'Nasty News - Traversing Time & Space' Vol: 27

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http://info.detnews.com/redesign/blogs/ ... /index.cfm

Spurs 78, Pistons 77 at 1:28 of 4th
This is the closest they've been since being tied at 51 early in the third quarter. Tim Duncan had the matchup he wanted, against Tayshaun Prince, but he just missed the bunny, giving the Pistons some life.

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http://info.detnews.com/redesign/blogs/ ... /index.cfm

Spurs 80, Pistons 79 with :39 left in 4th
You knew Tony Parker was going to make both free throws at this point of the game, didn't you?

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http://info.detnews.com/redesign/blogs/ ... /index.cfm

FINAL: Spurs 83, Pistons 79
This was a game the Pistons had to have, heading out on a brutally tough road trip against teams with better records. Allen Iverson was fabulous with 31 points. The real Rodney Stuckey is still missing, although he did a little better in the assist department. He can't just abandon his own game. Chauncey Billups never did, even though he managed to get his teammates involved. It's asking a lot of a second-year player, I know, but that's how much they think of him -- and how much they need him. Too bad Rasheed Wallace couldn't have found Iverson with that shot when they were down one.

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http://www.nba.com/2009/news/02/19/mihm ... index.html

The Los Angeles Lakers traded seldom-used center Chris Mihm to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, getting a future draft pick and a lighter payroll in the deal.

Mihm appeared in 18 games for the Lakers this season, averaging two points and 1.9 rebounds while playing 4.8 minutes per game for the overall NBA leaders. Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson indicated the club made the deal largely to trim its payroll while helping Mihm's chances of landing a better job next season.

"In these economic times, it's important for teams to reach whatever their goals are," Jackson said. "We have a goal to be economically feasible as an organization. We ran a little bit heavy and deep, and now we're cutting back."

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http://www.nba.com/video/games/pistons/ ... 1h_hl.nba/

Spurs vs. Pistons: 1st Half

Five points are all that separate the Spurs and the Pistons after two quarters of play.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... 90482/1127

Iverson's 31 points go for naught
The Pistons fought harder Thursday, but it didn't matter. Failing twice to tie the score or gain the lead in the final 10 seconds, the Pistons lost to the San Antonio Spurs, 83-79. It was their fifth straight loss, equaling the season's worst skid. It's also the second time this season they've lost four straight at home, something that hadn't happened since 2000-01. They have a losing home record (14-15). Tony Parker scored 19 and Tim Duncan had 18 points and 18 rebounds. Allen Iverson scored 31 for the Pistons, but missed his last three shots. Antonio McDyess had 13 points and 13 rebounds. This sequence was typical of the entire game, if not the entire season for the Pistons. Down five and fighting for their lives in the fourth quarter, Tayshaun Prince missed an open jumper. McDyess rescued the rebound from three Spurs, kicked it out to a still open Prince, who missed an even shorter jumper.

The Spurs raced down the floor and Michael Finley stuck a three-pointer. Instead of being down three, they were down eight with five minutes left. But they kept fighting. Iverson scored twice, Rasheed Wallace hit a 3-pointer and Iverson scored again -- with 2:54 left, the Spurs led 78-77. The Pistons missed a chance to take the lead when Wallace missed a 3-pointer and Iverson missed a jumper. They got a second chance after Duncan missed a contested shot at the basket. The Pistons executed a well-designed play that got Iverson a layup and the Pistons led by one with 1:21 left. But that would be the Pistons' only points in the final 2:54. Parker answered, driving past Iverson and drawing a foul by Wallace. His free throws put the Spurs back up and then the Pistons came up empty, Iverson missing a jumper. But Parker missed an open jumper and the Pistons had the ball and another chance to win with 28 seconds left. After a timeout, the Pistons isolated Iverson again but he couldn't find an opening. He tossed it off to a heavily guarded Wallace, who missed a step-back jumper from the baseline. The Pistons fouled Bruce Bowen, who made two free throws. The Pistons were down 82-79 with 9.7 seconds left.

Iverson missed a 3-pointer and Duncan sealed it with a free throw. The Pistons only used two reserves, Jason Maxiell and Richard Hamilton. It looked good for the Pistons early. Wallace scored five straight points, Iverson scored a quick eight and the Pistons jumped to a 19-7 lead. Then Parker got involved. He scored seven points in a little more than two minutes, triggering an 11-2 run and whatever momentum the Pistons had was gone. From there, it became like Groundhog's Day for the Pistons -- missed free throws, layups and open jumpers. After making his first two shots, Wallace missed his next six. Hamilton missed eight of his first 10.Errant shots became quick run-outs and easy scores for the Spurs. Every unsecured defensive rebound by the Pistons became a second-chance bucket for the Spurs. Case in point: The Pistons built the lead to five again early in the second quarter. They made a defensive stop but the rebound caromed past a flat-footed Jason Maxiell. Matt Bonner converted that into a 3-pointer. Later, Maxiell left Bonner to trap Roger Mason. Mason gave it to wide-open Bonner, who hit the second of his three 3-pointers in the quarter. The Pistons missed six of nine free throws in the first half and turning the ball over seven times. A 3-pointer by Finley sent the Spurs into halftime with a 45-40 lead.

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http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=290502250

Steven Gray scored a career-high 23 points and Josh Heytvelt added 18 as Gonzaga (20-5, 11-0 WCC) earned the top seed in the league tournament and took another step toward a third undefeated WCC season in the past six.

Gray came off the bench to make five of seven 3-pointers, all in his 21-point second half. Micah Downs added 16 points and Austin Daye 13 for Gonzaga, which outrebounded Loyola 44-31 and made 11 of 21 3-pointers.

Loyola Marymount (2-25, 1-10) came in as the worst shooting team in the nation at 34.8 percent, and made just 31 percent against the nation's top team in field goal defense (37.1 percent). The Lions were led by Kevin Young and Vernon Teel, with 13 points each.

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http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=290502429

Able to corral its young but raw talent and finally getting top scorer Lamont Mack hot late in the game, the 49ers stunned Xavier (No. 17 ESPN/USA Today, No. 16 AP) 65-60 on Thursday, dropping the struggling Musketeers to second place in the Atlantic 10.

It's why they needed the five 3-pointers and 16 points from Ian Andersen and why the tide turned when Mack got out of his funk, scoring all 12 points in the final eight minutes, including a 3-pointer with 31 seconds left to put Charlotte ahead 62-58.

C.J. Anderson had 13 points and seven rebounds for the Musketeers (21-5, 9-3), who got only nine points from senior B.J. Raymond in their third straight road loss.

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http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=290500026

Josh Shipp scored 20 points and UCLA (No. 15 ESPN/USA Today, No. 20 AP) held off Washington (No. 19, No. 22) 85-76 Thursday night to move into a second-place tie in the Pac-10, a half-game behind the first-place Huskies.

Darren Collison added 17 points, Nikola Dragovic 15, and Alfred Aboya had 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Bruins, who kept alive their bid for a fourth consecutive league title.

Washington's Justin Dentmon scored 22 points and Jon Brockman had 16 points and 14 rebounds for his 55th career double-double, most among college basketball's active players. Isaiah Thomas and Quincy Pondexter added 12 points each.

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http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=290500222

Corey Fisher scored seven of his 14 points in a 2-minute stretch that turned a small deficit into the decisive run and led the Wildcats (No. 14 ESPN/USA Today, No. 12 AP) to their 27th straight campus win, 82-72 win over Rutgers on Thursday night.

Scottie Reynolds scored 21 points and Corey Stokes had 17 points for Villanova (21-5, 9-4 Big East).

Rutgers gamely tried to duplicate last year's 80-68 stunner over the Wildcats in Piscataway, N.J., and kept this one close for most of the first 30 minutes. Mike Rosario scored 19 points and Anthony Farmer had 17.

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http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=290502599

Gerald Henderson scored 19 points for the Blue Devils as the starters scored all but four points.

Jon Scheyer had 18 points, Kyle Singler scored 15 and Lance Thomas added nine for Duke.

D.J. Kennedy had 20 points for the Red Storm (12-14), who have lost five straight overall and six in a row to Duke. The Blue Devils have won 13 of the last 15 meetings and this win improves their record at Madison Square Garden in the series to 5-1.

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http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3920443

Garnett hops off court with knee strain
Boston forward Kevin Garnett was injured late in the second quarter of the Celtics' game at Utah on Thursday night and went hopping on one foot toward the locker room.

The Celtics said he strained his right knee and would not return. Garnett injured his right leg while going up for an alley-oop late in the first half. He landed gingerly and motioned immediately to the bench for a substitute, then hopped on his good foot toward the locker room.

There was no immediate word on how serious the injury was or whether Garnett could return to the game.

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http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3919929

Granger out up to three weeks
Indiana Pacers All-Star Danny Granger will miss up to three weeks with a partial tendon tear in the sole of his right foot, the team said Thursday.

An MRI conducted Thursday in Minneapolis revealed the tear. The injury occurred in the first half of Wednesday night's game at Charlotte. Granger pulled up after a Charlotte turnover and came out of the game during a timeout with 10:50 left in the quarter. "That last shot I took right before I left the game, it felt like something popped in my foot," he said after the game. "I thought I had just pulled it. I ran down to the other end, and that's when I just walked to the bench and said, 'I've got something wrong.'"

Granger had been playing with pain in his right knee for several weeks, and played just 11 minutes in the All-Star game to avoid making it worse. He also participated in the 3-point shootout during All-Star weekend.

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

Allen Iverson can't keep Pistons from another loss
The Detroit Pistons put up more fight, but they were playing the San Antonio Spurs, a team that fought back and better in the final seconds.Rasheed Wallace and Allen Iverson each missed critical shots in the final 10 seconds, and San Antonio made enough free throws to pull out an 83-79 win over the Pistons Thursday night at The Palace of Auburn Hills. "It came down to we got to make some shots," Detroit's Michael Curry said after his team dropped a fifth consecutive game, the 10th in the past 12 and the eighth of the past 10 at home. "But as long as we continue to fight that way, and defend, we will be OK." Wallace was 4-of-16 shooting from the field when his 17-footer banged off the rim with 10 seconds remaining and the Pistons trailing 80-79. The play was called for Iverson, who led the Pistons with 31 points, but he read the double-team and dropped it to Wallace in the post.

Five seconds later, the Pistons trailed by three and Iverson launched a 3-point shot that missed. "I had more time than I thought, and I kind of rushed it," Iverson said. "You talk about plays like that, and they matter so much. But just getting to that point where we need a desperation shot -- that's the frustrating part." Tony Parker, who shot just 7-of-20 from the field, finished with 19 points and 11 assists, and Tim Duncan had 18 points and 18 rebounds. Matt Bonner, a 6-10 center who bombs away, hurt the Pistons with 15 points, including 5-of-8 on 3-point shots. The Pistons jumped to a 19-9 lead in the first eight minutes of the game, but trailed by five at halftime and by six to start the fourth quarter. Iverson led the fruitless rally with 12 of his points in the final quarter. "Last couple games, we talked about effort, but the effort was there," Iverson said. "Everybody gave what they had, and left it on the floor."

Curry is hoping the five-game road trip over eight days starting Sunday in Cleveland is a good thing. "It's disappointing that we have a better record on the road than we do at home, but it shows we're capable of pulling together, having focus and playing in tough territory," he said. "I feel confident we well play well on this trip." The Pistons, who were 34-7 at home last year, are 14-15 at The Palace this season and fell to within one game of a .500 record overall (27-26). "Obviously, (the road trip) is critical because we are not winning," Iverson said. "But all we got to concentrate on is one game at a time. Once we start to look far ahead we are definitely in trouble. We've got to get to the first one. We got to win the first game."

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http://www.mlive.com/sportsflash/index. ... thispage=2

Popovich announced before the game that sixth man Manu Ginobili will miss an additional 2-3 weeks with a right ankle injury. ... McDyess got his 1,000th career block early in the fourth quarter. ... Bowen finished 4-for-4 from the line — just the second time in the past three seasons that he had attempted four or more free throws in a game without missing. ... The Pistons only used seven players. "We don't play again until Sunday night, so I was able to shorten the bench," Curry said.

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http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=290219026

Deron Williams had 18 points and 10 assists and the Utah Jazz rallied to beat the Boston Celtics 90-85 Thursday night.

Mehmet Okur led Utah with 19 points and reserve Matt Harpring had eight points and a clutch rebound as the Jazz pulled away in the final minute.

Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 20 points.

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http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=290219008

That's why the rookie Detroit Pistons coach was so impressed that Duncan finished with 18 points and 18 rebounds in San Antonio's 83-79 victory.

Tony Parker added 19 points and 11 assists for the Spurs, who are 4-3 on an eight-game road trip.

Allen Iverson led all scorers with 31 points, and Antonio McDyess added 13 points and 13 rebounds.

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http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/truebluepistons.html

When the Pistons plug one hole, another springs a leak
The Pistons right now are a zero-sum game. Every gain they make in one area comes at the expense of another. And that runs counter to accepted basketball wisdom. If every American had a dollar for every time a coach has declared “our defense fuels our offense,” funding for the stimulus package would be resolved. But with the Pistons these days? If the offense is up, the defense is down. And vice versa. And on it goes. When Allen Iverson sizzles – as he did Thursday night against San Antonio, 31 points and eight assists – then Rip Hamilton scuffles, as he surely did against the Spurs with four points in 34 minutes on 2 of 10 shooting without getting to the foul line. On those rare nights they get Iverson and Hamilton throwing sparks simultaneously, their frontcourt sputters. And, as Iverson noted, that, too, isn’t the way it’s supposed to work. “When a guy is having a good night, that’s what helps me,” he said. “I feel like when I’m having a good night, that should help everybody else, because it takes a lot of attention off of other guys. When you’re having a good night, that should make the game that much easier for you, because they’re concentrating on stopping somebody else. We’ve just got to put it together. “It better start.”

Like, now. Because with a five-game road trip up next against a veritable murderer’s row, the Pistons risk the wrong side of .500 and slipping out of the playoff field. Iverson was the best of the good news from Thursday, with notable supporting roles played by Antonio McDyess – right now, the only dead-solid constant the Pistons have going for them – and Jason Maxiell, whose 10 points and nine boards in 25 minutes off the bench were highly encouraging. But the balance sheet in this zero-sum game also showed Rodney Stuckey with a two-point performance as his malaise continues; Rasheed Wallace shooting 4 of 17, including a miss from 17 with 12 seconds left and the Pistons down one; and Tayshaun Prince going 3 of 10. It’s not realistic, or necessary, that three or four players are great on the same night. That was never the formula even when the Pistons were winning 50-plus games and driving to the conference finals six straight seasons. All the Pistons need to achieve is a point where they get average production – in statistical categories and from players – to supplement the brilliance of the guy who gets off. So … on nights Iverson scores 31, if Hamilton can give them 14 instead of four. On nights they go 11 of 18 at the foul line, as they did against the Spurs, then make up for it by doing something more than 2 of 12 at the 3-point arc.

The first step in getting there, of course, is rolling up their sleeves and competing every night. Michael Curry has been frank about not liking what he’s seen in that area consistently – the first half of Tuesday’s loss to Milwaukee, most recently. But they scrapped against the Spurs. When you’ve lost four straight and seven of eight at home, streaks the Pistons carried into Thursday’s game, sometimes the fight gets sapped from your soul even if your mind is selling you another story. So take that as a positive. There’s also this: Heading out on an extended road trip – and especially one that features the quality of opponent this one does – can do wonders for riveting a team’s focus and forging its chemistry. Even if the trip doesn’t result in wonders done for their record, it’s entirely possible the Pistons will come back a different team – more united, more focused, more confident and more sure of what they should be and can become. As Allen Iverson might put it, it better start.

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http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/SASDET_ ... recap.html

TAKE FIVE : A five-point dissection of a courageous comeback cut short. 1. A.I. leads attack – Allen Iverson brought more than his vintage look back from the All-Star break. A little “I can carry a team” swagger made the trip from Phoenix as well. Iverson scored 12 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter, single-handedly leading the Pistons back from a game on the verge of slipping away. It was Iverson’s first 30-point game since scoring a season-high 38 in December. “We thought Allen was going pretty good tonight. I thought he was our most aggressive guy all night long,” Pistons coach Michael Curry said. “He got to the paint, he’s the reason we cut it to one.”Trailing by eight with five minutes left, Iverson scored eight of Detroit’s next 11 points to take a 79-78 lead with 1:21 left. But after two Tony Parker free throws gave the lead back to San Antonio, Rasheed Wallace, who shot 4-for-17 from the floor, took the go-ahead attempt. His 17-footer over Tim Duncan came up short with 11.9 seconds left. After two Spurs free throws, the Pistons had one last chance to tie with six seconds left, but Iverson’s 3 from the top of the key also was off the mark. “I could have got a better look,” said Iverson, who shot 13-for-28, a season-high for shot attempts. “I think I had more time than I thought I had. Honestly, when we talk about plays like that - they matter so much - but just getting to the point that we needed a desperation make, that is the frustrating part. We put ourselves in a bad predicament.” The Pistons were nonetheless stellar at the outset. They scored the game’s first nine points, making four of their first five field goals, and then Iverson scored eight consecutive points on two jumpers and two layups, pushing the Pistons to their largest lead, 19-7. Tim Duncan - the Spurs’ ho-hum Hall of Famer - quietly posted 18 points and 18 rebounds. He had seven points and eight rebounds in the fourth. “He’s incredible,” Curry said. “I know a lot of times people talk about San Antonio basketball as a boring game of basketball but I love basketball and I love the way they play. I can watch them play all the time, just the way he comes out every night.”

TEAM COLORS : 2. White Hot – With Duncan shooting 7-for-19 and fellow All-Star Tony Parker scoring his team-high 19 points on 7-of-20 shooting, Curry was relatively pleased with his team’s defense on San Antonio’s top weapons. But that left one weapon, center Matt Bonner, wide open. He scored 15 points, all behind the 3-point line. “You’re going to give something up, he’s going to get some shots,” Curry said. “You see a lot of nights when Sheed is on, and it’s like, ‘How does he continue to get those shots?’ Bigs are going to get shots if they can shoot at the 3-point line.” A career 41.5-percent shooter from 3-point range, Bonner is making nearly half of his attempts from downtown this season. He made three triples in the second quarter, twice pulling the Spurs within two and then breaking a tie for the Spurs’ first lead, 39-36. “We were having a little trouble getting it going tonight on offense,” Bonner said. “Tonight I was open so I shot it and it was going in.” When the Pistons gained some fourth-quarter momentum, Bonner struck again in front of the Detroit bench for No. 5. While Bonner was 5-of-8 from 3-point range, the Pistons were 2-of-12 as a team. 3. BLUE COLLAR – Prior to the game Curry praised Jason Maxiell for traditionally playing well against the Spurs- even though he played just seven minutes in the first meeting earlier this season at San Antonio. But Maxiell made a prophet of Curry by delivering 10 points and nine rebounds in 25 minutes, four shy of his season high. “I thought Max’s energy off the bench was great. He played 25 minutes. As I always tell him, if you rebound the basketball we can reward you with more minutes,” said Curry, who played only two reserves, Maxiell and Rip Hamilton. “He came out and did that for us.” It was Maxiell’s most rebounds since a season-high 11 boards against Toronto Jan. 21. Prior to Thursday Maxiell had grabbed more than one rebound just once in seven February games. Antonio McDyess notched his second consecutive double-double in two games as a starter with 13 points and 13 rebounds. He also had two blocks, giving him 1,000 for his career.

4. RED FLAG – Trailing by five at halftime, the Pistons tied it at 51 midway through the third quarter, when the two problems Curry has tried to address - rebounding and stopping lane penetration - resurfaced. The Spurs scored twice on put-backs - a Duncan tip of a Parker miss and then a short jumper by Kurt Thomas - as the Spurs regained a 57-51 lead. Then two unheralded Spurs guards, free-agent pickup George Mason and rookie George Hill, did their impersonations of Kobe Bryant and Dwayne Wade, both slicing into the paint for layups, Mason’s the more impressive of the two as he spun the ball over his shoulder. Those helped the Spurs take a 64-58 lead into the fourth. How the Pistons responded to that deficit in the final quarter, however, pleased Curry a great deal. “They fought,” he said. “I thought the team fought tonight -- came out and competed.” THE LAST CALL : A little perspective on the road ahead. 5. – With the trading deadline behind them and a five-game road trip coming up, the Pistons face their most daunting stretch yet - and realize there’s no one coming to their rescue. “I think we all realize after the deadline that this group has to get it done. You’ve got to pull it together,” Curry said. “I thought they played together better today as they did in the fourth quarter against Milwaukee. Sometimes we go through stretches where we feel like strangers out there. But now, this is us, and this road trip should help.” The Pistons are 13-11 on the road this year but now 14-15 at The Palace, where they've lost eight of their last nine. “It’s disappointing we have a better road record than we do home but that also shows we’re capable of pulling together and being focused and playing in tough territory," Curry said. "It’s a good road trip for us and I feel confident that we’re going to play well on this trip, come away with some good victories.”

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http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... 00417/1127

Magic's Nelson finished for season after surgery
The Magic said All-Star guard Jameer Nelson will miss the rest of the season after having shoulder surgery.

Nelson had a successful procedure performed by Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., and the Magic said he would need an estimated four to six months of rehabilitation.

Nelson suffered dislocated his right shoulder and torn labrum Feb. 2 against Dallas. Before that, he had been selected to his first All-Star Game after averaging 16.7 points.