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

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http://stats.mlive.com/nba/recap.asp?g= ... me=3&vis=8

Notes: Detroit last lost eight in a row from Dec. 21, 1994 to Jan. 8, 1995, a year they went 28-54. ... Paul had 3 points in the first half and 7 after three quarters. The Hornets swept their 2-game series with the Pistons a year after getting swept by Detroit.

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http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=290225012

Zach Randolph scored 30 points, including the final three of the game, to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a 93-91 upset of the Boston Celtics on Wednesday night.

Randolph also had 12 rebounds. Baron Davis had 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists for Los Angeles before fouling out with 35 seconds remaining.

Pierce led the Celtics, who are without the injured Kevin Garnett, with 20 points. Rondo and Ray Allen each scored 17.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/chat.asp?stat ... ICS_ID=170

Marc in Oberhausen, Germany: Hey Tommy. Bench players are often overlooked,especially when they aren't 6th man,but 7th - 10th man.Who is the most valuable bench player,who is the best role player coming off the bench, and which bench player has the most potential?

Tommy Beer: Hey Marc - the best bench players in the NBA are those guys that could be starting but their coaches choose to use them off the bench for tactical reasons – Manu Ginobili, Jason Terry, and now Rip Hamilton are current examples.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/chat.asp?stat ... ICS_ID=170

Jeremy in UK: is there a possibility that the Pistons could fail to make the playoffs this yr? would they still consider keeping Wallace, or would they try to go after Boozer?

Tommy Beer: The chances of the Pistons falling all the out of the playoffs are slim – just because that is more a commentary on the teams chasing them. The Knicks, Bucks, Raps, Bulls, Nets, and 'Cats likely don't have the firepower to pass them. But stranger things have happened – I wouldn't have said the Pistons wouldn't lose seven straight games either, so… And the road for Detroit doesn't get any easier. The play three more road games this week – at New Orleans, at Boston and then at Orlando. Yikes! This thing streak could easily get to 10 straight defeats. Dumars definitely has his eyes on Boozer. As one of the few teams with cap space (and assuming the Jazz choose to retain Paul Millsap), he may very well get his man.
If Detroit lands Boozer, Joe D will let 'Sheed walk.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... 60419/1127

Barkley not worried about upcoming brief jail sentence
Charles Barkley says he's not worried about serving a brief jail sentence after pleading guilty Monday to charges of driving drunk.

The former NBA star, 45, pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges stemming from his arrest in December in Arizona. He's set to begin a five-day sentence March 21. "I always knew I'd have to do time," he told the Associated Press on Wednesday. "It's not something I'm worried about."

The Hall of Famer must pay more than $2,000 in fines and attend an alcohol treatment program. He'll also be forced to install an ignition interlock device on his vehicles.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... 60419/1127

Spurs forward Tim Duncan missed his second consecutive game Wednesday night against the Trail Blazers after being diagnosed with right quad tendonosis.

The Spurs listed Duncan as day-to-day.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... 60419/1127

The Rockets have won eight straight home games and five straight overall after a 98-94 victory over the Trail Blazers on Tuesday.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... 60420/1127

Stuckey is not set for bench
Curry says he'll keep giving point guard opportunities; Pistons team needs to get better.
Pistons coach Michael Curry, with his team in the throes of a seven-game skid, answered some tough questions before the game Wednesday.
Q. With point guard Rodney Stuckey struggling as badly as he is, have you thought about benching him in favor of Richard Hamilton?
Curry: "I really haven't thought about that. Right now, we are just trying to get guys to play better. Part of his struggles is that Stuckey hasn't been able to be aggressive. We are going to continue to try and put him in positions where he can be more aggressive. But with a young player like that, you don't want it to look like we're pinning things on him. We have to get better as a team, not just at that position."
Q. He's a second-year player. Do you worry about shattering his confidence and maybe doing long-term damage to his psyche?
Curry: "Nah, he seems to be confident. We monitor that and see how he's feeling. He's not scoring like he has in the past, but he's still doing good things on the court."

Q. After the loss in Miami, Allen Iverson complained about the style of play and that the team needs to establish an identity.
Curry: "We can sit here and talk about style all day, but we've got different players on this team. Allen is better in an open-court style. If you all ask him how he wants to play, he's going to say that he wants to get it up and down the floor. That's who he is. But we have different players that play different ways. "As a coaching staff, we are trying to put all of our players in a position to be successful. We want to get out and run after we get a stop or a turnover, but we can't ask Rasheed (Wallace) and Antonio McDyess to run with Allen all day. That's not going to happen. "We have to keep a balance. But I understand what guys are saying. You all ask Allen that question and he feels like a lot of this is pinned on him. But it's not just on him when we lose. It's all of us. It's a team. It's been 'we' all year and it's always going to be 'we.' "

Q. In the last five games, Wallace has averaged eight points and seven rebounds, shooting just 27.5 percent and worse (23.5 percent) beyond the 3-point arc. What's going on with him?
Curry: "We're trying to get him the ball. Teams are fronting him and making it hard for us to get it to him. He has to keep working through it. I don't know how he feels physically. He says he's OK and he has been working hard on defense. He's giving us what he has. We have to take whatever he can give us."

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http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... 60420/1127

During the seven-game skid, the Pistons had been outscored by an average of nine points.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... 60420/1127

Iverson, who twisted his back on Tuesday, started but played just eight minutes before leaving for the night.

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http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3935142

Barkley not worried about jail
Charles Barkley says he's not worried about serving a brief jail sentence after pleading guilty Monday to charges of driving drunk. The 45-year-old former NBA star pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges stemming from his arrest in late December in Arizona. He's set to begin a five-day sentence March 21. "I always knew I'd have to do time," he told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "It's not something I'm worried about."

The Hall of Famer must pay more than $2,000 in fines and attend an alcohol treatment program. Under Arizona law, he'll also be forced to install an ignition interlock device on his vehicles. "I'm not even thinking about it," he said of the jail sentence. "When it happens, it happens." Barkley was stopped by police Dec. 31 shortly after leaving a Scottsdale nightclub. He was arrested after failing a field sobriety test. He had a blood-alcohol level of .149 percent, nearly twice the legal limit of .08 percent in Arizona.

After a six-week leave of absence, Barkley resumed his studio analyst role for TNT last week. The latest development in Barkley's legal woes came as he is promoting a new television series on Golf Channel called "The Haney Project," in which renowned coach Hank Haney tries to help him improve his swing. "I made a mistake and just have to take the beatdown," Barkley said. "It is what it is. It's 100 percent my fault."

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... 60420/1127

Streaks of pain
Here are the longest losing streaks in Pistons history.
14 -- Dec. 20 to Jan. 18, 1993-94
14 -- March 7 to March 30, 1979-80
13 -- April 1 to April 24, 1993-94
13 -- Jan. 27 to Feb. 27, 1979-80
9 -- Nov. 27 to Dec. 13, 1981-82
9 -- Jan. 8 to Jan. 19, 1980-81
9 -- Dec. 6 to Dec. 23, 1975-76
9 -- Nov. 5 to Dec. 20, 1965-66
9 -- Jan. 14 to Jan. 30, 1958-59

[nasty daddy]

http://need4sheed.com/2009/02/rasheed-w ... ended.html

Rasheed Wallace - Tossed (Towel) and Suspended
Game on the line, Sheed having a great game, blows his top after a foul call and trows two towels. One into the stands which led to his 16th technical foul of the year and then another on the court.

No Sheed in Orlando against the Magic - SUSPENDED

The hits just keep on coming. 8 in a row……

Clip of this incident in the link above^.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... 60420/1127

Hamilton vents after skid grows
Team rallies but falls short without Iverson, Wallace on way to its eighth consecutive loss.
You want to take the positives out of it. You want to look at how the Pistons fought and scrapped Wednesday despite the early ejection of Rasheed Wallace and the even earlier departure of Allen Iverson (stiff back) and were within a defensive rebound in the final seconds of upsetting the New Orleans Hornets. But you can't. The Pistons didn't get the rebound, didn't make a 3-pointer at the buzzer and wound up on the wrong end of a 90-87 decision. It was their eighth straight loss, the longest skid since the 1994-95 season. They have now lost 17 of 22 and have fallen into seventh place in the East. Worse still, the evidence continues to pile up that the Pistons are better without Iverson, and Richard Hamilton said he's done coming off the bench. The Pistons were down, 20-11, when Iverson left, eight minutes into the game. They rallied almost immediately, with Hamilton leading the way (24 points). Their energy was better, they competed harder, the offense ran smoother -- they just seemed more cohesive. Coach Michael Curry dodged the issue of a lineup change, but Hamilton didn't. "I said I would come off the bench as long as we win," Hamilton said. "But we've been losing. We are 4-12 with me coming off the bench. Something's got to give. Something's got to change. I am on board with doing whatever for the team but coming off the bench and we're not winning, that's something totally different."

The team is in a free fall. This is no time to worry about bruising egos. If it is clear -- and it is -- that the Pistons play better with Hamilton in the starting lineup, then Iverson needs to go to the bench. "I just think if we can get through this struggle and manage to stay together, and if we can find a way to get some wins, we are going to be better because of it," Curry said, staying away from the question. Worse still, the Pistons will be without Wallace in Orlando Friday. He picked up his 15th and 16th technical fouls and will be suspended. Wallace was playing as well as he had in six games. He scored 12 of his 16 points in the third quarter and hit a 3-pointer to put the Pistons up, 67-65, early in the fourth. That's when the trouble started. He missed three straight shots. With the score tied at 71, he had a defensive rebound slapped away by the Hornets' Sean Marks. The ball went to David West, who scored the putback. Wallace argued that he was fouled and referee Bill Kennedy slapped him with a technical foul -- his 15th. He got No. 16, which brings an automatic suspension, 27 seconds later. Kennedy called another foul on Wallace and Curry subbed him out. Wallace wanted to stay in the game and was angry when he went to the bench.

Fans were on him good and he flipped a towel into the stands -- automatic technical foul and ejection. Before leaving, Wallace hurled another towel in the direction of Kennedy, which could cost him an additional game and certainly more money. The result of all that -- six straight points by the Hornets -- had the Pistons down, 78-71, with 7:32 left. "He was emotional," Curry said. "He knew what those techs did. He's an emotional guy and you understand that with him. I was pleased with the way he played tonight." The Pistons fought back and were within a point with 55 seconds left. Twice they forced the Hornets to miss. Twice they couldn't come up with the rebound. Finally, with 6.7 seconds left, West (30 points, 10 rebounds) made two free throws. On the Pistons' final possession, Curry inserted Walter Herrmann, who played only six minutes of the second half. He wasn't the primary option, but he got the open 3-point attempt and missed. "I thought we played hard, shared the ball and had a lot of movement," Hamilton said. "But when you are struggling like we are, these games really hurt. You don't get one rebound and they end up getting the two free throws that beat you."

[nasty daddy]

http://64.246.64.33/merge/tsnform.aspx? ... W10694.htm

Final Score: New Orleans 90, Detroit 87
David West posted 30 points and 10 rebounds, and the New Orleans Hornets continued Detroit's recent futility with a 90-87 win over the Pistons. West's 10-of-13 effort from the free throw line gave the Hornets their fourth win in six games. Chris Paul added 20 points and 13 assists, as New Orleans swept the season series, 2-0, from Detroit. Tyson Chandler recorded 10 points and a game-high 17 rebounds, and Peja Stojakovic had 17 points in the victory. "I knew it was going to be a tight game all the way," said Hornets head coach Byron Scott. "I am glad we made some big plays in the end and got the stops when we needed to. We have been talking about rebounds all season long. West and Chandler got 27 out of 51 rebounds. That is how the game is won; the game is won in the trenches. The last couple games we have done a much better job in that department. We caught them at a good time." Rip Hamilton scored a team-high 24 points for the Pistons, who have lost eight straight for the first time since December 21, 1994-January 8, 1995, a season in which Detroit finished with a 28-54 record. The Pistons, who currently stand at 27-29, have not had a losing record this late in the season since the 2000-01 campaign.

Rasheed Wallace had 16 points and seven rebounds before being ejected in the fourth quarter due to his throwing a towel into the stands and another one onto the court. Wallace will now be suspended for one game after receiving his 15th and 16th technical fouls of the season. "We got unraveled a little bit, but still we have to keep our composure as a team," said Pistons head coach Michael Curry. "Those two technicals and throwing Rasheed (Wallace) out hurt. I thought we still had a chance; it's just tough. I thought we did as good as of a job as we could have defending Chris (Paul)." Antonio McDyess had 15 points and nine rebounds, while Tayshaun Prince scored 11 in the loss.Allen Iverson left the game after playing only 8:16 due to back stiffness. He scored two points in the game. With Detroit trailing by one to start the fourth, Wallace's ejection helped fuel an 11-2 Hornets run that gave New Orleans control of the game. The Hornets were behind, 69-67, but Paul hit two consecutive shots to put the team ahead by a pair with nine minutes left. West and Paul accounted for all the points during the burst that gave New Orleans a 78-71 edge with 7 1/2 minutes to play. Prince cut the Pistons' deficit to two on a three with 5:15 to go, and Jason Maxiell's layup with just under three minutes left tied the game at 82.

Paul hit two free throws and then a jumper to put the Hornets back up by four with two minutes to play, but McDyess' three-point play made it 86-85 with 1:39 to go. After both teams added two points, West recorded two crucial offensive rebounds in the final minute to deny the Pistons a chance to go in front. With 6.7 seconds left, West drained two free throws to make it 90-87 in favor of the Hornets, and Detroit failed to score on the ensuing possession as the clock ran out. The Pistons made only 6-of-20 shots in the first quarter and trailed, 22-13, heading to the second.Detroit fought back to take a 42-41 lead in the final minute of the second but was behind, 43-42, at halftime. Both teams played close in the third, and West scored eight straight points for the Hornets late in the period, helping New Orleans take a slim 65-64 lead to the fourth.

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http://64.246.64.33/merge/tsnform.aspx? ... W10694.htm

The Pistons have been to the Eastern Conference finals in six straight seasons, but the team currently sits in seventh place in the playoff race, only a game ahead of eighth-place Milwaukee...The Hornets committed nine turnovers, while Detroit had only seven...New Orleans improved to 20-9 at home, while the Pistons fell to 13-14 on the road.

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/TheWireStory.asp?id=17042

Udrih sprains foot
Sacramento Kings guard Beno Udrih left Wednesday's game with the Charlotte Bobcats after spraining his right foot.

Udrih missed his only shot of the game a little more than a minute into the contest before suffering the injury. His return is questionable.

Udrih is averaging 11.1 points and 4.3 assists this season.

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/TheWireStory.asp?id=17051

Clippers G Gordon leaves game with bruised shoulder
Los Angeles Clippers rookie guard Eric Gordon left Wednesday's 93-91 victory over the Boston Celtics with a bruised left shoulder.

He did not return and X-rays came back negative. "The X-rays were negative, so that's good news," Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said. "I think it's a bruise and we'll see how long it takes."

Gordon was replaced by Fred Jones with 9:18 remaining in the third quarter and was taken to the locker rooms. The Indiana product scored four points on 1-of-7 shooting and added one rebound and two assists in 18 minutes before departing.

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http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/orl ... picgallery

Pistons' plummet continues
David West scored 30 points and grabbed two key offensive rebounds on New Orleans' final possession, helping the Hornets hold off the Detroit Pistons 90-87 on Wednesday night.With the Hornets protecting an 88-87 lead, Chris Paul missed two runners in the lane, but West tipped the first rebound to himself and grabbed the second one cleanly, hitting two free throws after being fouled with 6.7 seconds left. West and Paul, who finished with 20 points and 13 assists, combined for all but two of the Hornets' 25 fourth-quarter points. Walter Hermann missed a 3-pointer that would have forced overtime as the Pistons lost for the eighth consecutive time, their longest skid in 14 seasons.

Richard Hamilton scored a team-high 24 points, but Detroit ended the game without Allen Iverson or Rasheed Wallace. Iverson aggravated a back strain he sustained in Tuesday night's loss to Miami. He started and shot 1-of-4 before leaving late in the first quarter. Wallace was ejected with 7:55 left in the fourth quarter after picking up his second technical foul in 27 seconds. They were his 15th and 16th technicals of the season, meaning he will be suspended automatically for the Pistons' game at Orlando on Friday. Hornets center Tyson Chandler, playing his first game at home since a failed physical aborted a trade to Oklahoma City, received a loud ovation when the starting lineups were introduced. He then scored the first basket of the game on a tip-in, finished with 17 rebounds and helped hold Wallace to one point in the first half.

Wallace rebounded with 12 points in the third quarter and hit a 3-pointer to give the Pistons a 67-65 lead at the start of the fourth, but he missed his final three shots before losing his cool. Wallace's blowup helped the Hornets go on a 7-0 run and take a 78-71 lead. He was called for his first technical after arguing that Sean Marks had gone over his back to tip a rebound to West for a putback. The next time down the court, he was called for a foul on West, went to the bench and was sent to the locker room when he tossed the towel over his head while West was at the free-throw line. Still, the Pistons had a chance to end their losing streak without their two stars. Jason Maxiell scored on a putback to tie the score at 82 with 2:52 left. Paul scored the Hornets' next six points, but Hamilton's baseline shot drew Detroit within 88-87 with 55.4 seconds left, setting up the frantic finish. Peja Stojakovic added 20 points for the Hornets, who won their second in a row. The Pistons were lethargic early, scoring 13 points on 6-of-20 shooting in the first quarter and trailing 24-13 in the second. They weren't much better defensively, allowing Stojakovic to follow his own missed outside shot, grab the rebound and make an uncontested layup.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/TheWireStory.asp?id=17043

David West scored 30 points and came up with a huge offensive rebound in the closing seconds to lead the New Orleans Hornets to a 90-87 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.Chris Paul added 20 points and 13 assists for the Hornets, who have won two straight. Richard Hamilton scored 24 points off the bench for Detroit, which has lost eight straight. After Paul missed a floater in the lane, West grabbed an offensive rebound and was fouled with 6.7 seconds to play. He made both free throws to put the Hornets up, 90-87. Detroit had one last chance to end its skid and Hamilton took the inbounds pass above the arc at the top of the key.

He was picked up by West and instead of forcing up a shot over the 6-9 forward, he passed to reserve Walter Herrmann, who launched a deep three from the right wing that bounced off the rim just before time expired."I was going nuts at D West because there were other possessions when Jason Maxiell was getting those offensive rebounds," Paul said. "But D West had the two biggest rebounds of the game, because that made it a three-point game instead of a one-point game."Hamilton did little to hide his frustration with the team's losing streak or the Pistons' slow start as the Hornets held a 22-13 lead after the first quarter. "The way we have been starting, that's what MC (Michael Curry) wants," Hamilton said. "I said I'll come off the bench as long as we win. But we've been losing. I think we're 4-12 with me coming off the bench. So something's got to give, something's got to change. I'm all for it doing whatever for the team - but coming off the bench and we're not winning, that's something totally different."

Rasheed Wallace scored 16 points and Antonio McDyess added 15 for Detroit, which is on its longest losing streak since it dropped eight straight from December 21, 1994-January 8, 1995.Detroit nearly ended its slide despite playing without Allen Iverson for most of the game and Wallace for over half of the fourth. Iverson aggravated a back strain he suffered Tuesday in Miami. He started and scored two points on 1-of-4 shooting before leaving late in the first quarter. Wallace was ejected with 7:55 left in the fourth quarter after picking up two technical fouls in a span of 27 seconds. "We got unraveled a little but, but still we have to keep our composure as a team," Detroit coach Michael Curry said. "Those two technicals and throwing Rasheed out hurt. I was disappointed (by the second technical and the ejection). I tried to get him out before he got (the second technical). He's an emotional guy, but I was proud of the way he played tonight."