'Nasty News - Traversing Time & Space' Vol: 68

[nasty daddy]

http://blog.mlive.com/fullcourtpress/20 ... caval.html

Game Thread 66: Cleveland Cavaliers at Detroit Pistons
Tip: 7:30 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit.
Probable Starters: DET - G: Will Bynum, Rip Hamilton; F: Jonas Jerebko, Charlie Villanueva; C: Jason Maxiell.
CLE - G: Mo Williams, Anthony Parker, F: LeBron James, Antawn Jamison; C: J.J. Hickson.

Notes: If the Cavs embarrassed the Celtics, then the Celtics embarrassed the Pistons, what should we expect from tonight's Cavs-Pistons game? Complete destruction? Big secret: the Cavs are going to win the NBA championship. They have addressed everything from a year ago: they have bigs in Varejao/Shaq/Ilgauskas/Hickson/Powe to throw at any front line in the league. They have athletic wings in Anthony Parker/Jamario Moon so they don't get worked by bigger guards again, like they did against Orlando in last year's playoffs. And they have Antawn Jamison, who is not only the best player LeBron James has ever played with, he fits in with James so seamlessly that it makes you wonder why Cleveland didn't do everything in its power to get Jamison last year, when they also had expiring contracts to dangle in front of Washington. The Pistons will most likely be without Tayshaun Prince, who re-injured his back against Boston. Rodney Stuckey won't start practicing again until Thursday. Ben Wallace is still questionable. Cleveland is the wrong team to be shorthanded against.

Last meeting: LeBron scored 40 in a 99-92 Cavs win March 5.

[nasty daddy]

http://twitter.com/DetPistons

If Tayshaun Prince isn't good to go tonight, Kuester says the plan is to start Charlie V at PF and slide Jerebko to 3 ... to guard LeBron.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitbadboys.com/2010/3/16 ... vs-pistons

This should end well: Cavs @ Pistons
Cleveland Cavaliers at Detroit Pistons, Mar 16, 2010 6:30 PM CDT
Game Tips at 7:30 EST
Detroit Pistons: 23-44 (16-18 home)
Cleveland Cavaliers: 52-15 (23-11 away)
Oppo Research
One day after being destroyed by the Celtics, the Pistons return home for what looks to be more of the same. If the Pistons are going to have a shot, it is because the Cavaliers are looking to get some rest for Antawn Jamison and LeBron James, both of whom are nursing minor injuries. If the Cavs get off to a quick start, though, getting rest and getting the 'W' will not be mutually exclusive goals. Without Big 'Z' and Shaquille O'Neal, Cleveland is obviously vulnerable up front. In their absence, the Cavs have again extended starter minutes to Anderson Varejao, and he has responded with a near double-double while shooting a ridiculous 73% from the field in the month of March. On the flip side, JJ Hickson has been in a slump, possibly the result of finding his way onto more opponent scouting reports. Not that it matters all that much. For all the nice pieces on this team, the Cavs still live and die with LeBron James. And, um, life is good.

The Drama
Maybe LeBron can do a between the legs jam sometime in the fourth quarter. That would be dramatic.
Keys for Detroit
Watch the perimeter -- The old trick of packing the lane and making LeBron shoot jumpers is still valid, but the Cavs in general have become a very efficient three point shooting team. If you let them beat you from downtown, that is precisely what they will do.
Stop LeBron -- I mean, duh. Seriously, though, if the Pistons can make him give up the ball with some frequency, they should be able to stay competitive. The Cavs are light on weapons right now, and they can't count on 17 point from Varejao every time.
Play Daye - I'm going to cut and paste this for the rest of the season.

Question of the Game
With the number one seed in the bag, you have to think the Cavs will shift gears a bit. Will we see that tonight?
Valuable Links
Do you Fear The Sword yet?

[nasty daddy]

http://pistonspoint.blogspot.com/

Kuester hopes to have Stuckey back soon
Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey could be back in the lineup as soon as Friday. Stuckey was cleared to “return to a progressive exercise program” on March 10 and could be cleared practice as soon as Thursday. “Stuckey will hopefully be given the freedom to practice and hopefully we’ll get him back soon,” Pistons coach John Kuester said. “It’s sort of day-to-day still with him. “Hopefully we’ll get a full practice in on Thursday.”

If everything goes well on Thursday then Kuester said there's a chance Stuckey will be in the lineup on Friday when the Pistons play at Indiana. “Hopefully, we’re playing that by ear,” Kuester said.

Stuckey has missed the Pistons last six games after he collapsed during the Pistons game at Cleveland on March 5. He went through a series of tests, including a complete cardiac evaluation by three different doctors at three different hosptials, which all came back negative. Prior to the incident, Stuckey started the Pistons first 62 games, averaging 17.1 points, 5.0 assists and 4.3 rebounds, all career-highs. Entering Tuesday night’s game at Cleveland, the Pistons were 2-4 with Stuckey sidelined.

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http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

MLive: Tayshaun Prince a game-time decision for Pistons against Cavaliers: Prince took a knee to the back during a... http://bit.ly/bYP2cB

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http://www.freep.com/article/20100316/S ... upset-Cavs

Pistons trying to upset Cavs
The NBA's best road team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, pays a visit to the Detroit Pistons tonight at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

The playoff-bound Cavs have won 14 of their last 19 road games and are 23-11 away from Quicken Loans Arena this season. They have won three in a row overall and handed the Boston Celtics a 104-93 defeat on Sunday in Cleveland. Cleveland's magic number to clinch its second straight Central Division crown is two.

The Pistons have dropped two straight, three of four and nine of their last 11 games, including Monday's 119-93 decision against the Celtics in Beantown. Cleveland has won the first two meetings with the Pistons this season and five in a row overall. Detroit is 13-4 in the last 17 series matchups at the Palace.

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http://www.mlive.com/pistons/index.ssf/ ... ouble.html

LeBron James has triple-double as Pistons lose to Cavaliers
A day after putting up no fight against one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons gave the best team in the East all it could handle. But in the end, LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers were too much for Detroit to handle as the Pistons suffered a 113-101 loss.

It was the 10th loss in 12 games for the Pistons, who were routed 119-93 to the Boston Celtics on Monday. James had just five points at halftime but came alive in the second half to lead the Cavaliers and finished with 29 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists. James had 15 points in the fourth quarter.

Richard Hamilton led six Pistons in double figures with 24 points and six assists. Charlie Villanueva went 3-for-3 on 3-pointers and had 16 points, while Tayshaun Prince finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and eight assists. Will Bynum had 12 points, while Jason Maxiell had 10 points and 15 rebounds. Mo Williams went 5-for-9 on 3-pointers and finished with 20 points for Cleveland.

[nasty daddy]

http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=300316011

Danny Granger scored 26 points to help the Indiana Pacers beat Charlotte 99-94 on Tuesday night, denying the Bobcats what would have been a franchise-record seventh consecutive victory.

Troy Murphy had 16 points and 13 rebounds, and Mike Dunleavy added 15 points for Indiana, which had lost 14 of its previous 17 games.

Charlotte played its fifth game in eight days, and All-Star forward Gerald Wallace missed his second straight with an injured left ankle. Stephen Graham, a former Pacer who replaced Wallace in the lineup, finished with a career-high 19 points and tied a career best with eight rebounds.

[nasty daddy]

http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=300316008

LeBron James had his fourth triple-double of the season, lifting the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 113-101 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night. James scored 29 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and had 12 assists.

Cleveland has won four in a row and lost only one of its last 11 games, improving to an NBA-best 53-15.

Richard Hamilton had 24 points and was one of six Pistons who scored in double figures.

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http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=300316014

Manu Ginobili scored 22 points, George Hill had 16 and the surging San Antonio Spurs wasted most of a 25-point, third-quarter lead before beating the Miami Heat 88-76 on Tuesday night.

Richard Jefferson added 15 points and Tim Duncan had 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Spurs, who've won eight of their last nine and ensured they would end the night no worse than No. 7 in the Western Conference standings.

Dwyane Wade scored 28 points for Miami, which lost for the first time in its last seven home games. Jermaine O'Neal added 13 points and Udonis Haslem finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Heat, who missed a chance to move past Charlotte for the No. 6 spot in the East race. Charlotte lost at Indiana.

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http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=300316017

Jamal Crawford hit a 30-footer at the buzzer to cap his game-breaking, 15-point second quarter and the Atlanta Hawks ran away from the woeful New Jersey Nets, 108-84 on Tuesday night.

Marvin Williams added 15 points for the Hawks, who rolled while playing without Joe Johnson for the first time this season. The All-Star guard has Achilles' tendinitis and did not accompany the team for its two-game road trip. Al Horford finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Brook Lopez had 21 points for the Nets, who lost for the 60th time in 67 games. New Jersey needs to win three times in its last 15 games to avoid tying or breaking the NBA mark for fewest wins (9) in a season, set by the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers.

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http://stats.mlive.com/nba/recap.asp?g= ... final=true

Cavs top Pistons 113-101, LeBron has triple-double
LeBron James had his fourth triple-double of the season, lifting the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 113-101 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night. James scored 29 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and had 12 assists. He blocked a shot and made a jumper on consecutive possessions to give the Cavs a five-point cushion with a minute left, then sealed the victory on a 3-pointer with 29.5 seconds remaining.Cleveland has won four in a row and lost only one of its last 11 games, improving to an NBA-best 53-15. Richard Hamilton had 24 points and was one of six Pistons who scored in double figures. Detroit has dropped lost three straight and eight of 10. The Pistons, unlike recent games, were very competitive until James took over in the fourth quarter.

He did have help. Mo Williams scored 20 points, Antawn Jamison had 15 points and 10 rebounds, and reserve Jawad Williams added 10 points. Pistons reserve Charlie Villanueva scored 16 points. Detroit's Tayshaun Prince had 15 points and matched a career high with eight assists. Will Bynum had 12 points and his team thought he should've had at least two more points, wanting a goaltending call on James' latest come-from-behind block. Rookie Jonas Jerebko scored 10 points and Jason Maxiell had 10 points and 15 rebounds. Detroit had been getting blown out early in games, but was determined to put up a fight against the Cavs. The score was tied after the first quarter, the Pistons led by two at halftime and by one entering the final period. James missed 10-of-15 shots over the first three quarters and was 5 for 7 in the final one as he added four assists and three rebounds to his total for his 28th career triple-double.

NOTES: The Pistons hope Rodney Stuckey can practice Thursday and play the next day, two weeks after he collapsed on the bench at Cleveland. Doctors cleared Stuckey for exercise last week after extensive cardiac tests. ... Cavs G Delonte West out of the lineup as a precaution because of a sprained knee. ... Pistons C Ben Wallace did not play because of an injured right knee. ... The Pistons weren't sure Prince would play because of a sore back. .. The Cavs, 27-7 in 2010, have a chance to be the first team to have the best regular-season records in consecutive seasons since Chicago did it during the 1995-96 and 1996-97 seasons.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20100316/S ... s-Pistons-

LeBron James' triple-double beats Pistons
LeBron James had his fourth triple-double of the season, lifting the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 113-101 victory over the Pistons Tuesday night at the Palace.

James scored 29 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and had 12 assists. He blocked a shot and made a jumper on consecutive possessions to give the Cavs a five-point cushion with a minute left, then sealed the victory on a three-pointer with 29.5 seconds remaining.

Cleveland has won four in a row and lost only one of its last 11 games, improving to an NBA-best 53-15. Richard Hamilton had 24 points and was one of six Pistons who scored in double figures. Charlie Villanueva scored 16 points, and Jason Maxiell had 10 points and 15 rebounds for Detroit. The Pistonst have dropped lost three straight and eight of 10.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... f-the-week

Pistons' Rodney Stuckey could play by end of the week
Pistons point guard Rodney Stuckey could return to action by the end of the week. Stuckey wasn't in uniform Tuesday against the Cleveland Cavaliers but could be cleared after going through a full practice Thursday. "Hopefully," coach John Kuester said of the possibility. "But we'll sort of play that by ear. "Hopefully he'll be given the freedom to practice (soon) and hopefully we'll have him back soon."

The Pistons have the day off Wednesday but return to practice the next day.Stuckey, 23, collapsed on the bench March 5 after feeling dizzy and weak. He has passed every test since and has begun light individual workouts over the last few days.

Kuester said in his pregame chat with reporters Tuesday that Ben Wallace (right knee sprain) is also out for the game against the Cavaliers. Tayshaun Prince (back), who suffered a hard fall to the floor Monday in Boston, will be a game-time decision. Prince went through the walkthrough, which Kuester said indicates there's a good chance Prince will play.

[nasty daddy]

http://64.246.64.33/merge/tsnform.aspx? ... W12553.htm

NBA Game Summary - Cleveland at Detroit
Final Score: Cleveland 113, Detroit 101
Mo Williams backed LeBron James' 28th career triple-double with 20 points, as Cleveland turned it on in the fourth quarter to post a 113-101 victory over Detroit.

James ended with 29 points, 12 assists and 12 rebounds in the Cavaliers' fourth straight win and 10th in 11 games. Antawn Jamison chipped in 15 points and 10 boards for Cleveland, which made 5- of-9 from three-point land in the fourth quarter to pull away.

Richard Hamilton had 24 points, Charlie Villanueva scored 16 and Jason Maxiell ended with 15 rebounds and 10 points for the Pistons, who have dropped three in a row. Tayshaun Prince finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and eight assists in defeat.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... or-Pistons

Cavaliers 113, Pistons 101: Improved effort results in another loss for Pistons
The effort was significantly better Tuesday than they were on Monday. They cared, played with passion, and played well. But against arguably the best team in the NBA, it wasn't enough.

The Cleveland Cavaliers made big plays down the stretch when they needed them and defeated the Pistons, 113-101. The Pistons have lost 10 of their last 12 games. Richard Hamilton scored 24 points, Charlie Villanueva 16 and Jason Maxiell had 10 points and 15 rebounds.

LeBron James had 29 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists, while Mo Williams scored 20 for the Cavaliers. James sank a jumper with 59.9 seconds left, giving the Cavaliers a 106-101 lead, then followed with a 3-pointer with 29.5 seconds remaining to stretch the lead to nine points (109-101). Williams had three 5-pointers in the final five minutes.

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http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=300316029

O.J. Mayo scored 24 points, going 4 of 5 from 3-point range, and the Memphis Grizzlies sent the undermanned Chicago Bulls to their eighth straight loss with a 104-97 victory Tuesday night.

Mike Conley finished with 19 points and 10 assists, while Zach Randolph added 18 points and 12 rebounds. Rudy Gay had 12 points, and Marcus Williams and Hasheem Thabeet finished with 10 apiece. Thabeet grabbed nine rebounds.

Flip Murray scored 25 points for the Bulls, while Hakim Warrick came off the bench for 22, including 10 in the fourth as the Bulls made a run.

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http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

DetNews: Cavaliers 113, Pistons 101: Improved effort results in another loss for Pistons: The effort was signifi... http://twurl.nl/gpsjby

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http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

DetNews: Pistons' Rodney Stuckey could play by end of the week: Stuckey, who collapsed on the bench during a gam... http://twurl.nl/chwc2s

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http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

MLive: LeBron James has triple-double as Pistons lose to Cavaliers, 113-101: Hamilton led six Detroit players in d... http://bit.ly/cf1WFj