Detroit squeezed out a win today against Boston, 96-87. Both teams came out of the gates strong but a late game push by Detroit was just enough to hold off Boston. Coach David Smith said, "This game is really a sign of things to come. We come out and play hard every night. Things are looking up, and the fans of Detroit have a lot to look forward to after this victory."

In the Boston locker room after the game, players were in a somber mood. Even after the great team performance led by Dick, they still come up short. "We deserved to win. That was our game - we just need to be able to put our opposition away when we have them down. We really were the better team." said Dick after the game.

Detroit was led by Gilliam (32 points, 2 assists, 2 blocks), Henderson (7 points, 22 boards, 0 assists, a steal), Graham (21 points, 6 boards, 0 assists, a block). Boston was led by Dick (19 points, 7 boards, 1 assists, 2 blocks), Owens (25 points, 2 blocks), Morse (18 points, 6 boards, 0 assists, a block).

Detroit remain unbeaten and jump to 18-0 and 10-0 at home. They hold at #1 in the Central and remain at #1 overall in the Eastern Conference. After today's loss, Boston stand at 3-16. They remain at #5 in the Atlantic and stay at #15 overall in the Eastern Conference.

box score Detroit* roster Boston roster