Pistons Blow the Clippers’ Doors Off, 119-99 : Detroit Ends a Four-Game Losing Streak and Spoils Chaney’s 40th Birthday

It was Motown night when the Clippers played the Detroit Pistons Saturday night at the Sports Arena.

Pop star Stevie Wonder and Berry Gordy, chairman of the board of Motown records, were in the crowd of 9,339.

And, fittingly, the Pistons, Motown’s basketball team, blew out the Clippers, 119-99, to end a four-game losing streak.

Kelly Tripucka scored 27 points, including 17 in the second half, and guard Isiah Thomas, playing with a sore left hamstring, added 24 points and had 15 assists.

“This gives us a little bit of confidence and gets the monkey off our back,” Tripucka said after the Pistons ended their skid.

Don Chaney the Clippers’ head coach, turned 40 on Saturday, but he didn’t have much to celebrate as his team lost its second straight game. The Clippers have dropped four of their last five games.

A reporter wished Chaney happy birthday after the game.

“A great way to celebrate it,” Chaney joked. “After tonight I’m not sure if instead of my 40th, it should be my 50th.

“Tonight we could never get it going. This team has not really responded in back-to-back games. We never got ourselves into the game.”

With 10 games left in the regular season, the Clippers are 5 1/2 games away from the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

“Playoffs or not, I want to finish strong,” Chaney said.

Said Cedric Maxwell: “I think a true test of a player’s professionalism is in these tough situations. We didn’t show professionalism tonight. We were a long ways away from that.”

The Clippers, who lost to Denver, 115-104, Friday night, looked sluggish at the start of the game, shooting just 39.3% from the field (11 for 28) in the first quarter.

They finished the night hitting 44.2% from the field, making 38 of 86 shots.

Guard Norm Nixon made just 3 of 15 shots, and Marques Johnson was 5 for 12 from the field.

“We just shot the ball terribly. We had poor shot selection, and it hurt us,” said center Benoit Benjamin, who led the Clippers with 19 points, 10 rebounds and 4 blocked shots. “We should never lose by more than 20 points at home.

“Detroit shot the ball extremely well and we just didn’t play well.”

The Clippers held a short team meeting after the game.

But not all of the players attended. Benjamin and Kurt Nimphius were in the shower during the meeting.

Detroit had lost the first four games of a six-game trip, shooting 42.9% in the four games.

But the Pistons broke out of their slump, hitting 55 of 99 shots (55.6%) against the Clippers.

“The shots you get are evident of good defense,” Thomas said. “I think the whole team played really well. It was an enjoyable game for us to play.

“Before (during the losing streak) we hadn’t played two good halves defensively in a row. But tonight we played two good halves defensively.”

Said Piston Coach Chuck Daly: “That’s the hardest we’ve worked defensively. I thought our defense got contagious. I’m really enthused about it.”

Piston forward Kent Benson was scratched from the game with back spasms. Benson scored a season-low six points in Detroit’s 105-103 loss to Phoenix Friday night.

Earl Cureton started in place of Benson and finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds. The Pistons outrebounded the Clippers, 45-42.

Vinnie Johnson came off the bench to scored 20 points. He also had five assists. Bill Laimbeer added 15 points and 7 rebounds.

Detroit led, 31-26, at the end of the first quarter as Tripucka scored 10 points. Laimbeer added 7 points and Thomas 6.

The Clippers shot just 39.3% from the field in the first quarter, hitting 11 of 28 shots.

Detroit hit 14 of 22 shots in the first quarter (.636).

The Clippers outscored the Pistons, 10-4, at the start of the second quarter to take a 36-35 lead with 7:41 left on a layin by Franklin Edwards. Edwards, who finished with 13 points, scored 6 points during the spurt, hitting 3 of 4 shots.

The Pistons were cold at the start of the second quarter, making just 3 of 14 shots, while the Clippers made 5 of 8.

But the Pistons recovered and led, 59-52, before Nixon made a three-pointer to cut the lead to 59-55 at halftime.