2-14 San Antonio 90 Detroit 81

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San Antonio 90 Detroit 81

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The Detroit Pistons and San Antonio Spurs are perennial NBA title contenders,
but only one has played like it in the last few games.

The Pistons try to match their longest winning streak of the season when they host the Spurs in the final contest for both teams before the All-Star break.

Detroit (32-18) is holding opponents to 85.6 points per game during its current run of seven consecutive wins. On Monday, the Eastern Conference-leading Pistons allowed their lowest opponent field goal percentage of the season, holding the Los Angeles Clippers to 32.4 percent shooting en route to a 92-74 victory.

NBA.com Perennial NBA Title Contenders Clash; Spurs Visit Pistons

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AUBURN HILLS, Mich.(AP) Tim Duncan scored 23 points and Francisco Elson added 12 points and a career-high 18 rebounds as the San Antonio Spurs beat Detroit 90-81 Wednesday night, snapping the Pistons' seven-game winning streak.

The Spurs were playing the finale of an eight-game road trip, but looked like the fresher team as they won at the Palace for the first time since Game 5 of the 2005 NBA finals.

The Pistons were playing their fifth straight game at home, but struggled at both ends of the floor in their first loss of the month.

NBA.com Spurs’ Stifling Defense Too Much for Pistons

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The NBA All-Star break seemed to be coming at an inconvenient time for the Pistons. They had won seven straight entering Wednesday's home game against San Antonio, and as coach Flip Saunders said, "When you're playing pretty well, you'd rather not stop."

Then came a lethargic 90-81 loss to the Spurs in which the Pistons seemed distracted for the first 30 minutes.

Break timely; tough month ahead

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In the third quarter Wednesday, Richard Hamilton missed a lay-up he has made probably tens of thousands of times.

And when the rebound hung in the perfect spot for Tayshaun Prince to surely slam in home, the ball slipped through his hands.

The Pistons couldn't make easy shots -- let alone hard shots, contested shots, rushed shots or anything with a degree of difficulty. So the road-weary San Antonio Spurs took it to them with a 90-81 victory at the Palace, ending the Pistons' seven-game win streak.

Pistons lack fundamentals, end seven-game win streak

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Photo Gallery - Spurs 90, Pistons 81

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Pistons center Nazr Mohammed, a veteran of five NBA teams, is no stranger to facing his former teams.

But even he wasn't sure what it would be like Wednesday to face the team he won a title with in 2005 -- a Spurs team stocked with guys he still considers friends.

And that's not the only catch this time.

"It's very different," said Mohammed, who did not leave the bench in the Pistons' 90-81 loss.

Mohammed sits vs. Spurs, mum on PT

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AUBURN HILLS -- Getaway day got away from the Pistons on Wednesday night.

"As a coach, you always worry about the last game before the (All-Star) break," coach Flip Saunders said after the San Antonio Spurs snapped the Pistons' seven-game winning streak, 90-81, at The Palace. "A lot of guys are planning to leave and you worry about being mentally sharp. …We made mental mistakes all over the place."

Pistons break down

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Sports Photo Gallery - Spurs kick the Pistons, 90-81 - The Detroit News Online

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AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Tim Duncan and Tony Parker showed off their All-Star skills early.

The pair combined for 39 points in their last game before heading to Las Vegas for the All-Star Game on Sunday. Manu Ginobili added 20 points to help the Spurs end their longest road trip of the season on a roll.

After defeating the Jason Kidd-less Nets on Tuesday, the Spurs stopped the Pistons' seven-game winning streak with a 90-81 victory Wednesday.

MySA.com: MySanAntonio.com: Spurs