AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- The Detroit Pistons are a much-improved team after Joe Dumars rebuilt the roster once again over the summer. That doesnt mean they are ready to knock off teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder. Detroit played the Thunder tough into the third quarter Friday night, but Oklahoma Citys superior depth took over down the stretch, especially once Andre Drummond and Josh Smith got into foul trouble. Rookie Steven Adams finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while fellow post reserve Nick Collison had nine points and four rebounds in a 119-110 victory. "We were just trying to keep it simple and try not to make mistakes," Collison said of his partnership with the New Zealander. "I thought we were really locked in defensively. It was a different situation than most nights, but our bench played really well." Thunder coach Scott Brooks thought his entire second unit played a key role in the victory. "Nick, Steven, Derek (Fisher), Jeremy (Lamb) and Reggie (Jackson) did an outstanding job," he said. "They gave us a great effort, they moved the ball and took care of it. Steven and Nick did a really great job of playing together and understanding what we needed them to do. They protected the paint and they took care of the pick-and-roll. Detroits biggest problem, though, was trying to stop Kevin Durant. Their only hope of that was Smith. He sat out large portions of the second half and Durant finished with 37 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. "We werent hitting shots and they were hurting us on the offensive glass, but it is really hard to adjust your lineup to fix those things when you are facing Kevin," said Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks, who spent the last four years as an assistant with the Thunder. "You always have to have someone on the floor that can guard him, so that limits your options when you want to change things." Smith finished with 25 points for Detroit before fouling out, while Greg Monroe (20 points, 15 rebounds) and Brandon Jennings (22 points, 11 assists) added double-doubles. "Its always tough against that team, but especially when you get into foul trouble," said Monroe, who found himself playing with Kyle Singler, Gigi Datome and Jonas Jerebko instead of Drummond and Smith. "They kept making plays, and they kept getting to the free-throw line. It is hard to win games like that." Leading by 10 early in the fourth, the Thunder struggled to put Detroit away. The Pistons got within 88-84, but didnt have an answer for Durant down the stretch. Smith committed his fifth foul trying to guard him with 5:07 left, and Durant hit both free throws to give him 30 points and move the Oklahoma City lead to 101-89. Smith fouled out moments later, and picked up a technical foul on his way off the floor. Oklahoma City threatened to break the game open in the second quarter, leading by as many as 11 as the Pistons continued to struggle to score from outside. Jennings and Monroe, though, combined for 10 points in the final two minutes of the half, pulling Detroit within 55-51. Durant and Russell Westbrook combined for 27 points in the half, while Monroe had 13 points and eight rebounds for Detroit. The Pistons went ahead on back-to-back three-point plays by Monroe and Smith midway through the third, but Smith immediately committed his fourth foul and had to join Drummond on the bench. Six straight points by Durant forced Drummond back in with four fouls, but Lambs 3-pointer at the buzzer let Oklahoma City take an 84-76 lead into the fourth. Westbrook scored 20 points despite missing 14 of his 19 field-goal attempts. NOTES: Detroit Tigers President Dave Dombrowski had one of the best seats in the house, sitting courtside just two spots away from the halfcourt line. ... Cheeks got an enthusiastic pregame welcome from the Thunder. Durant grabbed Cheeks in a playful headlock, while Thunder coach Scott Brooks and several players rushed over to embrace him. ... Durant earned a spot on the nightly blooper reels when he lost his grip on the ball while driving for a baseline dunk. As Durants empty hands came down on the basket, the ball looped over the Pistons bench and into the stands. Rodney McLeod Jersey . Traditional contenders Brazil, Greece and Turkey drew the other three spots to complete the 24-team field for this summers tournament in Spain, basketball governing body FIBA announced Saturday at its meeting in Barcelona. Wendell Smallwood Eagles Jersey . Pierce was ejected in the third quarter of Indianas 103-86 win Monday. George Hill stole a bad pass and was going in for a layup, and Pierce hustled back and appeared to be trying to wrap him up. http:/... . It was just business as usual for the Thunder at home. Durant scored 32 points and the Thunder beat the Bulls 107-95 on Thursday night for their eighth straight win. [url=http://www.theeaglesshoponline.com/]Chase Daniel Eagles Jersey .com) - The Montreal Canadiens will try to halt their longest losing streak of the season when they host the struggling New York Islanders in tonights clash at the Bell Centre. the things he normally does, not try to be anything more than what hes been before." "I dont read anything or look at anything," Clarkson said of the expected pressures. "All Im going to do is go out every night and give everything I have. Am I going to be perfect? No. Im going to make mistakes. But Im going to play that same kind of style of hockey that got me here." Clarkson delivered such a brand in his first game with the Leafs. He played with a physical edge, he chirped the opposing bench, he had his opportunities offensively and was generally an irritant. Thumped at one point in the second frame by Nicklas Grossman, the 6-foot-4, 230 pound behemoth on the Flyers defence, Clarkson went about roughhousing with his much larger opponent. "It was like trying to move a fridge," chimed Clarkson, listed at an even 200 pounds. "It was just more that I didnt like getting hit like that." Whether Clarkson can live up to a contract of serious proportions will remain an open question, but one the organization isnt contemplating. "Im not worried about [years] six and seven right now," Leafs general manager Dave Nonis said of Clarkson, hours after the signing was announced in early July. "Im worried about [the first] one and year one I know were going to have a very good player. "I believe that hes got a lot of good years left in him," Nonis continued. "Hes not 35 years old." Clarkson scored 30 with the Devils two years ago, adding 15 in 48 games last season. The Leafs arent hedging their bets strictly with offence though instead looking to their free agent add to provide decent measures of truculence, leadership and many of the intangibles which cant be measured. "If David Clarkson doesnt score 30 goals in a Leaf uniform, but provides all the other things that we know hes going to provide were pretty comfortable were a better team," Nonis noted. It was fitting then that Carlyle would nod in approval when questioned on Clarksons unlikely exhibition scrap with Grossman. "Hes done it all his career," he observed. "Thats why he is what he is." And all the Leafs want him to be. Five Points 1. Clarksons choice A teammate of Clarkson while the two were in New Jersey, Mark Fraser was far from surprised when he got word that the Toronto native had landed with the Leafs. "It was no secret that [Clarkson] was a big fan of the blue and white," Fraser grinned. "There couldve been 29 other teams in the running and I think I knew who he wanted to sign with more." 2. Bernier debut Jonathan Bernier made few, if any, changes to his pre-game routine ahead of his first start with the Leafs on Monday night. "Its pretty much the same," he said. "Actually the only thing that changed [is] we have meals here and then I go for a little nap. Pretty much the same routine as usual." Bernier said the most difficult adjjustment to a new team, new city, new everything really, was actually on the ice, getting a read on the system his team employs.dddddddddddd "Youve got to make sure that you know where your [defencemen] are going to be," he said, noting the need for understanding of such tactics on the penalty kill and opposition forecheck. "For me especially, handling the puck, thats a big adjustment." Bernier stopped 15 of 16 shots before he was replaced by Drew MacIntyre midway through the game. 3. Gardiner revival It was sophomore year at the University of Wisconsin, the last point that Jake Gardiner felt his confidence dip to where it plunged last season. But after some redemption in the playoffs and an offseason spent back in Minnetonka, Minnesota, Gardiner is feeling revived heading into his third pro season. The 23-year-old looks back to his experience in 2013, one that saw him bounce between the Marlies, Leafs and press box, as likely to be beneficial over the long run. "It was nice to have a down in my career just to know what its like," he said earlier this week, "try to never experience that again obviously and just keep moving forward." Following that disappointing second season with the Badgers in college, Gardiner returned as a junior and dominated, finishing second to teammate Justin Schultz in scoring among all WCHA defenders. 4. No Maintenance Troy Bodie has at least one fan in Randy Carlyle. "Hes a no maintenance guy," said Carlyle of the imposing 6-foot-4 winger, inked to a one-year deal this past summer. "Hes one of those guys that you think if there was a model for your younger players to model themselves after Troy Bodie would be one of those guys. Coaches love no-maintenance players." Carlyle coached Bodie for parts of three seasons in Anaheim, the now son-in-law of MLSE President Tim Leiweke spending the past two seasons in the American League. "Hes not a flashy guy," continued Carlyle of Bodie, who played for Dallas Eakins and the Marlies in 2009-10. "I would say hes an up-and-down winger thats going to take the body, good teammate." Opportunity may just be knocking for Bodie with fellow fourth line element Frazer McLaren scheduled to miss at least two weeks with a fractured pinky finger. Carlyles fondness for the brash ingredient is known and because of his familiarity with the player, Bodie could sneak his way onto the roster. "I know what he expects," Bodie said of the Leafs coach, "so its nice for me not to come into this camp blind. I understand what he expects and what kind of player he would want me to be if I was there playing for him." 5. A brief on T.J. Brennan The Leafs represent the fourth organization T.J. Brennan has been apart in a matter of months. Drafted and bred by the Sabres (a second round selection in 2007), Brennan was finally shuffled off to Florida this past March. He went on to play 19 games for the Panthers, posting a couple goals and nine points. A restricted free agent, he and the front office in Sunrise couldnt come to terms on a new contract and thus Brennan was on the move again, this time to Nashville for Bobby Butler in mid-June. The Predators opted not to qualify Brennan and aimed to sign him to a two-way deal. Brennan though, desiring some level of control, declined and became an unrestricted free agent. Sensing some opportunity and a good fit, he signed with the Leafs for one year on a one-way deal. "It seemed like a good partnership here," said Brennan, who played 22-plus minutes on Monday, paired with Gardiner against the Flyers. "It definitely seemed like somewhere I could grow and really settle in and take the things Ive learned from Buffalo, Florida and the minors and really establish myself." The Leafs like the edge and offence Brennan can potentially provide – he scored 14 goals with Rochester in 2013 – and see his addition as an opportunity to inject depth on the blueline. Quote of the Night "I wouldnt say it was a classic NHL game." -Randy Carlyle on his teams 4-3 loss in the shootout. Up Next The Leafs travel to Ottawa for a Thursday clash with the Senators. [url=http://www.cheapnfljerseysoutlet.cc/]Cheap China Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China China NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys China ' ' '