Detroit downed Orlando today 102-95, thanks to a solid effort by star Riffe. The game lived up to its hype, with both teams having their moments but neither side able to dominate for any extended length of time. Said Riffe after the game, "This one could have easily gone either way. We're just glad that we came out with the win." Coach David Smith echoed the sentiments, saying "Orlando came out strong and ready to play, and we knew from the start that it would be a battle out there. Probably if we played them 10 times, both sides would get five wins. But we got the win today, and that's what counts."

Orlando players were disappointed after the game, and coach Bob had his hands full keeping their spirits up. "They know they played their hearts out today, and that it wasn't enough. That's a tough feeling. Especially for Dupree, who had one heck of a game but couldn't carry the whole team on his shoulders."

Detroit was led by Riffe (8 points, 17 assists, 3 steals, a block), Reynolds (20 points, 10 boards, 1 assists, a steal, 2 blocks), Henderson (23 points, 1 assists, a steal). Orlando was led by Dupree (14 points, 7 boards, 4 assists, 3 steals), Taylor (21 points, 2 steals), Mason (15 points, 0 assists, a steal, 2 blocks).

With the victory, Detroit jump to 23-9 and 15-2 at home. They move up to #1 in the Central and improve to #1 overall in the Eastern Conference. With this loss, Orlando are now 15-18. They remain at #2 in the Southeast and remain at #8 overall in the Eastern Conference.

box score Detroit* roster Orlando roster