriors 81 and Lakers 118, Kings 108.

In Denver, Martin scored a season-high 26 points for the Nuggets, while Carmelo Anthony had 21 points, 13 rebounds and a season-high eight assists. Nene also scored 21 points in Denver's fifth straight home victory.

Ben Gordon scored 28 points for the Bulls, hitting 5-of-7 three-pointers, and was 9-for-9 on free throws. Drew Gooden finished with 21 points as the Bulls lost for the ninth time in 10 visits to the Mile High City.

In Auburn Hills, Michigan, the Pistons lost their third in four games and fell to 4-5 since Iverson joined them.