The "Dark Knight" Rises: A Detroit Pistons Dynasty (NBA 2k11)

[Truthseeker83]

Miami Strikes Back
Heat Edge Pistons 99-95



F Darius Knight watches in disgust as the hated Heat jog away with the win.



Feb. 2, 2014 - When the Detroit Pistons face the Miami Heat, two things are known about the matchup in advance. First, it will be a physical, intense game. And second, the game won't be decided until the final seconds.

Both of those assumptions proved correct yet again on Sunday night when the Heat edged out the Pistons 99-94 and moved to within two and a half games of the East's number one seed.

All-Star Darius Knight did his best to once again will his team to victory over the hated Heat, dropping 38 points, including a pair of 3 pointers in the last ten seconds drawing the Pistons to within 2 with .5 seconds remaining. But Dwyane Wade calmly knocked down a pair of free throws and sealed the win for Miami.

F Andrea Bargnani made a solid contribution with 20 points and 4 rebounds, while second year center Marcus Buchanan had a fine showing with 14 points, 7 boards, 3 assists and 3 steals.

For the Heat, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade contributed 25 and 21 points respectively, while Chris Bosh contributed 8 points and 8 rebounds.

"This is always an intense game," said Darius Knight at his locker after the game, visibly upset with the outcome. "You know you're gonna be in a battle when the Heat come to town. But it doesn't make losing to them any easier. We have to find a way to pull out these games....," he said while his staring at the wall, his voice trailing off.

These Pistons genuinely dislike the defending champion Heat, a hatred borne out of last season's disappointing series loss in the Eastern Conference Finals, and it shows.

"This one's hard to swallow," said guard Andre Iguodala. "But it's just one regular season game, and we'll see these guys one more time before the playoffs."

The season series stands at 2-1 between the two clubs.

Up Next: The Pistons take on the Philadelphia 76ers at the Palace on Tuesday night. Tip-off is at 7:30pm.

Be sure to check pistonpower.com daily for all the latest news and analysis on your Detroit Pistons!

Miami Heat (33-15) @ Detroit Pistons (36-13)

Feb 1, 2014 1 2 3 4 OT Final Heat 23 23 27 26 - 99 Pistons 20 27 23 25 - 95 Top Performers Miami Heat F LeBron James - 25 pts (11-18 fg, 0-2 3pt, 3-3 ft), 7 reb, 3 ast, 2 stl G Dwyane Wade - 21 pts (7-13 fg, 1-5 3pt, 6-7 ft), 6 reb, 5 ast, 1 stl Detroit Pistons F Darius Knight - 38 pts (15-29 fg, 6-11 fg, 2-2 ft), 6 reb, 6 ast, 2 blk, 1 stl F Andrea Bargnani - 20 pts (8-16 fg, 4-8 3pt), 4 reb, 2 ast, 2 stl

Team Stats Comparison MIA DET FG Made-Att 40-68 40-74 3PT Made-Att 5-12 13-31 FT Made-Att 14-18 2-2 Rebounds 38 29 Assists 21 19 Turnovers 11 9 Steals 9 10 Blocks 0 2 Fast Break Points 10 2

[Houndy]

94 and he's only 23? Damn, this kid has a future

[bichettehappens]

Knight is an animal! What are his current stat averages?

I kind of glossed over this for the time being but will have to read it more in detail later, but you've done a great job I love how in-depth everything is. Also like the idea of revisiting the Knight draft. Keep up the good work!

[Truthseeker83]

Quote: Originally Posted by bichettehappens

Knight is an animal! What are his current stat averages? I kind of glossed over this for the time being but will have to read it more in detail later, but you've done a great job I love how in-depth everything is. Also like the idea of revisiting the Knight draft. Keep up the good work!

Through 50 games this season, he's averaging 31.7 points on 55% shooting including 50% from 3, 6.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game.

[Truthseeker83]

Quote: Originally Posted by Houndy

94 and he's only 23? Damn, this kid has a future

yeah, he was drafted with a rating of 78, and he's up to 94 in only his third season. i mean i've done some monthly development stuff, but alot of it he's just improved from year to year progression.

I plan on using development points in the offseason to make him a little bigger....about ten pounds or so (which would put him at around 230) to make him stronger on the post.

*he's also got a high clutch rating.....which was a nice surprise after i drafted him!

[Truthseeker83]

Pistons Outrun Bulls
Knight Leads Pistons to 104-100 Win Over Chicago


Darius Knight was electrifying on Wednesday against Chicago.



Feb. 5, 2014 - Wednesday's Pistons/Bulls matchup featured two of the league's top talents in Chicago's Derrick Rose and Detroit's Darius Knight. As the dust settled, Knight and the Pistons emerged the victors in a 104-100 hard-fought battle.

Knight was simply a joy to watch, putting up 46 points (on only 23 shot attempts), 11 assists, and 6 rebounds. His entire offensive game was on display on Wednesday night. He knocked down 3's with ease, sunk mid-range jumpers, operated on the post, hit open teammates with well-timed passes, and slashed to the rim at will as he engineered a series of breathtaking dunks.

Trailing by ten points after 3 quarters of action, Bulls guard Derrick Rose did his best to bring his team back with 27 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, but it simply wasn't enough to overcome the Pistons.

Forward Andrea Bargnani contributed 23 points and 7 rebounds for the Pistons, and point man Jrue Holiday knocked in 11 points while shooting 3 of 5 from beyond the arc.

Up Next: The Pistons will have the next two days off before taking on the Dallas Mavericks at home on Saturday night. Tip-off is at 7:30, but be sure to be there early as it is Andre Iguodala bobble head night at the Palace.

And be sure to stay locked in to pistonpower.com for all your Pistons news and analysis.

Detroit Pistons (38-13) @ Chicago Bulls (31-19)

Feb 5, 2014 1 2 3 4 OT Final Pistons 30 24 27 23 - 104 Bulls 28 23 20 29 - 100 Top Performers Detroit Pistons F Darius Knight - 46 pts (19-23 fg, 5-6 3pt, 3-3 ft), 11 ast, 6 reb, 1 stl, 1 blk F Andrea Bargnani - 23 pts (9-12 fg, 2-2 3pt, 3-3 ft), 7 reb, 1 blk Chicago Bulls G Derrick Rose - 27 pts (10-18 fg, 4-9 3pt, 3-4 ft), 5 reb, 4 ast, 2 stl F Luol Deng - 22 pts (9-18 fg, 3-6 3pt, 1-1 ft), 4 reb, 1 ast, 1 stl

Team Stats Comparison DET CHI FG Made-Att 42-70 41-72 3PT Made-Att 13-26 8-19 FT Made-Att 7-7 10-17 Rebounds 24 25 Assists 17 24 Turnovers 9 4 Steals 4 9 Blocks 7 2 Fast Break Points 10 2

[Truthseeker83]

Around The NBA
Feb. 9, 2014

Injury News:

1. The Golden State Warriors, current owners of the West's best record, received some bad news today when starting center Andris Biedrins was diagnosed with bone spurs. He'll likely miss 4-6 weeks, and the Warriors will definitely miss his presence in the middle. Look for them to possibly make a deal before the trade deadline, which is less than two weeks away.

2. Mavericks F Dirk Nowitzki suffered a broken foot and will be sidelined 6-8 weeks. This all but spells the end for the Mavericks' 2013-14 playoff hopes.

Transaction Report:

-The Oklahoma City Thunder, who have dropped 7 of their last 10 games, made a move to try and get more production from the 2 spot, trading Daequan Cook and a '15 2nd round pick to Milwaukee for G Stephen Jackson.

[Truthseeker83]

Breaking News:
Darius Knight Earns 5th POTW Award


Pistons F Darius Knight



Feb. 9, 2014 - Darius Knight was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week award this morning for the week of Feb. 2-8.

Knight led the Pistons to a 3-1 record for the week, earning big wins against Philadelphia, Chicago, and Dallas. The lone defeat occurred against the Miami Heat on February 2nd. He averaged 33.5 points, 7 rebounds, and 5.8 assists for the week.

Phoenix Suns guard Jonny Flynn earned Player of the Week in the Western Conference over the same period.