To commemorate their 50th year since relocating to Detroit, the game that gave the Pistons 50 wins for a seventh consecutive season was every bit a classic for the ages. Chauncey Billups scored nine points in overtime and Rasheed Wallace preserved the win with a highlight-reel blocked shot on Amare Stoudemire as the Pistons snapped Phoenix’s seven-game win streak with a 110-105 win to sweep the season series from the Suns. With Rip Hamilton unable to go after testing a hip that stiffened on him overnight before the game and Juan Dixon inactive with a calf injury, Arron Afflalo drew the start and did a sparkling defensive job on Steve Nash, Lindsey Hunter played his first game since Jan. 10 and Rodney Stuckey had something of a coming-out party with 13 points as he went the last 23 minutes without a rest. After consecutive lethargic losses to Cleveland and Washington, it was a feel-good win against the hottest team in the NBA.

Since Shaquille O’Neal has been in Miami, the Pistons’ game plan is to attack him on pick-and-roll plays and make him defend away from the basket. Phoenix did a good job of masking him for much of the game, making liberal use of a zone defense, but down the stretch Billups punished the Suns. He finished with 32 points in 45 minutes even though his perimeter shooting was off, going 1 for 7 from the 3-point line. Billups got inside Phoenix’s defense for a handful of layups and also got to the free-throw line enough to produce 15 points in 16 attempts. Stoudemire was equally effective at the other end, finishing with 33 points and going 15 of 16 at the line.

For a guy who’s played sparingly over the past month – the last time he was in double digits in minutes played was March 1 at the LA Clippers when Billups was out – Afflalo played admirably for a guy informed he was starting just minutes before tipoff. Afflalo played 21 minutes and gave the Pistons six points, four rebounds, three assists and a steal. His greatest contribution was dogging Nash, who finished strong with 23 points and nine assists but never really got the Suns into their offense at its most lethally effective.

Wallace made the defensive play of the game with about 35 seconds left and the Pistons ahead by four points. The Suns went to Stoudemire who spun to his right and pivoted into a turnaround jump shot from about 12 feet in front of the rim. But Wallace stayed with him as he went across the lane and was right there at the apex of Stoudemire’s leap to block the shot and corral the loose ball, effectively clinching the win. Wallace kept the Pistons in the game early, draining four 3-pointers in the first quarter, and finished with 23 points, nine boards and two blocks.

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