Stuckey helps Pistons get best of Warriors in return to lineup

Detroit's Ben Wallace, right, steals a rebound from Golden State's Dorell Wright in the first half. The Pistons won their last home game before a four-game, six-day road trip out west.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — Rodney Stuckey wasn't thinking about redemption Sunday night.

He might have gotten some anyway.

Stuckey finished a tumultuous five-day stretch with 21 points and nine assists to help the Detroit Pistons beat the Golden State Warriors 102-97.

Stuckey's problems started early in the second half of Wednesday's loss in Atlanta. After he ignored coach John Kuester, he was benched for the rest of the game.

He remained on the sidelines for Friday's win over Charlotte — Detroit's first victory of the season — but was back in the starting lineup against Golden State.

“That doesn't matter now — this was just another game,” Stuckey said. “The only thing on my mind tonight was to go out there and do my job.”

Kuester agreed that the situation belonged in the past.

“It's done,” he said. “We've moved on.”

The win gave the Pistons two in a row as they head into a four-game, six-day road trip.

“When you are going to the West Coast, it is always important to have a good performance in your last home game,” Kuester said. “I'm not sure this was beautiful basketball tonight, but we got another win, and two in a row feels good when we are heading west.”

Golden State, which hasn't lost in four home games, is now 0-2 on the road.

Richard Hamilton, who came off the bench against Charlotte after missing two games with a foot injury, finished with 27 points after moving back into the starting lineup.

“I knew Rip had been struggling a little, but I wasn't worried,” Stuckey said. “Rip's a shooter, and he's going to go out there and shoot each and every game. We all knew he was going to get it going.”

Charlie Villanueva added 16 points and 10 rebounds off the bench for Detroit.