Detroit Pistons: Top five moments from the Stan Van Gundy era

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AUBURN HILLS, MI – JANUARY 16: Andre Drummond #0 of the Detroit Pistons shoots the ball against the Golden State Warriors on January 16, 2016 at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Allen Einstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /

January 16, 2016: On Ben Wallace night, Pistons hand Warriors rare loss

Oh man. Where to start?

Not only was Ben Wallace‘s No. 3 raised to its rightful place, but the defending-NBA champion Golden State Warriors made their lone visit to Auburn Hills that night. And they were in the midst of their historic 73-9 regular season.

Of course, nobody knew it at the time.

Golden State entered the game with a 37-4 record. They bounced out to an 30-27 lead after the opening period. But the Pistons responded with a 38-point second quarter to grab a 65-49 edge at halftime.

Detroit dominated the Warriors on the glass, 57-47, due in large part to Drummond’s 21 rebounds. The Pistons never trailed in the second half, and cruised to a 113-95 victory.

In addition to being one of the nine Warriors’ losses in 2015-16, Detroit’s win only added to an already emotional evening.

As mentioned earlier, Wallace’s number was retired during a ceremony at halftime. This “officially” solidified him as one of the greatest players in franchise history. (Something that fans had already known, but it was still the cherry on top).

I was fortunate enough to attend this game. So I’m not sure how it appeared on television, but it was the most energy I’d seen in The Palace since the Goin’ To Work era.

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