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Heat humilate Bulls, win by 29
Dwyane Wade got a warm reception when he was introduced before the game. It was a Chicago crowd's way of saying welcome home to a native son who's a star and could become a major free agent. Wade doesn't always score big at the United Center and Thursday night he didn't have to. His game was well-rounded, even if he did score only 12 points, as his Miami Heat rolled over the Chicago Bulls 103-74 in one of the most lopsided games of the season for either team.

In 29 minutes, Wade had 10 assists and five rebounds. He entered averaging 26.5 points. Jermaine O'Neal scored 24 points, shooting 9 of 14 against a soft Chicago defense, while Michael Beasley scored 15 and Udonis Haslem 14.

Hakim Warrick led the Bulls with 14 points while Taj Gibson and Derrick Rose had 12 apiece.

Pistons at Nets
Tip-off: 8 tonight, Izod Center, East Rutherford, N.J.
TV/radio: FSD/97.1
Outlook: The Pistons are 2-0 this season vs. the Nets. ... The Nets have two young cornerstones in C Brooke Lopez and G Devin Harris .

Nets not as bad as record, according to Pistons
The Pistons certainly don't want to be thatteam -- you know, the one that loses to the Nets and allows them to stave off history. New Jersey hasn't won often this season -- only eight times. But in its rearview mirror is the infamous 1972-73 Philadelphia team, which finished 9-73, the worst mark in NBA history. So, with a victory tonight over the Pistons, the Nets (8-63) hit nine, and very possibly could put the 76ers back in front. "They played awfully well (against Sacramento on Thursday, a victory)," Detroit coach John Kuester said. "Through the entire season, they've had moments where they've been outstanding."

Most scouts and analysts who watch the Nets regularly are surprised by their record. Although the roster is slim on talent and experience, there's enough on hand to have a better record. Kuester, too, is baffled by the Nets' woes. "It's like most teams bring their 'A' games against them," he said. "It's never as bad as it seems or as good as it seems. Every team has issues. "One the things about New Jersey is, they played hard against us the first (two) games (Pistons victories) and we've had to play well."

The Pistons, however, have their issues, too. They've lost six consecutive games and 13 of their last 15. "I don't care if we've got 11 games left and we're not making the playoffs," Will Bynum said. "When we're out there on the court, we've got to give 110 percent like it's our last game. That's how we have to play."

Bynum still starting
Kuester is likely to keep Bynum in the starting lineup and bring Rodney Stuckey (collapsed March 5) off the bench.

Bynum hurt his back during Tuesday's loss to Indiana. "We're looking at things and getting a feel for it," Kuester said. "Rodney has given us some defense, Will has done a good job, and they'll play together at times. We'll look at a number of combinations."

Stuckey, Kuester said, is fine with the arrangement. "His approach is he knows he'll get his minutes," Kuester said. "Rodney Stuckey has had a very good year for us."

National writer rips Flip Saunders' lack of backbone
Well, count yahoo.com NBA writer Adrian Wojnarowski among those not impressed by Wizards coach Flip Saunders, formerly of your Detroit Pistons. Wojnarowski took Flip to task for his handling of malcontent player Andray Blatche, who refused to re-enter a game the other night (remember when Ben Wallace did the same thing to Saunders in Orlando a few years ago?).

Anyway, here's a portion of the column. Find the whole thing at the link above. "Fifteen years, I’ve never seen anything like it, never,” Saunders said Tuesday night. “He can be pissed at me or whatever, but you never leave your teammates hanging out to dry like that, no matter what, especially when you’ve lost 11 games in a row and you’ve got a chance to win a game. Uncalled for. We’ll deal with it.” Deal with it? Washington did nothing. ...The coach should’ve suspended Blatche, sent him home and played the rest of the week without him. Management told the coach it was his call, league sources say. They would’ve gone with a suspension, a benching, whatever Saunders wanted.

The coach backed down, again. Story of his career. ...For Saunders to call it unlike anything he had ever seen in 15 years is sure saying something considering the insurrections that arose under his watch with the Detroit Pistons. The worst ever? Well, the Pistons players tell the story of Rasheed Wallace calling Saunders the “worst (bleeping) coward I’ve ever seen” after a loss in the 2008 Eastern Conference playoffs. Everyone was there. Everyone heard it. And nothing. Saunders took it, and watched his credibility and command of that team die a little more.

Pistons coach John Kuester won't overlook Nets: 'They're talented'
The Nets definitely have more to play for than the Pistons. When the two Eastern Conference bottom dwellers meet tonight at the Izod Center, the Nets will be looking for their ninth victory, which would tie them with the worst team in NBA history -- the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers, who finished 9-72. So with a win tonight, the Nets would have 10 more games to avoid the stigma of having the worst record ever.

New Jersey enters tonight's game on a high note, beating the Kings at home Wednesday night for win No. 8. Pistons coach John Kuester said Thursday after practice that the performance against the Kings is more indicative of the talent the Nets possess. "When you have an All-Star point guard in Devin Harris, you have a big man in Brook Lopez that you have somebody you have to go in the post and you surround them with some of the players they do have, they're talented," Kuester said.

But even the Pistons have two victories against the Nets so whatever talent New Jersey has, it hasn't manifested itself in a whole lot of success. "It's never as bad as it seems or as good as it seems sometimes," Kuester said. "Every team has issues. But one of the things about New Jersey is they got some guys that play hard and don't kid yourself, our first (two) games we had to play extremely well."

BYNUM STILL STARTING: Will Bynum, who is OK after a back injury in Tuesday night's loss to the Pacers, will continue getting the starting nod at point guard.

Bynum assumed starting duties when Rodney Stuckey left the lineup after his collapse on the bench March 5 at Cleveland. Bynum remained in the lineup when Stuckey returned six games later.

Kuester wouldn't commit to staying with Bynum for the rest of the season, saying: "We're still weighing everything. We're looking at a number of combinations right now."

Tonight: Nets
Matchup: Pistons 23-48; Nets 8-63.
Tip-off: 8, Izod Center, East Rutherford, N.J.
TV/radio: FSD; WWJ-AM (950).
Line: Detroit by 1.

MLive: Pistons expect close game against lowly Nets: Pistons coach John Kuester said New Jersey is better than its... http://bit.ly/cKl04d

DetNews: Heat humilate Bulls, win by 29: Dwyane Wade doesn't always score big at the United Center and Thursday ... http://twurl.nl/px5qed

Answering a reader's question: It is time to stop asking Rodney Stuckey about his health
Ah, the Internet age. Where news breaks every moment, yet, it still takes yours truly a week to answer a great question posed by a reader. Last week, MitchPablum asked a very good question when it was announced that Rodney Stuckey would return to the lineup two weeks after collapsing March 5 during a game at Cleveland. “Was an 'official cause' ever given for Stuckey's collapse?” he wrote. “How as a reporter do you approach the story if no cause is given? Do you pursue it? Why or why not?” The first question can be answered quickly: No. The second is much more complicated. First of all, it appears that Stuckey's collapse did not involve anything major. Trust me when I say that I -- a slightly overweight sports writer who was pushing 40 pretty hard a few days ago -- is much more likely to suffer major problems with his heart than Stuckey is. Dude's been tested about as hard as a human being can be tested.

As far as continuing to chase the story? Well, it's one thing to doggedly pursue a story involving a trade rumor or an off-the-court issue. But the issue involving Stuckey deals with his life and his health. The guy deserves a bit of privacy. The thing about sports journalism that people might not know is that athletes and coaches are asked the same questions repeatedly. Each new stop in each new town leads to a new group of reporters asking the same questions about the issue of the day. Sometimes, it's no different at home. An athlete gets asked six questions about something -- his health, his last game, the next opponent -- and the next day, a handful of different reporters are at practice asking the same questions. For an athlete, it must get pretty old. I spoke with Stuckey briefly Friday night after he scored 25 points in his return to the lineup. A group of reporters from Indiana asked him the same questions he had been answering for days. (And some of them, despite decades in the business, still don't know how to ask sensitive questions sensitively.)

After everyone walked away, I told Stuckey it was nice to see him back on the court. I told him I was done asking him about his health, but that journalists keep asking him the same question because we hear from fans and know how concerned they are about him. He said he understands why it happens and thanked me for my comments. Stuckey seems like one of the good guys. Another thing: Not every question is created equal. Asking a guy 15 times about the struggles his team is having is one thing. Asking a guy 15 times, “Are you going to be concerned the first time you play after what happened in Cleveland?” is an entirely different thing. Stuckey is a human being who is certainly at least a little bit concerned about his health. He has a family that shares his concern. He is a finely tuned athlete, no doubt. But he is human. No matter how interested people are in what led to his collapse in Cleveland, there comes a time when we all need to drop the issue, let the guy play and say a little prayer that he is -- as he appears to be -- just fine. It's time.

Detroit Pistons (23-48) at New Jersey Nets (8-63), 8 p.m.
The New Jersey Nets may not end up with the NBA's all-time worst record after all. They'll shoot for their ninth win of the season tonight versus the Detroit Pistons in the finale of a four-game homestand. New Jersey ended an eight-game losing streak with Wednesday's 93-79 victory over the Sacramento Kings behind a game-high 26 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks from Brook Lopez. Devin Harris had 24 points and nine assists while Courtney Lee chipped in 12 points and five boards for the Nets, who won for the fourth time at the IZOD Center this season (4-31) and put the clamps on a franchise-record 14-game home skid. The Nets also won for interim head coach Kiki Vandeweghe, who found out his mother passed away earlier in the day. "I talked to my dad about it, and he said she would have wanted me here," said an emotional Vandeweghe. "All I can say is, 'thanks mom.'"

The Nets have 11 games remaining on the 2009-10 schedule, which is more than enough time to avoid setting a new league mark for futility currently held by the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers (9-73). Detroit has dropped six in a row and is coming off Tuesday's 98-83 loss versus the Indiana Pacers at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Tayshaun Prince scored 14 points, DaJuan Summers added 12 and Rodney Stuckey joined Charlie Villanueva with 11 points apiece for the Pistons, who are just 2-13 in their past 15 contests. "We couldn't get a consistent flow, just disappointing," Pistons head coach John Kuester said after the Pacers swept the season series with Detroit for the first time since joining the NBA in 1976.

Prince is averaging 14.2 points in February and March combined. The Pistons have lost nine straight as the visitor and are 7-28 away from home this season. The Pistons are trying to sweep the season series from New Jersey for the third time in four years tonight and have won the first two encounters between the teams in 2009-10. Detroit has also won in 12 of its last 18 visits to New Jersey. Pistons guard Richard Hamilton is averaging 19.5 points in two games versus the Nets this season.

Scouting Report - New Jersey Nets
Scott Perry talks with the Pistons Weekly's Pete Skorich about tonight's game against the Nets.

Detroit Pistons Links: Get Austin Daye some Shane Battier footage
•Model players for Pistons rookies [PistonPowered]
•Billups says And1 ruins basketball [BLS via PN]
•Former Pistons coach learns to text [AZ Republic]
•Some Will Bynum wallpaper [PistonsNation]
•Kuester says Nets aren't so bad [Detroit News]
•Stackhouse likes temp work [SLAM]

Detroit Pistons (23-48) at New Jersey Nets (8-63), 8 p.m.
The New Jersey Nets may not end up with the NBA's all-time worst record after all. They'll shoot for their ninth win of the season tonight versus the Detroit Pistons in the finale of a four-game homestand. New Jersey ended an eight-game losing streak with Wednesday's 93-79 victory over the Sacramento Kings behind a game-high 26 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks from Brook Lopez. Devin Harris had 24 points and nine assists while Courtney Lee chipped in 12 points and five boards for the Nets, who won for the fourth time at the IZOD Center this season (4-31) and put the clamps on a franchise-record 14-game home skid. The Nets also won for interim head coach Kiki Vandeweghe, who found out his mother passed away earlier in the day. "I talked to my dad about it, and he said she would have wanted me here," said an emotional Vandeweghe. "All I can say is, 'thanks mom.'"

The Nets have 11 games remaining on the 2009-10 schedule, which is more than enough time to avoid setting a new league mark for futility currently held by the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers (9-73). Detroit has dropped six in a row and is coming off Tuesday's 98-83 loss versus the Indiana Pacers at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Tayshaun Prince scored 14 points, DaJuan Summers added 12 and Rodney Stuckey joined Charlie Villanueva with 11 points apiece for the Pistons, who are just 2-13 in their past 15 contests. "We couldn't get a consistent flow, just disappointing," Pistons head coach John Kuester said after the Pacers swept the season series with Detroit for the first time since joining the NBA in 1976.

Prince is averaging 14.2 points in February and March combined. The Pistons have lost nine straight as the visitor and are 7-28 away from home this season. The Pistons are trying to sweep the season series from New Jersey for the third time in four years tonight and have won the first two encounters between the teams in 2009-10. Detroit has also won in 12 of its last 18 visits to New Jersey. Pistons guard Richard Hamilton is averaging 19.5 points in two games versus the Nets this season.

Pistons at Nets
The PRE Report
Broadcast Schedule:
7:00 p.m. - Pistons In-Focus
7:30 p.m. - Pistons Live
8:00 p.m. - Watch Live on FS Detroit
8:00 p.m. - Join the Chat and Listen Live
This time of year, the more desperate basketball team usually wins.
That’s bad news for the Pistons (23-48), who visit New Jersey tonight. There’s not a more desperate team in the NBA than the 8-63 Nets. New Jersey needs to win two of its final 11 games to avoid tying the NBA record for fewest wins in a season, set by the 9-73 Philadelphia 76ers in 1972-73. The Nets took a big step away from that distinction Wednesday night with a 93-79 win over visiting Sacramento, which did not have Tyreke Evans.

New Jersey once again got huge performances from its two stars, center Brook Lopez (26 points, 13 rebounds) and point guard Devin Harris (24 points, nine assists). In two games against Detroit, Harris has averaged 22.5 points and 10.5 assists while Lopez has posted 23.5 points on 67.9 percent shooting. “Throughout the entire season they have had moments when they’ve been outstanding,” Pistons coach John Kuester said. “You’ve got an All-Star point guard in Devin Harris, you’ve got a big man in Brook Lopez, you have somebody to go into the post, and then you surround them with some of the players that they do have; they’re talented. They played extremely well last night.” Kuester also credited the Nets players for their perseverance through this difficult season. The Nets now are 2-8 in their last 10 games – as are the Pistons, who have lost six in a row. Over that span, the Nets have a minus-4.6 point differential, better than eight other teams, including the Pistons (minus-5.4). “It’s never as bad as it seems or good as it seems sometimes,” he said. “Every team has issues but one of the things about New Jersey is, they’ve got some guys that play hard and don’t kid yourself, our first three games we had to play extremely well.”

Kuester misspoke; the teams have met only twice, both in the first week of February. But he was right about how well the Pistons played, pulling out both victories in the final possessions. On Feb. 2 Rodney Stuckey and Rip Hamilton combined for 43 points and 16 assists at the Izod Center. Tayshaun Prince scored the last of his 15 points on an alley-oop in-bounds play from Hamilton to break a 91-91 tie in the final minute, and the Pistons went on to win, 97-93. Jonas Jerebko went 9-for-9 for a team-high 20 points in a 99-92 victory at The Palace four nights later. Charlie Villanueva added 12 points on 4-for-4 3-point shooting and Stuckey tied his career high with 11 assists. The Nets nonetheless have the size advantage in the frontcourt with the 7-footer Lopez and 6-foot-9 reserve forward Kris Humphries, who tallied 23 points and 21 rebounds in the two previous meetings. Ben Wallace’s status remains murky and reserve Chris Wilcox, who has missed the last 15 games with back pain, suffered a hamstring injury in Wednesday’s practice, Kuester said. That should give another opportunity to Kwame Brown, who hauled in a season-high 15 rebounds against the Pacers Tuesday. The two lowest-scoring teams in the NBA since the season began, Detroit and New Jersey are averaging an identical 96.4 points per game over their last 10 contests.

Scouting Report - New Jersey Nets
Scott Perry talks with the Pistons Weekly's Pete Skorich about tonight's game against the Nets.

Key Matchup
Bynum
52
10.0
4.6
0.7
.448 Games
PPG
APG
SPG
FG% 53
17.5
6.7
1.3
.401
Harris

The Pistons haven’t been able to slow down Devin Harris for two seasons. Perhaps with speedster Will Bynum in the lineup, they’ll attempt to beat Harris at his own game instead.Harris was an All-Star in 2008-09, averaging a team-high 19.3 points and 6.0 assists in four games against Detroit. Despite injuries early in this season – missing 15 games by Jan. 31 – he looked healthy against the Pistons in February. He had 24 points and a season-high 14 assists on Feb. 2. Four nights later Harris went for 21 and seven on another strong shooting night, (7-14 FGs, 3-5 3FGs). “He creates problems because (of) his speed, he’s one of the fastest guys in the league,” said Pistons coach John Kuester. Enter Bynum, who despite a hard fall in Tuesday’s loss to Indiana will start Friday, Kuester said. Bynum played 17 minutes against the Pacers, collecting 11 points, four assists and a steal before sitting out the second half with a back contusion. It remains to be seen if the back injury inhibits Bynum’s ability to penetrate defenses. When healthy, his quickness has been one of the Pistons most reliable offensive assets. Bynum had two solid outings against the Nets in a limited reserve role. He had 10 points and three assists in 17 minutes, followed by nine points and four assists in 19 minutes. Bynum shot a combined 9-for-15 (.600). Kuester wouldn’t commit to Bynum as the starter for the rest of the season Thursday, but said Rodney Stuckey is comfortable with his current role off the bench, and that the two will play in the backcourt together for stretches. “He knows he’ll get his minutes,” Kuester said of Stuckey, who played 41 and 39 minutes, respectively, in prior meetings with New Jersey, averaging 15.5 points and 10.0 assists. Stuckey has averaged 27.6 minutes in three games since returning from his courtside collapse at Cleveland Mar. 5.

Good mornin tweet world on the way to shoot around!!! Sheeeesh it early 930 shoot around but we need this win so it's importan!!!

FullCourtPress: Detroit Pistons Links: Get Austin Daye some Shane Battier footage: Austin Daye draws a comparison ... http://bit.ly/cDCDKM