LOS ANGELES _ Bruce Brown and Zaza Pachulia engaged in spirited debate on the Detroit Pistons bench Saturday afternoon.
It was apparent early Blake Griffin intended harm against the franchise that traded him almost a year ago.
The question was how much harm.
"I thought he was going to get 50," Brown said after the Pistons' 109-104 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers _ Griffin's first time facing his former franchise on the Staples Center floor.
"Zaza was like 45, but I was like, 'Nah, he getting 50.' "
Griffin "settled" for 44 points in his emotional return to L.A. to face the Clippers, who traded him away after dubbing him a "Clipper for Life."
Griffin controlled the game, adding eight rebounds and five assists in finishing with a plus-minus of plus-11.
But the Pistons organization was pleased with the performance for another reason.
After a 13-7 start, the Pistons have won only five times.
At 18-23, the Pistons are currently one game out of a playoff spot.
But despite the adversity, the team came together for one day to get a win for their leader.
"I thought it meant a lot to him, but the important thing is team was excited," Pistons coach Dwane Casey said. "That's a sign of togetherness _ wanting to pull for your teammate, the success of your teammate. I thought that was really important."
