'Nasty News - Traversing Time & Space' Vol: 58

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http://www.nba.com/pistons/photogallery ... 127_1.html

Pistons vs. Clippers

Photo gallery in the link above^.

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http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/trueblu ... 91127.html

Firing Blanks
The three proven scorers left standing for the Pistons missed nearly twice as many shots as they made Friday night, which goes a long way toward explaining how they came to extend their losing streak to seven games. Jonas Jerebko more than doubled his previous career high with 22 points and made all four of his 3-point shots, while Ben Wallace ratcheted back the hands of time a few more notches by grabbing 10 offensive rebounds, which goes a long way toward explaining how the Pistons somehow led as late as midway through the fourth quarter and still had a chance to win the game in the final two minutes.But the shooting travails of Charlie Villanueva (5 of 15), Rodney Stuckey (10 of 24) and Will Bynum (4 of 17) undermined whatever chance the Pistons had to snap their losing streak on the first night they went into a game without their three highest-paid players. Rip Hamilton missed his 15th game, Tayshaun Prince his 13th and Ben Gordon his first after spraining his ankle just before halftime of Wednesday’s loss to Cleveland. It speaks to John Kuester’s competitiveness and the belief he’s exuded in the capabilities of his roster from one through 14 that his disappointment was palpable after the game, adversity aside. “I was disappointed with this loss because we had a chance,” he said, “and normally we’ve shown a lot of grit at the end of the fourth period and we didn’t show the same kind of grit that we have in the past. “Anytime you have those guys you’re counting on shooting that type of percentage, it’s going to hurt your chances. I thought Jonas did a nice job and Austin (Daye) came in and really tried to compete. But guys that we’re counting on to show the leadership through this tough time, they’ve just got to step up. We need them to continue to play with confidence. I believe in them. They just can’t have slippage right now.” The Pistons were fine for the first half, leading 54-47 at the break, but the struggles of their new big three became even more pronounced in the second half, when the Pistons were outscored 57-42.

Villanueva was 0 for 5, Stuckey 3 for 13 and Bynum 2 for 7 after halftime, and the Clippers punished the Pistons defensively when Ben Wallace went to the bench for a breather to start the fourth quarter, getting inside repeatedly and attacking the interior tandem of Villanueva and Jason Maxiell. “And they should,” Kuester said, coming as close as he’s come to sending a message. “We’ve got to have other guys step up. We had people come off the bench that had given us a boost at times (that) did not play with the same type of intensity that I expect us to play with.Villanueva got yanked midway through the first quarter, then again with 1:38 left and the Pistons down four when he got stripped in the post. Before the game, Kuester was more typically upbeat, and spoke of the opportunities for playing time the crippling run of injuries provided the rookies. “This is a great opportunity for other players to step up to the plate and, the thing about it is, this is going to make us a stronger team as time goes on. That’s how we’re approaching it. We’ve got a great group of guys. It just would be nice to see them all together at one time, other than that one game. But we’re going to be fine before it’s all over.” Peel away the gloom of losing for a seventh straight game, and the performances of Jerebko and Daye give Kuester’s pregame optimism more than just a little resonance. Earlier in the week, Jerebko had said he hadn’t yet shown the tip of the iceberg with regard to his offensive game and lamented that he hadn’t found a rhythm or gained confidence. But he showed off his versatility with the four triples, some back-door cuts for layups, a baby hook in the lane and a drive that ended with him contorting his body in mid-air and switching hands for a right-handed bank shot. Jerebko scored 12 points in the fourth quarter to keep the Pistons close while playing a career-high 34 minutes. He added five boards and made a beautiful interior pass to Wallace for a three-point play that pulled the Pistons within three with 1:07 to play. “I know I can shoot, but I think the confidence has been not what it should be,” he said. “But tonight, I made my first shot, the confidence comes back a little bit and then just keeps going after that.” “Jonas played great tonight,” Bynum said. “We always know one thing with Jonas – we’re going to get 110 percent effort every time. Jonas has just been great all season.

It doesn’t surprise me at all. When he first got here in the summer, he was playing extremely well offensively. There’s ups and downs when you’re a rookie. It’s not going to be easy from day one, but he works extremely hard and he’s going to be fine.” Daye also posted career highs in minutes (33) and points (13) while grabbing five rebounds and holding his own defensively. When the Pistons get back to full strength – and early indications are that Gordon’s sprained ankle isn’t nearly as severe as Hamilton’s – Kuester’s vision of a deeper team with more options could well be realized. In the meantime, the onus remains on the shoulders of Stuckey, Bynum and Villanueva, and they’ll have to give the Pistons more efficient scoring if they have any chance to stop the skid from reaching eight against Atlanta on Sunday. Bynum thinks playing faster is a starting point. “We have to get some easy baskets,” he said. “Every time, we’re playing against the shot clock. It’s under five seconds left and we’re trying to get the best shot we can possibly get and it’s tough like that. We need to play a little faster, that’s the only way with all these guys out. That’s the only way we’re going to be in games. We can play in spurts, but we’ve got to play faster and get some easy buckets. We have to run, run into our sets quicker. There’s no other way.” But they have to straddle a fine line, because playing at a higher tempo when Kuester has to rely on three rookies and others, like veteran Chucky Atkins, who were never supposed to be rotation staples. And Kuester would no doubt point out that no matter the Pistons’ offensive struggles, they were still in the game in the final minutes despite allowing the Clippers to shoot 59 percent. “We’ve got to get some stops and we’ve had that in the past,” he said. “Tonight, we didn’t get the stops we had been getting in the fourth quarter in a number of our games. I like the philosophy of guys understanding don’t do too much and, especially when you’re shorthanded, don’t beat yourselves.”

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http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/trueblu ... 91127.html

Factoid of the night: In starting Daye and Jerebko, the Pistons started two rookies for the first time in 15 years. It was April 24, 1994 when lottery picks Allen Houston and Lindsey Hunter started. The Pistons finished 20-62 that year, got the third pick in the draft and selected Grant Hill.

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http://www.nba.com/pistons/video/2009/1 ... index.html

Postgame Autograph Session
The Pistons are hosting a postgame autograph session for the first 3000 fans 14 - under and under following Sundays game against the Hawks.

Video in the link above^.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2009 ... -beat-Cavs

Gerald Wallace outduels LeBron as Bobcats beat Cavs
LeBron James and the Cavaliers were already struggling with their rhythm in Shaquille O'Neal's return from injury. Listening intently to Jordan and attacking a foul-prone James, Wallace had 31 points and 14 rebounds, and the Charlotte Bobcats took advantage of the disjointed Cavaliers in a 94-87 victory on Friday night.

James scored 25 points, but Cleveland had its three-game winning streak snapped just as O'Neal returned after missing six games with a strained left shoulder.

Stephen Jackson added 17 points for Charlotte. Nazr Mohammed had 13 points and six rebounds, and was O'Neal's main defender as the Bobcats improved to 6-2 at home.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2009 ... overy-slow

Tayshaun Prince taking recovery slow
Some days are good and some days are filled with pain for injured Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince. But he won't even think about returning to the lineup until he begins putting together consecutive pain-free days. Prince has been out four weeks because of a ruptured disk and said there is no timetable to return. "We did not talk about it," Prince said. "Nobody has talked about it. It is a situation where they are putting me in position to feel good in consecutive days, rather than being up and down."

Prince took extensive shooting practice before the Pistons' game against the Los Angeles Clippers Friday. He is beginning to work out but has not scrimmaged or practiced with the team. Prince said his straight-line movement is good but lateral movement and pushing off sometimes causes pain. He said he is taking one step at a time and adding to his workouts each day. "Most of the stuff we are working on is moving side to side," he said. "Anything back and forth I am fine with. And I have not had the opportunity to go for a long period of time. I have to see when we do things like that. We are keeping it short and sweet right now. And, like you said, we are making progress."

Prince has corresponded with a number of NBA players who wanted to pass along advice. He heard repeatedly that the back is not an injury from which you want to rush your return. "It is a situation where (the injury) can keep coming back," Prince said. "This is definitely a situation where I have to take my time, and it is frustrating because the team is not doing well right now and you want to jump out there and help them. At the same time, you have to be patient."

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2009 ... overy-slow

Gordon out
Ben Gordon missed the Pistons' 104-96 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday because of a twisted left ankle and is listed as day to day. He joins Richard Hamilton and Prince on the bench, which will give opportunities for several young players to show coach John Kuester what they can do.

Rookie Austin Daye started in Gordon's place and had 13 points and five rebounds in 33 minutes. Kuester chose Daye because he likes the energy and scoring that Will Bynum provides off the bench. He said a number of young players will get an opportunity to play along with veteran guard Chucky Atkins . "We have a lot of guys who can play multiple positions," guard Rodney Stuckey said. "(Gordon) is a scorer and we are going to miss him. He is going to be back soon, though. This is an opportunity for our young guys to come in and play."

Stuckey said the Pistons will need for others to score, but said he tries not to do everything himself. "I just play within myself," he said.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2009 ... overy-slow

Aggressive play
Ben Wallace said the more-aggressive teams usually win in the NBA. That has played out with the Pistons this season. Pistons opponents are shooting an average of 31.1 free throws during Pistons losses, as opposed to 22.8 during Pistons victories.

"When we are not being aggressive and other teams come after us and attack us and get to the foul line and we don't get to the foul line, that is how games are decided," he said.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2009 ... ue-Pistons

Rookie duo can't rescue Pistons
The Pistons took a peek into the future and liked what they saw. They just didn't like the final result, which was a 104-96 loss Friday night to the Los Angeles Clippers (7-10) at The Palace. You can't fault rookies Jonas Jerebko and Austin Daye, who took advantage of another Pistons injury to show they can be important cogs in the future. They brought energy and surprising scoring to a lineup badly in need of scoring punch without leading scorer Ben Gordon, who missed the game with a left ankle sprain. He joined Rip Hamilton (ankle) and Tayshaun Prince (ruptured disc) on the sideline. The trio represents 63 percent of the Pistons offense, 58 points a game. The Pistons wanted to win it with defense but the Clippers had too much energy and surprising execution down the stretch. They shot 59 percent and overcame a seven-point halftime deficit to win going away. Now the Pistons (5-11) must regroup for Sunday's 1 p.m. home game against the Atlanta Hawks.

The hero this night was Jerebko (22 points, five rebounds) who kept the Pistons in the game with old school back door plays and 3-point baskets. He was a bundle of energy and not only filled the basket with jumpers but swept the floor with hustle plays. He might have been even more effective if not for getting into foul trouble, which caused him to be more cautious on defense. He fouled out during the final minute. Jerebko and Daye (13 points, five rebounds) became the first rookies to start together for the Pistons since Allan Houston and Lindsey Hunter started on April 24, 1994, after Isiah Thomas (ruptured tendon) missed the final regular season game during a dismal 20-62 season. Thomas retired at the end of the season and the Pistons brought in another rookie -- Grant Hill -- who turned into an All-Star before leaving the team for Orlando. Rodney Stuckey chipped in 21 points and seven assists and Ben Wallace five points and 16 rebounds. However, the Pistons shot just 41 percent. Both Daye and Jerebko had their moments, but it was Jerebko who became a go-to guy during two important stretches. The Pistons trailed 39-38 late in the second quarter when Jerebko went to work. He hit a hook shot, layup and 3-point shot to propel the Pistons to a 54-47 halftime lead.

In the fourth he rallied the Pistons to an 87-86 lead on two back-door cuts and a 3-point basket. Daye was steady throughout and finished with 13 points and five rebounds. During one stretch the Pistons fielded one of the tallest lineups in the NBA, even though the 6-foot Will Bynum led the unit at point guard. He was surrounded by 6-9 Wallace, 6-10 Jerebko and 6-11 forwards Charlie Villanueva and Daye. The Clippers took over in the fourth quarter. Marcus Camby's three-point play with 5:32 remaining gave them a 93-87 lead. The Clippers extended the lead to 97-90 before Jerebko hit a 3-point basket to slice it to 97-93. But the dagger came moments later when former Central Michigan star Chris Kaman (26 points, seven rebounds) hit a jumper in the lane to extend the lead to six. Clippers forward Al Thornton (19 points, four rebounds) made critical plays down the stretch and Baron Davis led the Clippers with 25 points and 10 assists. After the Kaman basket the Pistons fought to the bitter end. Ben Wallace made a three-point play to slice the lead to 99-96 with 1:07 remaining. But Kaman hit another jumper to make it 101-96.

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night tweet world talk to yall in the morn..O almost forgot can yall help me i wana get ur opinion wat r ur top all time favorite R&B songz

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http://www.nba.com/pistons/video/2009/1 ... index.html

Postgame Recap - Pistons vs Clippers

Video in the link above^.

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http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

MLive: Pistons' starters against Clippers very different than last year's lineup: Injuries to three key players -- ... http://bit.ly/5CZOYk

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http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

Freep: Live scoring: Pistons desperate for win vs. Clips: The Detroit Pistons hope to put an end to their six-game ... http://bit.ly/5ltLNe

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http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

MLive: Clippers' Chris Kaman starting to feel more like his old self after illness: The former Wyoming Tri-unity Ch... http://bit.ly/4WNJWk

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MLive: Pistons can't seal deal against Chris Kaman and Clippers, lose 104-96: The Clippers had dropped 13 consecuti... http://bit.ly/58qAuH

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http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

DetNews: Rookie duo can't rescue Pistons: The Pistons took a peek into the future and liked what they saw. They j... http://twurl.nl/26efmi

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http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

DetNews: Tayshaun Prince taking recovery slow: Prince, suffering from a ruptured disk, won't even think about ret... http://twurl.nl/5wdiyk

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DetNews: Gerald Wallace outduels LeBron as Bobcats beat Cavs: James and the Cavaliers were already struggling wit... http://twurl.nl/ck0hwk

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http://www.freep.com/article/20091128/S ... Pistons-96

Summary: Clippers 104, Pistons 96
Clippers 104, Pistons 96

L.A. CLIPPERS (104)
Thornton 8-12 3-5 19, Camby 3-7 1-1 7, Kaman 11-13 4-6 26, B.Davis 6-9 11-11 25, Butler 3-7 2-2 8, E.Gordon 4-11 6-9 14, Smith 2-2 1-1 5, Novak 0-0 0-0 0, Telfair 0-2 0-0 0, Collins 0-0 0-0 0, R.Davis 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 37-63 28-35 104.
DETROIT (96)
Jerebko 8-11 2-3 22, Villanueva 5-15 0-0 11, Wallace 2-4 1-1 5, Stuckey 10-24 1-2 21, Daye 4-11 4-6 13, Maxiell 2-4 2-2 6, Bynum 4-17 5-6 14, Brown 0-0 0-0 0, Summers 0-1 0-0 0, Atkins 1-4 1-2 4. Totals 36-91 16-22 96.
L.A. Clippers 27 20 27 30 -- 104
Detroit 27 27 21 21 -- 96

3PG: L.A. Clippers 2-10 (B.Davis 2-3, Butler 0-2, E.Gordon 0-5), Detroit 8-17 (Jerebko 4-4, Atkins 1-2, Bynum 1-2, Daye 1-2, Villanueva 1-6, Stuckey 0-1). Fouled Out: Jerebko, Stuckey. Rebounds: L.A. Clippers 40 (Camby 9), Detroit 54 (Wallace 16). Assists: L.A. Clippers 26 (B.Davis 10), Detroit 21 (Bynum 9). Fouls: L.A. Clippers 19, Detroit 28. Technicals: B.Davis. A: 18,954 (22,076).

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http://www.freep.com/article/20091128/S ... Pistons-96

Recap: Clippers 104, Pistons 96
THE PALACE OF AUBURN HILLS: Clippers 104, Pistons 96
WHAT HAPPENED: The Pistons played hard all game but lost their seventh consecutive contest as the Clippers steadied in the second half to win it. Despite the stout efforts of Will Bynum, Rodney Stuckey and rookies Jonas Jerebko and Austin Daye, the Clippers, with Chris Kaman prominent in the final period, made the most of their opportunities at the line.