Game 62: Detroit @ Knicks // Fri.7.30pm on TV20 Detroit HD

[Dirtgrain]

What the hell is wrong with Maxiell? One rebound? No blocks? In 29 minutes? He scored a few, but that is still abysmal. Is it really fatigue, or is he just on/off motivationally?

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar ... 70475/1127

Richard Hamilton was ejected late in the first half Friday night after picking up two technical fouls, leaving the Detroit Pistons without their leading scorer for the second half of their game against the Knicks.

Hamilton was called for a technical with 43 seconds remaining in the second quarter after arguing with referee David Guthrie. Guthrie seemed to be patient with Hamilton, but Hamilton kept up the discussion even after Jamal Crawford shot the free throw, and Guthrie then hit Hamilton with the second and threw him out.

Hamilton was tossed in a game here two years ago after firing the ball to the opposite end of the court after an offensive foul call, hitting the top of the shot clock. The All-Star leads the Pistons with 18 points per game. He scored six Friday.

[nasty daddy]

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/B/ ... TE=DEFAULT

Tayshaun Prince bounced back from a horrendous game in his last trip to Madison Square Garden, scoring 28 points and leading the Detroit Pistons to a 101-97 victory over the New York Knicks on Friday night.

Rodney Stuckey added 13 for the Pistons, who rebounded from a 90-78 loss in a showdown of Eastern Conference powers Wednesday in Boston and lowered their magic number to one for clinching their seventh straight playoff berth.

Eddy Curry scored 23 points and Jamal Crawford had 17 for the knicks, who lost their fifth in a row.

[nasty daddy]

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

So much for the Detroit Pistons' plans for easing Theo Ratliff into the thick of things. With Rasheed Wallace out due to a sprained left ankle injury suffered at Boston on Wednesday night, Ratliff - who has yet to even practice with the team - was a starter against the New York Knicks. To make matters worse, the Pistons had to play the second half without their leading scorer Richard Hamilton, who was ejected after arguing with official David Guthrie near the end of the second quarter.

Detroit's play down the stretch was fueled by Ratliff's defense, as he forced New York's Eddie Curry into three consecutive misses and a Knicks turnover when they threw the ball out of bounds trying to get it to Curry. For the game, Ratliff had five points, five rebounds and two blocked shots not to mention altering several other shots. As good as Ratliff was down the stretch, it didn't take the 7-foot center long to make his presence known, as he scored the game's first basket on a point-blank dunk, with Hamilton in on the assist. But the unfamiliarity that comes with playing alongside guys you never played with, was evident in the first quarter when Chauncey Billups threw a pass to an unsuspecting Ratliff that bounced off his backside.

Often when the Pistons have played without Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince is usually the Detroit player who becomes more aggressive. After scoring 10 points in the first half, Prince had another 12 in the third quarter. Even with Prince picking up the slack, the Pistons still couldn't shake themselves free of the pesky Knicks.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.mlive.com/sportsflash/index. ... ichigannba

Richard Hamilton was ejected late in the first half Friday night after picking up two technical fouls, leaving the Detroit Pistons without their leading scorer for the second half of their game against the Knicks.

Hamilton was called for a technical with 43 seconds remaining in the second quarter after arguing with referee David Guthrie. Guthrie seemed to be patient with Hamilton, but Hamilton kept up the discussion even after Jamal Crawford shot the free throw, and Guthrie then hit Hamilton with the second and threw him out.

Hamilton was tossed in a game here two years ago after firing the ball to the opposite end of the court after an offensive foul call, hitting the top of the shot clock.

[Dtown84]

good game from the bench tonight, I kind of laughed that rip picked up the slack for sheed in the way of technicals.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar ... 70478/1127

Prince was 0-of-10 from the field and scoreless in the Pistons' 89-65 loss here on Jan. 13, their most lopsided defeat of the season and one of the poorest offensive performances in team history. He went 9-for-17 this time, capped by a clutch runner that gave Detroit a 99-95 lead with 9.9 seconds left. He combined with a strong bench effort to help the Pistons overcome the absence of starting forward Rasheed Wallace, sidelined by a sprained left ankle, and the loss of leading scorer Richard Hamilton to an ejection late in the first half.

Detroit led by eight with 3 minutes left, then went cold offensively as New York closed to 97-95 on Crawford's free throws with 34 seconds to play. Prince answered with his bucket, and after Curry scored inside, Chauncey Billups made two free throws to clinch it.

Notes: The Knicks host Portland on Saturday to close a stretch of four home games in six nights. It will be the first time they played at Madison Square Garden on consecutive nights since Dec. 13-14, 2003. ... Pistons coach Flip Saunders on injured and controversial Knicks point guard Stephon Marbury, whom he coached in Minnesota: "He's put up numbers, but the teams have struggled and usually when the team's struggling and you're the highest-paid guy on the team, you're the guy that gets all the blame. Him and the coach. I still think that he's got a lot left in his tank and he's still a good player." Marbury shared a pregame handshake with coach Isiah Thomas, with whom he has feuded this season, after they ran into each other in the hallway.

[beau]

Wow! Max got only 1 board in 30 minutes! I think my grandma could have done that.

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=280307018

He combined with a strong bench effort to help the Pistons overcome the absence of starting forward Rasheed Wallace, out because of a sprained left ankle, and the loss of leading scorer Richard Hamilton to an ejection late in the first half.

Detroit led by eight with 3 minutes left, then went cold offensively as New York closed to 97-95 on Crawford's free throws with 34 seconds to play. Prince answered with his bucket, and after Curry scored inside, Chauncey Billups made two free throws to clinch it.

The Pistons had a 13-point lead midway through the second quarter, but lost that -- and their poise -- by halftime. Hamilton was thrown out during the Knicks' late run after getting two technical fouls for arguing with referee David Guthrie with 43 seconds left, and Nate Robinson's layup with 1.2 remaining tied it at 53.

[nasty daddy]

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

STUDS: Tayshaun Prince picked up the slack when Rip Hamilton got ejected, finishing with a game-high 28 points to go with seven rebounds. New York finally got a decent game from Eddie Curry, who had a team-high 23 points - his highest points total since January 8 against Chicago.SOLID: Theo Ratliff gave Detroit exactly what they needed - a low-post defender - against the Knicks. In addition to doing a solid job against Curry, he also had five points, five rebounds and a pair of blocked shots. New York's David Lee had his 14th double-double of the season with 12 points and 15 rebounds.

DUDS: Antonio McDyess never got into any kind of flow at either end of the floor. He had four points and just two rebounds. Renaldo Balkman only played 11 minutes, but it was about 10 more than he probably should have. The guy was brutal tonight, going scoreless while committing three fouls and turning the ball over three times.SUPER SUB: This is the kind of performance the Pistons need every now and then from Rodney Stuckey. He played nearly 18 minutes and scored 13 points on 6-for-9 shooting from the field, in addition to four rebounds and two assists. Nate Robinson was a nice spark plug off the Knicks bench, scoring 14 points.

UP NEXT: Sunday vs. Chicago. The Bulls are different now that Ben Wallace is gone, but that won't make them any easier to beat. With or without Wallace, this team still gets up to play Detroit tougher than most. Sunday's game kicks off five straight at home for the Pistons, who are looking to get into a groove after what has been inconsistent play of late.

[nasty daddy]

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

Rasheed Wallace wasn

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar ... 80325/1127

Something about the Big Apple brings out the worst in Richard Hamilton. Two years ago, he got irritated at an official, tossed a ball into the crowd and got thrown out. He reprised the act Friday in the Pistons' grinding 101-97 victory against the Knicks. With 43 seconds left in the second quarter, Hamilton became enraged at referee David Guthrie. He had been telling the referees all game that he was being held on his cuts by Jamal Crawford (Michigan). Hamilton finally snapped, picked up two fast technical fouls and was ejected. "He pulled my arm down twice," Hamilton said of Crawford. "And when I told (Guthrie), he didn't say 'My bad,' or nothing. He just told me to get out of his face. I said, 'OK,' and let him have it.He's the one that should get fined."

Tayshaun Prince and the Pistons' reserves bailed Hamilton out. Prince finished with 28 points, including the clincher as the shot clock expired, giving the Pistons a 99-95 lead with 9.9 seconds left. "Like I always say, whenever somebody is out of the lineup, I need to get more aggressive at the offensive end," said Prince, who was 9-of-17 shooting, made all nine of his free-throw attempts and had seven rebounds. "I thought our bench did a good job of moving around, setting screens and getting me good looks."

Jason Maxiell scored 12. Juan Dixon, who took most of Hamilton's minutes, had nine points and four assists. Amir Johnson had six points, five rebounds and three blocks. The reserves outscored the Knicks', 46-25. "Those guys had to play extra minutes and I thought they did a good job," Saunders said. With Wallace out, newly acquired Theo Ratliff started at center. The last time he started a game for the Pistons, in 1997, he wore a teal-colored uniform. He looked a lot better in the road-alternate blood-reds Friday. He scored on a dunk on the Pistons' first possession, and finished with five points, five rebounds and two blocks. "Two blocks? I think there were four more that he got his hand on," Saunders said. "He was a big presence for us on the defensive end."

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti ... 80396/1051

But playing on the third night in four days and in their sixth road game in seven, the Pistons rebounded from their disappointing loss to the Celtics and beat the Knicks, 101-97. "Really, for the last two weeks, we've been on the road," coach Flip Saunders said. "So this was going to be a tough game no matter what."

"If someone's out of the lineup, I just have to be more aggressive and make plays on the offensive end," Prince said. "But I thought the bench guys did a great job of moving around and setting screens. It gave me the ability to make plays where the paint wasn't clogged up. That was definitely huge."

The energetic play of the bench drove the Pistons to a 13-point lead in the second quarter. Rookie Rodney Stuckey did his thing driving to the basket for lay-ups. He also took back-to-back offensive foul charges. Stuckey finished with 13 points on a night when the bench played big, contributing 46 points. Forward Jason Maxiell scored 12 and guard Juan Dixon had nine.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti ... 08003/1051

Coach Flip Saunders gave newcomer Theo Ratliff a great way to get his first playing time with the Pistons -- he started him Friday against the Knicks. With Rasheed Wallace out with a minor ankle sprain, Saunders figured the time was right for Ratliff to not just play major minutes, but start. "Throw him to the wolves," Saunders said. "I think he's smart, he's a veteran player. He knows to stay away from those other guys."

Saunders said center Eddie Curry's presence inside steered him away from starting forward Amir Johnson or Jason Maxiell. Saunders didn't want Antonio McDyess in early foul trouble. Saunders planned to stick with Ratliff for 16 to 20 minutes and see what he could add defensively. Ratliff, 34, hasn't had a full practice with the team, but said that didn't stop him from feeling ready to get started in his new job. "It's basketball," Ratliff said. "Been playing for a long time. It won't take a whole lot to go out there and do the things that I do best. I feel like it shouldn't be a long transition for me."

Wallace's ankle shouldn't be a long-term problem. It's a low sprain; strength and conditioning coach Arnie Kander said there was no structural damage. It could keep Wallace out beyond Friday, though."I'm sure it's something we're not going to rush him back," Saunders said. "We'll try to wait to get that as close to pain-free as we can."

[srt4b]

5 GAME HOME STAND, 1ST TWO GAMES ARE AGAINST TURDS, LET RASHEED REST.

[Tap Tap the Chiseler]

Wow! Max got only 1 board in 30 minutes! I think my grandma could have done that.

She is 6'11" though.

[Warspite]

What the hell is wrong with Maxiell? One rebound? No blocks? In 29 minutes? He scored a few, but that is still abysmal. Is it really fatigue, or is he just on/off motivationally?

Maybe its the fact that teams have video on him and that hes not sneaking up on teams anymore. I recall JYD, Corliss and a few others having success early but then teams adjust and they are less effective.

Lets be honest hes a very limited player whos playoff impact will be alot less than regular season.