The Pistons are about to play their final game at the Palace of Auburn Hills, a building that has certainly provided the franchise many great moments. As an ode to one of the best basketball arenas of all time, we took to the DSN staff to find out some stand out moments that the Palace provided them.
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Don Drysdale: One of my favorite Palace moments is Billups miracle half court shot against the Nets. Even though they lost.
This is one of the most unforgettable moments in Pistons history even though they still lose the game.
Carl Poposki: So many to choose from. This one was fun.
The sheer impossibility of not only making the shot, but getting the ball back on the inbound is what I’ll remember most about this heave from ‘Sheed.
Eric Vincent: Malice at the palace changed the NBA, solidifying the badass reputation of the Pistons.
Without a doubt the most surreal moment on this list is the malice at the Palace. It might be the ugliest scene in professional basketball history, and that is strangely why Detroiters love it. The NBA has a lot of precedents when it comes to player/fan interaction, and the brawl between the Pistons and the Pacers is a prime example why.
Ky Carlin: Definitely Game 5 of the ’04 Finals.
For anyone not old enough to remember the Bad Boys, this was our moment. The 2004 Pistons were so easy to root for and the fact that they defeated the early 2000’s version of a “superteam” made it that much sweeter.
Michael Whitaker: My favorite Palace moment is definitely the 2004 NBA title. The Pistons were underdogs against the vaunted Lakers and picked them apart with ease. The “Going to Work” Pistons epitomized the blue collar attitude of Detroit, and winning the title for the first time at The Palace is a moment that will live forever in Detroit sports history.
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Ryan Griffin: As for me, my favorite Palace moment was the game Chauncey Billups returned to Detroit after being traded for Allen Iverson. The energy in the arena was electric. Mason and the Pistons fans gave Billups the ovation and admiration he deserved. His introduction drew more cheers than anybody wearing a Pistons jersey tonight.
Billups dropped 34 that night, and the Pistons still came away with the win.
Those our are favorite moments. Let us know yours in the comments below.
