Personal Loans

Auburn Hills, MI, United States (AHN Sports) – RIP in the Detroit Pistons clubhouse no longer stands for Rest In Peace.

Certainly not with Richard Hamilton.

Hamilton scored 23 points and Greg Monroe added 13 rebounds to lead the Detroit Pistons past the Indiana Pacers 100-88 Saturday night at The Palace of Auburn Hills.

Rodney Stuckey added 16 points for the Pistons.

Brandon Rush scored 19 points for Indiana, which had its lead over Charlotte drop to one game for thr eighth playoff spot.

“It was a tough loss for our club tonight,” said Pacers coach Frank Vogel. “We fought hard but we just had a poor offensive third quarter. We fought to stay in it in the fourth quarter and Villanueva came in, hadn’t played all game or last game, and he was the difference in the game.”

Hamilton scored 10 points and dished out three assists in the first half to lead the Pistons to a 48-47 halftime advantage.

Two weeks ago, it wasn’t even certain if Hamilton would see any more action for the Pistons. While listed as being out with a groin injury, there was no secret Hamilton was feuding with Pistons coach John Kuester. Any such feud, at least for now, seems to have been settled.

“You have to give Rip a lot of credit,” Kuester said. “He’s really done a wonderful job. I think one of the things you gauge a lot of what Rip’s game is all about is what he’s doing offensively. I’m more impressed with his body language defensively.”

“You have to be ready to play,” Hamilton said. “You have to stay in tune in the game and when the opportunity is there, just come out ready to play. I know what I bring to the table. I know what I’m capable of doing. I’ve had so many great years here.”

Charlie Villanueva, who has seen limited action in past games, was on the court for 12 minutes and hit all five of his shots, including three 3-pointers for 13 points.

“Charlie did a great job,” said Kuester. “He came in and gave us a big spark offensively. We went with Charlie and he delivered tonight. I thought he did a great job.”

“I just try to be ready,” Villaneuva said. “He (Kuester) called my name and I was ready to go. I was a little shocked, I expected the same amount of time as last game but at the same time, I had to be ready.”

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