It seems like it is the norm for a player to feel that he must excel against his old team the first time the two meet, to show what the other team is missing.  But after playing for six different teams in his six years in the NBA you can rule Pistons guard Chauncey Billups out of his group.

Billups resurected his struggling career in two seasons with Minnesota after bouncing around the NBA in his first four.  Averaging 10.9 points per contest during his tenture, Billups exploded in the playoffs last year by averaging 22 points.

Due to luxury tax constraints Minnesota could not offer him a contract this season and Billups made the move to the motor city, but still his strong friendship with Wolves superstar Kevin Garnett continues to grow.

The two spent much of the day together on Saturday, having lunch and hanging out before the game. "We had fun, we did our (trash) talking to each other during the day," Billups said. "We definitely took what happened out on the court seriously."

"I left there on good terms," said Billups on the Timberwolves. "It's not like I feel like I have to go out there and hang 45 points on them just to show them, you know? It's not a situation like that."

Chris McCosky of the detroit News reports that the Pistons knew Tracy McGrady would give them a battle, but they didn?t expect the officials to do so also. Detroit lost to Orlando 104-99 behind 46 points by McGrady and a 28-9 disadvantage at the free throw line.

McGrady had missed 3 of the last 4 games because of a sore lower back but was able to hit 14-26 shots from the field and score 18 points from the line.

"He has a tremendous game and I don't want to take anything away from him," said Cliff Robinson, one of four defenders the Pistons tried on McGrady. "We gave ourselves an opportunity to win the game, but do we feel as though we got a fair whistle? No, we don't. At the same time, the whistles are going to be inconsistent at times and you have to fight through that."

The Pistons fought through a 17-point deficit in the third quarter and were able to get to within two points on a few occasions but were unable to overcome the disparity at the line and a game-saving circus shot off the glass by Orlando guard Darrell Armstrong as the shot clock expired.

"I don't want to comment on the discrepancy of fouls," said Coach Rick Carlisle, whose team has lost two straight. "But there were a couple of times down the stretch where we deserved to get a call and we didn't, but that's the way it goes."

Some nights you win going away, others you?re never in the game, and some are closer than they should be.

Saturday afternoon, against the visiting Pistons, the Hawks played a different kind of game?survival.

Jason Walker brings the recap, along with notes and quotes from Saturday's game.

Chris McCoskey of the Detroit News reports that Pistons coach Rick Carlisle was not happy after Friday nights? victory over the Bucks. He laid into the team in a post-game rant. Carlisle preached about effort and a lack of intensity.

Pistons players seemed a bit taken aback by Carlisle's outburst. "We got the win," Cliff Robinson said. "It wasn't the best effort defensively, but at the same time, we fought hard and got the stops when we needed to. "When you get a win in this league, you have to be thankful. They're not that easy to come by."

"To make believe everything is rosy is foolish," Carlisle said Friday. "I am just not seeing the effort plays that I am accustomed to seeing out of this team. I am so tired of seeing guys jog back defensively and getting their butts kicked under the basket. It's a disgrace."

Carlisle must have seen something because the following night, the Bucks handed the Pistons a 109-86 defeat in Milwaukee.

"Certain things are unmistakable," Carlisle said. "The identity of this team, to me, is sacred and right now it is being compromised by how we are playing on the defensive side of the ball. "We are giving up transition jump shots and layups like they were free cotton candy. It's a joke."

The Bucks turned 17 offensive rebounds into 17 second-chance points. They also scored 15 points off their fast break. They outscored the Pistons, 32-12, in those two categories. In the last two home games, the Pistons have been outscored 64-29 in those categories, and they have won in those areas only five times all season.

Ben Wallace agreed that the Pistons need to tighten some things up. "We just have to get down and guard guys," he said. "At times, we get lax out there. We took some quick shots at the offensive end, and a lot of times that gets them easy buckets in transition."

Carlisle said he was not planning to alter the lineup any time soon, but the lineup had the same problems in Saturday's loss.