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INDIANAPOLIS -- Detroit beat Indiana at its own game Monday night. The Pistons were tougher inside, tougher on defence and tougher at fending off challenges. On a night the Eastern Conferences best team looked like anything but, Josh Smith scored 30 points and Greg Monroe had 13 points and 12 rebounds to help Detroit send Indiana to a 101-96 loss -- the Pacers first at home this season. "Its impressive the way we came in and competed with the way the Pacers have been playing," Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks said. "We have a good basketball team." Detroit (12-14) proved it with a nearly perfect game. The Pistons dominated on the glass with a 55-40 overall advantage and a 20-9 edge on offensive rebounds. They matched the Pacers shooting percentage of 43.2 per cent, had one more 3-pointer and nearly an identical shooting percentage on 3s (35.3 to 35.0), outscored Indiana 44-38 in the paint and 22-14 on second-chance points. For a Pacers team that prides itself on defence and rebounding, it wasnt even close to their best. Detroit also finished with nearly as many blocks (seven) as turnovers (eight) and made five of six free throws during the final minute to hold off Indianas last charge. The most surprising element was that Indiana never tied the score in the second half and never took the lead on its home floor, where it had gone 11-0 before Monday night. The loss leaves the Pacers (20-4) with the second-best record in the league, percentage points behind Portland (21-4). The Pistons knew that to end their six-game losing streak in this series and their nine-game losing streak at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, they needed to execute the game plan flawlessly. They did. "Were forming an identity ourselves," said Smith, who went 13 of 29 from the field after meeting with Cheeks about getting more opportunities. "That has to be being a physical team, try to dominate the paint." Indianas uncharacteristic certainly helped the cause. Paul George was 4 of 14 from the field, finishing with 17 points, nine rebounds and four turnovers. Roy Hibbert had six points and four rebounds. Even the energetic Lance Stephenson couldnt get his flustered teammates righted. Stephenson scored a career best 23 points and Luis Scola added a season high 18 points. What went wrong for the usually unflappable Pacers? George said the offensive rebounds got Indiana out of sync. Others wondered if the Pacers may have been looking past Detroit, which has won just two of their last six games, and ahead to Wednesday nights rematch with Miami. Indiana beat the two-time defending NBA champs on their home court 90-84 last week and have made no secret that theyre out to get the Eastern Conferences No. 1 seed. Indiana coach Frank Vogel quickly discounted that notion, calling Detroit a good team. "I dont think we were looking ahead at all," Vogel said. "Weve got to lick our wounds and see what we need to do better." Whatever the explanation, these Pacers didnt even resemble the team that set one franchise record with its perfect 9-0 start and another by opening the season 11-0 at home. Oklahoma City is the last unbeaten team at home this season. Detroit took charge quickly, using a 10-3 first quarter to take a 23-14 lead -- a lead it never relinquished. Even in the second half, when the Pacers typically dominate, the Pistons refused. Detroit scored the last eight points of the first half, turning a 49-49 tie into a 57-49 lead. Then Smith scored Detroits first eight points in the second half, and the surging Pistons took advantage of Indianas growing frustration by extending the lead to 72-61 on Brandon Jennings layup with 5:20 left in the third quarter. Jennings finished with 18 points and eight assists. Indiana rallied again, getting within 79-73 after three, but the Pistons answered with a 7-2 spurt that made it 89-79 with 7:01 to go. Scolas layup with 4:55 remaining ended an 8-0 run that got the Pacers as close as 89-87, but the Pistons ran off five straight points. Stephenson gave it one final push, hitting a 3 with 1:17 to go to cut Detroits lead to 96-94, but the Pistons closed it out at the free-throw line. "We had a lot of confidence coming in here tonight. We played Portland (Sunday) night in a game we should have won," Jennings said. "Tonight we knew were playing the best team in the Eastern Conference and we were able to give them their first home loss." NOTES: Indiana is the NBAs only team that has not been in a game decided by fewer than five points. ... Guard Chauncey Billups was inactive for the Pistons. ... Vogel said swingman Danny Granger is on track to return to the lineup Friday night against Houston. He has not played this season because of a strained left calf. ... Indiana fell to 10-3 when trailing at halftime. Bobby Clarke Jersey . Cain departed in the fourth inning of a 10-5 loss to the Pirates on Thursday. X-rays on Cains bruised forearm were negative. He was hit when Sanchez led off the fourth with a groundout. Dave Schultz Jersey .com) - Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki was named the National League Player of the Month for April. http://www.nhlflyersproauthentic.com/customized/. -- At the beginning of training camp, Andrew Bogut set a goal to play all 82 regular-season games and regain his place among the NBAs best centres. Bill Barber Jersey . At a news conference Tuesday where it was thought that the fiery Schallibaum may be shown the door after a dismal finish to the Major League Soccer season, team president Joey Saputo said no decision has been made on whether the Swiss Volcano will be back in 2014. Philadelphia Flyers Jerseys . They find themselves trying to knock each other out in the Western Conference finals for the second straight year. The Blackhawks prevailed last year on their way to the Stanley Cup, and they have the early lead this time after taking the opener, 3-1.Good games for Brassard, Tavares, Tokarski among others; lineup news, Fantasy tips and more in Scott Cullen’s Statistically Speaking. HEROES Derick Brassard – The Rangers’ centre scored the overtime winner and added an assist in a 4-3 win over the Red Wings. He’s second on the team with 11 points in 12 games and also has a 53.6% Corsi, his best since 2008-2009, despite – in the absence of Derek Stepan – starting fewer shifts in the offensive zone. Brassard Possession Stats YEAR CORSI% OZ START% 2007-08 54.4% 72.2% 2008-09 58.1% 64.1% 2009-10 48.4% 63.6% 2010-11 51.1% 60.5% 2011-12 47.4% 50.7% 2012-13 47.3% 47.2% 2013-14 53.5% 60.2% 2014-15 53.6% 51.7% John Tavares – The Islanders’ franchise player scored twice, including the overtime winner, in a 3-2 win at Anaheim. He’s tied for ninth in the league with 14 points in a dozen games and the Isles are getting 53.3% of the shot attempts during 5-on-5 play. Dustin Tokarski – The Canadiens’ backup might have expected an easier night in Buffalo, but ultimately he stopped 31 of 32 Sabres shots to earn the shootout win. ZEROES Cal Clutterbuck – The Islanders’ right winger was one of several Isles on the wrong end of the possession game, but allowing 30 shot attempts against (13 attempts for, 30.2%) in 14:53 at even strength, stood out for the wrong reason. Chris Kreider – Coming off a strong game, the Rangers’ left winger was on the wrong end of play (8 shot attempts for, 21 against, 27.6%) for much of the night against Detroit. He did have an assist, but didn’t register a shot on goal in 15:30 of ice time. Patrick Maroon – Left without Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry, Maroon struggled possession wise (13 for, 27 against, 32.5%) against the Islanders. It’s not altogether surprising going from the top line to spending most of his time on a line with Nate Thompson and Tim Jackman. SHORT SHIFTS Red Wings D Niklas Kronwall had outstanding possession stats (28 for, 7 against, 80.0%) in the loss at the Rangers …Red Wings D Jakub Kindl had a goal and an assist in a 4-3 loss at the Rangers…Rangers RW Martin St. Louis had a goal andd an assist in the win…Islanders RW Kyle Okposo had a goal and an assist, and 70.dddddddddddd.7% possession in a 3-2 overtime win at Anaheim…Canadiens LW Max Pacioretty had eight shots on goal and game-best possession (25 shot attempts for, 10 against, 71.4%) at Buffalo… Islanders LW Matt Martin had seven hits in 9:21 of ice time, but spent most of his night in the Islanders’ end of the rink (4 shot attempts for, 14 against, 22.2%)…Sabres G Michal Neuvirth stopped 31 of 32 Canadiens shots. LINEUP NEED TO KNOW The Ducks were missing both C Ryan Getzlaf and RW Corey Perry, as both had the flu. Ryan Kesler (21:27) and Andrew Cogliano (17:42) were the top ice time forwards for Anaheim. Canadiens RW Jiri Sekac returned to the lineup for Montreal’s win in Buffalo, after being a healthy scratch for four games, replacing Rene Bourque, who was a healthy scratch. Red Wings G Jonas Gustavsson suffered a dislocated shoulder, so Petr Mrazek is on his way from the AHL to back up Jimmy Howard. Rangers D Matt Hunwick recorded a couple of assists and played 21:40 – ranking third among New York blueliners – in the win over Detroit. FIRSTS Dan Cleary – The veteran winger played his first game of the season for the Red Wings, scored a goal and had solid possession stats (11 shot attempts for, 3 against, 78.6%), in the loss to the Rangers. Eric Boulton – The Islanders’ enforcer dressed for his first game of the year, playing 7:48 in Anaheim. FANTASY FOCUS A couple players active tonight that are worth keeping an eye on: Matt Read – It’s been a slow start for the Flyers’ winger, as he has just one goal in 12 games, but he’s also generated just 15 shots on goal, so some of that lack of production is justified. Nevertheless, with Michael Raffl out, there is room for someone to move up the Flyers’ depth chart and that could be an opportunity for Read to get on track. Nino Niederreiter – Already off to a decent start, with four goals and six points in 11 games, Niederreiter has only been playing 13:34 per game for the Wild. With Zach Parise sidelined by a concussion, though, there could be a few more minutes of ice time available. Much of the data included comes from www.war-on-ice.com, www.puckalytics.com, www.hockeystats.ca and www.naturalstattrick.com Scott Cullen can be reached at scott.cullen@bellmedia.ca ' ' '