AUBURN HILLS -- The Detroit Pistons looked lost on defense in the first quarter, lost the game in the final seconds despite a late rally and apparently are feeling lost as the second half of the season starts in earnest.
"It's tough because you would think at this point we would have found our way, and we haven't," Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince said. The Houston Rockets, playing without star center Yao Ming, scored a season-best 39 points in the first quarter and held off the Pistons for a 108-105 win Sunday night at The Palace.
The 39 points scored by the Rockets were the most the Pistons have allowed in any quarter this season, and it was the third consecutive game in which Detroit has allowed big leads in the first 15 minutes.
"It's been, I don't know how many games up to this point where we've been having rough first quarters. At some point you have to put all of that aside and just be able to not worry about the X's and O's, and just try to do what you have to do defensively as far as taking a challenge," Prince said. "I think in the first quarter we are not taking the challenge."
Ron Artest, the former Indiana Pacer remembered at the Palace for the 2004 brawl, led the Rockets with 24 points and three key late free throws. Luis Scola scored 21 points to help make up for the missing Yao, who is Houston's leading rebounder and scorer.
The Rockets shot 52.7 percent for the game, but made 15-of-19 shots, including 7-of-9 3-point shots in taking a 39-27 lead at the end of the first quarter.
The Pistons, led by Richard Hamilton's 27 points off the bench, took one-point leads twice in the third quarter, and closed within two points twice in the final 24 seconds.
The Rockets fought them off with free throws and one offensive possession in which they were able to get five shots via three offensive rebounds.
Rasheed Wallace, who had 22 points for the Pistons, threw up an off-balance 3-point shot that missed badly, and Arron Afflalo also missed a 3-point heave in the final 14 seconds.
The Pistons made the rally in the last seven minutes with Allen Iverson on the bench, and he lamented not being a part of the final minutes.
"Those are the moments guys like myself live for," he said. "Maybe (coach Michael Curry) was thinking we had a chance the other way. I trust the decisions he makes just like he trusts the decisions I make out on the floor."
In addition to having a poor first quarter defensively, the Pistons also continued to have trouble at the free-throw line. They made just 11-of-20, while Houston made 18-of-24.
