No Game 2 letdown this time for Pistons
The Detroit Pistons figured out how to win a Game 2.
Tayshaun Prince scored 22 points and Chauncey Billups had 20 to lead Detroit to a 109-98 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night at Auburn Hills, Mich., and a 2-0 lead in their first-round series.
The two-time defending Eastern Conference champion Pistons had lost three straight Game 2s and four of their last five, dating to the 2004 NBA Finals.
Before that stretch, Detroit lost to Milwaukee two years ago in the second game of their first-round series en route to the championship.
Detroit appeared motivated from the start, a bad sign for the Bucks, and a 12-0 run midway through the second quarter gave the Pistons a cushion they maintained for the rest of the night.
Bucks star Michael Redd bounced back from an 11-point game with 29, but didn’t get much help in the first half as Milwaukee’s other starters each scored six or fewer points before halftime.
Game 3 is Saturday night in Milwaukee.
Richard Hamilton, who left Game 1 with a sprained left ankle, had 18 points and eight assists in 33 minutes.
Mavericks 94, Grizzlies 79: At Dallas, if Memphis keeps playing like this, it will never win a playoff game.
The Grizzlies went 16 straight possessions without a point and 10:47 between baskets over the middle two quarters, taking them out of what had been a close game and sending the Dallas Mavericks to a victory and a 2-0 lead in their first-round series.
Dirk Nowitzki scored 31 points to drop Memphis to 0-10 in its postseason history. The Grizzlies will head home for Game 3 on Saturday halfway to being swept for the third straight year.
Pau Gasol scored 10 points in the first quarter, but finished with 16. Bobby Jackson scored 12 and Eddie Jones scored 11.
Nowitzki matched his Game 1 scoring total. The only difference was he had 21 in the first half this time, two more than the opener.
Report: Nash wins MVP
Steve Nash will be named the NBA’s most valuable player for the second year in a row, The Arizona Republic reported.
The newspaper cited a league source familiar with the voting, but said the official announcement may not come for two weeks.
The NBA did not comment on the report, posted on the Republic’s Web site.
The Phoenix Suns playmaker would become the 10th player to win the award in consecutive seasons.
Nash had career highs in scoring (18.8 points), rebounding (4.2), field-goal percentage (.512) and free-throw percentage (a league-leading .921).