Pistons End Suns' Win Streak Over East

[February 25, 2008]  PHOENIX (AP) -- Rasheed Wallace scored 22 points in 26 minutes to lead six Detroit players in double figures, and the Pistons embarrassed Shaquille O'Neal and the Phoenix Suns 116-86 Sunday.

Richard Hamilton had 18 points and Chauncey Billups 14 points and 11 assists, and Antonio McDyess 12 points and 13 rebounds. Jarvis Hayes added a season-high 18 as Detroit easily ended the Suns' 11-game winning streak against Eastern Conference foes. Phoenix lost to a team from the East for only the third time in 25 tries this season.

The Pistons, opening a four-game road trip, built an 18-point halftime lead, then blew open a 36-point advantage in the third quarter, the Suns' biggest deficit of the season.

The most one-sided loss of the season left the Suns 1-2 since O'Neal started playing for Phoenix on Wednesday. O'Neal, who turns 36 in two weeks, had seven points and 11 rebounds in 34 minutes and was 1-for-8 from the foul line.

Amare Stoudemire scored 31 for Phoenix. Leandro Barbosa added 18. Steve Nash was the only other Suns player in double figures with 11 points and just six assists.

Detroit dominated from the start, using a 7-0 spurt to go up 25-14 on Hamilton's 14-footer with 1:20 left in the first quarter. Phoenix shot 29 percent in the first quarter.

Hayes' 10-footer put the Pistons ahead 39-22 with 8:49 left in the half.

The Suns climbed back into it briefly with an 11-2 run to get within 45-39 on Stoudemire's 17-footer with 3:55 left in the half. But with O'Neal back in the Phoenix lineup, Detroit scored the last 12 points of the half to go up 59-41 at the break.

It got much worse for the home team after that. Hamilton's 22-footer capped a 25-6 outburst that buried the Suns 90-54 amid boos from the home crowd with 56 seconds left in the third.

Notes: Phoenix's previous worst loss was 22 points, 108-86 at Utah on Jan. 10. ... The Pistons' most one-sided victory of the season was 114-69 over Milwaukee on Dec. 31. ... Coach Flip Saunders mercifully pulled his starters with 8:27 left and his team leading 102-70. ... The Suns lost to a Central Division team for the first time in nine tries this season.

[Associated Press; By BOB BAUM]

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