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INDIANAPOLIS -- Detroit beat Indiana at its own game Monday night. William Karlsson Golden Knights Jersey . The Pistons were tougher inside, tougher on defence and tougher at fending off challenges. On a night the Eastern Conferences best team looked like anything but, Josh Smith scored 30 points and Greg Monroe had 13 points and 12 rebounds to help Detroit send Indiana to a 101-96 loss -- the Pacers first at home this season. "Its impressive the way we came in and competed with the way the Pacers have been playing," Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks said. "We have a good basketball team." Detroit (12-14) proved it with a nearly perfect game. The Pistons dominated on the glass with a 55-40 overall advantage and a 20-9 edge on offensive rebounds. They matched the Pacers shooting percentage of 43.2 per cent, had one more 3-pointer and nearly an identical shooting percentage on 3s (35.3 to 35.0), outscored Indiana 44-38 in the paint and 22-14 on second-chance points. For a Pacers team that prides itself on defence and rebounding, it wasnt even close to their best. Detroit also finished with nearly as many blocks (seven) as turnovers (eight) and made five of six free throws during the final minute to hold off Indianas last charge. The most surprising element was that Indiana never tied the score in the second half and never took the lead on its home floor, where it had gone 11-0 before Monday night. The loss leaves the Pacers (20-4) with the second-best record in the league, percentage points behind Portland (21-4). The Pistons knew that to end their six-game losing streak in this series and their nine-game losing streak at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, they needed to execute the game plan flawlessly. They did. "Were forming an identity ourselves," said Smith, who went 13 of 29 from the field after meeting with Cheeks about getting more opportunities. "That has to be being a physical team, try to dominate the paint." Indianas uncharacteristic certainly helped the cause. Paul George was 4 of 14 from the field, finishing with 17 points, nine rebounds and four turnovers. Roy Hibbert had six points and four rebounds. Even the energetic Lance Stephenson couldnt get his flustered teammates righted. Stephenson scored a career best 23 points and Luis Scola added a season high 18 points. What went wrong for the usually unflappable Pacers? George said the offensive rebounds got Indiana out of sync. Others wondered if the Pacers may have been looking past Detroit, which has won just two of their last six games, and ahead to Wednesday nights rematch with Miami. Indiana beat the two-time defending NBA champs on their home court 90-84 last week and have made no secret that theyre out to get the Eastern Conferences No. 1 seed. Indiana coach Frank Vogel quickly discounted that notion, calling Detroit a good team. "I dont think we were looking ahead at all," Vogel said. "Weve got to lick our wounds and see what we need to do better." Whatever the explanation, these Pacers didnt even resemble the team that set one franchise record with its perfect 9-0 start and another by opening the season 11-0 at home. Oklahoma City is the last unbeaten team at home this season. Detroit took charge quickly, using a 10-3 first quarter to take a 23-14 lead -- a lead it never relinquished. Even in the second half, when the Pacers typically dominate, the Pistons refused. Detroit scored the last eight points of the first half, turning a 49-49 tie into a 57-49 lead. Then Smith scored Detroits first eight points in the second half, and the surging Pistons took advantage of Indianas growing frustration by extending the lead to 72-61 on Brandon Jennings layup with 5:20 left in the third quarter. Jennings finished with 18 points and eight assists. Indiana rallied again, getting within 79-73 after three, but the Pistons answered with a 7-2 spurt that made it 89-79 with 7:01 to go. Scolas layup with 4:55 remaining ended an 8-0 run that got the Pacers as close as 89-87, but the Pistons ran off five straight points. Stephenson gave it one final push, hitting a 3 with 1:17 to go to cut Detroits lead to 96-94, but the Pistons closed it out at the free-throw line. "We had a lot of confidence coming in here tonight. We played Portland (Sunday) night in a game we should have won," Jennings said. "Tonight we knew were playing the best team in the Eastern Conference and we were able to give them their first home loss." NOTES: Indiana is the NBAs only team that has not been in a game decided by fewer than five points. ... Guard Chauncey Billups was inactive for the Pistons. ... Vogel said swingman Danny Granger is on track to return to the lineup Friday night against Houston. He has not played this season because of a strained left calf. ... Indiana fell to 10-3 when trailing at halftime. Mark Stone Golden Knights Jersey ." The tournament was set to be held Sept. 15-21 and would have been the first ATP tournament held in Israel since 1996. But amid Israels military campaign against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip, ATP President Chris Kermode said "we do not feel we can proceed as planned given the situation in the region. Alex Tuch Golden Knights Jersey . According to TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger, it doesnt appear the offer was warmly received by the team. Blue Jackets director of hockey operations John Davidson and general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said on Wednesday the team has made offers of $6 million for two years, $32 million for six and $46 million over eight years but each one was refused by the restricted free agent centre and agent Kurt Overhardt. http://www.goldenknightssale.com/authentic-ryan-reaves-golden-knights-jersey/ . Osasunas Alvaro Cejudo drove the ball onto the crossbar in the fifth minute and his team squandered several long-range strikes before he was denied one-on-one by goalkeeper Jaime Jimenez in the 50th.MARTINSVILLE, Va. - Kyle Busch has seen it time and again at Martinsville Speedway. Driving down pit road, heading back onto the track and in contention for the lead, Busch is used to seeing the pole-sitter gun the engine just off the jack and reassume the race lead. Busch hopes to finally get to experience that for himself at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday after earning the pole on NASCARs smallest, tightest track for the first time in 19 career starts. "I think thats a great thing for us," Busch said after winning the pole with a lap at 99.674 mph. "We get to pit there and of course drop the jack and just lunge across the line and be good. "You need to still run up front all day. I think that its a great opportunity for us to pick up some spots say if were second, third, fourth, whatever, but you definitely always want to stay as close to the front as you can and try not to use that box as much as some guys have in the past." The pole is the 14th of Buschs career. In an interesting twist under NASCARs new knockout qualifying system, Busch won it while Joey Logano set a track record. That came at 100.201 mph during the first phase of two-session qualifying. All 44 cars competed in the 30-minute first session, and the top 12 moved into the 10-minute phase two. Denny Hamlin earned the No. 2 starting spot with a lap at 99.548 mph, and will be followed on the starting grid by Logano and Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon. That puts Busch in some pretty accomplished company because Hamlin (4), Johnson and Gordon (8 each) have won a lot. Busch, though, is coming off a victory last week at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., and while he said it wasnt dominaating, it gave him hope that the Joe Gibbs Racing teams are coming together. Malcolm Subban Golden Knights Jersey. "It just seems to be working well right now, whatever is working," he said. Hamlin, who promised earlier in the day that he would win on Sunday, wasnt in love with the outside starting spot because it can be tricky to get down to the bottom on restarts from the outside, said nothing that happened in practice or qualifying made his change his view of how it can all unfold. "I knew, even going into this weekend, I knew we were going to be really good contenders and be in the mix anyway," he said. "I feel like after running a couple laps of practice I felt like this was a car that was capable of winning. I think with tire management being more of a factor than its ever been, it kind of lends itself to my driving style even more. For that reason I think well be tough on Sunday." Logano has two top-10 finishes on the 0.526-mile oval, but none since 2010. "So weve got a track record, but we dont have a pole. How does that work?" he asked. A solid pit position, he said, could help turns things around on Sunday. "Obviously, the pit stall is very important, especially here. Its a dangerous pit road, so you want to get a nice spot you can get in and out of, but obviously here its a slow pit road and you can make up a lot with timing lines on pit road," he said. "For that reason alone its big, and thats worth multiple spots throughout the race when youre thinking about making a lot of pit stops." Danica Patrick qualified 10th, her best starting spot in a race not held at Daytona. Her previous best starting position was 21st, accomplished twice last season. ' ' '