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

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime ... ime-090222

Stuckey, Pistons Backsliding
One of the puzzling reasons behind Detroit's slide is the increasingly timid play of Rodney Stuckey. He took only three shots in Thursday's 83-79 loss to the Spurs, content to let Allen Iverson do all the heavy lifting while he hung out at the top of the key.

Stuckey is averaging only 8.9 points per game in February on 35.9 percent shooting, and his assist numbers are down too. The origins of his slump actually date to mid-January. Since shooting 1-for-10 in a loss to Oklahoma City on Jan. 16, Stuckey has not had a 20-point game; in the preceding calendar month he'd had six.

I'm wondering whether somebody told him that this is what good point guards are "supposed" to do, because he seems shockingly less aggressive than he was earlier this season. I've heard it floated that he's tired, too, but if that's the case, doesn't it seem unlikely that he'd come back from the All-Star break and score a combined five points in the first two games? Whatever the cause, it's killing the Pistons right now. They traded Chauncey Billups in part so Stuckey could shine, and instead he's melting into the background.

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime ... ime-090222

DETROIT PISTONS
Positive Spin: The team is poised to have more than $20 million in cap room this summer. With only a handful of teams with money to spend and no other prime destinations likely to be available, the Pistons should be the biggest players in the NBA in July. If Pistons president Joe Dumars gets lucky, a team (or two) that needs to save money will hand him a player he wants for practically nothing.

Negative Spin: Are there any free agents the Pistons really want this summer? Carlos Boozer wouldn't be a bad pickup -- if he opts out. Marvin Williams and David Lee are interesting restricted free agents. But it's entirely possible that what the Pistons passed on this month (i.e., a potential Amare Stoudemire deal) will be better than anything they can get in the summer.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/apps/pbcs.dl ... 20328/1127

Troy Murphy had a season-high 27 points and the Indiana Pacers survived a second-half stretch of 11 minutes without a field goal to beat the Chicago Bulls 98-91 on Sunday. The Pacers, playing without injured leading scorers Danny Granger and Mike Dunleavy, led 69-55 midway through the third quarter but did not score another field goal until a 3-pointer by Murphy with 6:43 left in the final period. Chicago took an 80-77 lead before Murphy's 3-pointer tied the game. There were two more ties before a 3-pointer by T.J. Ford put Indiana ahead for good. The Pacers built the lead to as many as seven points, and three free throws by Murphy in the final 17 seconds iced the victory.

Ford finished with 19 points for Indiana, while Marquis Daniels and Jarrett Jack added 16 each. Ben Gordon had 28 points to lead Chicago, which used three of the five players that came to the Bulls in a series of trades last week. Gordon, coming off a season-high 37 points in a 116-99 win over Denver on Friday night, had 11 points in each of the first two quarters. But neither team led by more than two points until a round of substitutions brought Brad Miller and John Salmons, two of the newcomers, into the game late in the opening period. Two baskets by Jack started an 8-0 run for the Pacers, and Indiana took its biggest lead of the quarter at 27-22 on a basket by Jeff Foster. Salmons, who averaged 18.3 points in 53 games with Sacramento, then scored his first basket on a 3-pointer and Luol Deng tied the game at 27 at the end of the quarter. There were eight lead changes in the second quarter, and the Pacers went up 52-46 before Gordon scored the final five points in to pull the Bulls within one at the break.

Daniels and Jack hit 3-pointers during a 13-2 run that gave Indiana its biggest lead at 69-55 midway through the third quarter, but the Pacers managed just six points -- all on free throws -- the rest of the period. Three-pointers by Tim Thomas, the third newcomer who played, and Kirk Hinrich and two free throws each by Salmons and Miller helped pull Chicago to 75-74 going into the final quarter. Indiana continued missing from the field, and the 3-pointer by Murphy ended a streak of 13 straight misses.

[nasty daddy]

http://pistonsnationblog.com/2009/02/22/831/

The Pistons (27-26, 13-11 away) will be in Cleveland to take on the Cavaliers (42-11) Tip off is 8:00 pm est from the Quickens Loan Arena and will be televised locally on Fox Sports Detroit and nationally on ESPN

Cavs’ Snapshot
Home record: 24-1
Last game: 2/20 (Fri) W 111-103 @ Bucks
Last 10: 7-3
Streak: Won 3
Injuries: Delonte West (wrist, day-to-day),
Vs. Pistons: Nov. 19th - Cavaliers (74) @ PISTONS (109) , Feb. 1st - CAVALIERS (90) @ Pistons (80)

Can the Pistons stop their 5 game losing streak on a Sunday in Cleveland against a Cavs team that has only lost one home game all year?

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3926325

West (broken wrist) to start Sunday
Cavaliers guard Delonte West has been cleared by doctors and will start Sunday night's game against Detroit, his first action since breaking his right wrist in January.

West missed 16 games with the injury, which he sustained while trying to block a shot on Jan. 2 in Chicago. The Cavs went 12-4 without West, their best perimeter defender who is averaging 12.3 points, 3.5 assists and 3.1 rebounds.

While West was out, the Cavaliers, who lead the Central Division by 15 games, also had to deal with injuries to center Zydrunas Ilgauskas and forwards Ben Wallace, Tarence Kinsey and Sasha Pavlovic. West's return means Cleveland will have its starting lineup for the first time since Dec. 30.

[nasty daddy]

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

Cavaliers guard Delonte West back
Cavaliers guard Delonte West has been cleared by doctors and will start Sunday night's game against Detroit, his first action since breaking his right wrist in January.

West missed 16 games with the injury, which he sustained while trying to block a shot on Jan. 2 in Chicago. The Cavs went 12-4 without West, their best perimeter defender who is averaging 12.3 points, 3.5 assists and 3.1 rebounds. While West was out, the Cavaliers, who lead the Central Division by 15 games, also had to deal with injuries to center Zydrunas Ilgauskas and forwards Ben Wallace, Tarence Kinsey and Sasha Pavlovic.

West's return means Cleveland will have its starting lineup for the first time since Dec. 30.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitbadboys.com/archives/ ... me-thread/

Coverage Begins at 8:00 PM ET
Cleveland: 42-11 (24-1 home)
Margin: +9.9 ppg (+6.4 last 25%)
Last 10: 7-3
Pistons: 27-26 (13-11 road)
Margin: -0.6 (-1.9 last 25%)
Last 10: 3-7

Oppo research: Let’s see. Sunday road game against a team that is presently 24-1 at home? There is only one possibly outcome. The Pistons arbitrarily win by eight points. They’ll do so by shooting 15-22 from three point range. Of course, that is certainly not the most likely outcome. The Cleveland Cavaliers have rendered this little rivalry a non-starter by vastly outperforming Detroit this year offensively and defensively. The Cavaliers are playing so well, Mo Williams made the all-star team. Someday, some curious teenager is going to scroll through all-star game box scores and blurt out “Mo Williams? He was an all-star?” LeBron has found his BJ Armstrong. Actually, the Pistons have held up well against the Cavs in their matchups to date. In the last matchup between these two teams, the Cavs were against the ropes until Allen Iverson decided to Joaquin Phoenix the first two minutes of the fourth quarter. The Drama: If Cleveland wipes the floor with Detroit, you’re going to read about it. This is a nationally televised game, and a loss would bring the Pistons to 27-27.

Keys for Detroit (Sunday Edition):
Pick one player to defend: While it might seem wise to triple-team the opposing center behind the three point line, a better approach would be to pick one man and defend him each time up the floor.
Keep your eyes open: While some players use blindfolds during exhibition events (e.g. dunk contests, Harlem Globetrotters games), it is usually recommended that players avail themselves of their eyesight during a professional basketball match.
Don’t forget your jersey: Remember, without an officially sanction jersey, you won’t be allowed to enter the game!
Question of the game: Can we make it 11 in a row? Would any reasonable person favor the Pistons in any of their next six games?

[nasty daddy]

http://64.246.64.33/merge/tsnform.aspx? ... v10655.htm

Detroit Pistons (27-26) at Cleveland Cavaliers (42-11), 8:00 p.m.
The struggling Detroit Pistons will kick off a grueling five-game road trip Sunday night against LeBron James and the Central Division-rival Cleveland Cavaliers at Quicken Loans Arena. Detroit has lost five in a row and will try to avoid a season-high sixth straight defeat in Cleveland. It will also visit the Heat, Hornets, Magic and Celtics and is 13-11 away from The Palace of Auburn Hills this season.

The losing ways continued for the Pistons in an 83-79 setback versus San Antonio on Thursday, as Allen Iverson's 31-point effort wasn't enough to stop the bleeding. Rasheed Wallace ended with 11 points and Jason Maxiell donated 10 points and nine boards off the bench. Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince combined for only 12 points on 5-of-20 shooting from the floor for Detroit, which also lost five straight this season from January 10 - 17. Meanwhile, the division-leading Cavaliers will put their 24-1 home record on the line tonight in the opener of a two-game residency versus Detroit and Memphis. They have won three straight overall, including Friday's 111-103 triumph at Milwaukee behind a season-high 55 points from James. James buried 8-of-11 three-point attempts and also dished out nine assists in his seventh career 50-point game.

Mo Williams added 23 points and six assists for the Cavaliers, who got 11 points from center Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Cavs guard Delonte West (broken right wrist) hasn't played since January 15 at Chicago and is questionable for this evening's contest. The 2008-09 season series between Detroit and Cleveland is tied at a game apiece, while the Pistons have won 10 of 13 and 12 of the last 17 meetings. These two teams have split the last eight meetings at Cleveland.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.thestar.com/Sports/NBA/article/591314

RAPS SHOPPING? The Raptors may not be done dealing.

Before acquiring 7-footer Patrick O'Bryant from the Boston Celtics, they had conducted, according to sources, workouts in Toronto with NBA veterans Antoine Walker and Pops Mensah-Bonsu, a couple of free agent big men who might have joined the team. And even though they addressed the need for size with the addition of O'Bryant, there still is a chance they could add a veteran big man, or even a veteran shooting guard, before the end of the regular season.

Walker, 32, played last season in Minnesota but has been idle this year. Mensah-Bonsu had a brief 2007 fling with the Dallas Mavericks and has been in the D League this year. If the Raptors hadn't acquired O'Bryant at the deadline, they were going to waive Will Solomon and add one of those big men, according to sources.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball ... on/?page=4

Another Russell for Boston?
Ex-NBA swingman Bryon Russell is hoping to get back in the league, possibly with the Celtics. Russell and his agent, Daryl Floyd, have called several teams, including Boston, Philadelphia, Oklahoma City, and Phoenix. The 38-year-old said he is in condition to play 15-20 minutes per game and has been away too long after letting a knee injury heal. Russell hasn't played since the 2005-06 season with Denver. "I want to help some playoff teams and get back into the game that I love," said Russell. "I work out every day. The rust part can get worked out just by playing with the fellas. I wouldn't take away from The Big Three [in Boston]. I would love to play with them. I have nothing to prove. I want to lend a helping hand with the loss of [James ] Posey by playing defense, knocking down jump shots, and basically playing the role of a Posey. I got some life in these legs. Now that the [trade] deadline is over, I think people are looking to add a veteran on their squad. I'm hoping I can provide that."

[nasty daddy]

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball ... on/?page=4

Troubled times
Ex-Trail Blazers star center Arvydas Sabonis has been dealing with financial struggles of late as one of the owners of Lithuanian champion B.C. Zalgiris Kaunas. According to Eurobasket.com, Zalgiris's players recently boycotted a game because of unpaid wages. The players have asked for at least part of those wages before they play again. The website reported that Zalgiris's future doesn't look good because it can't find investors, has debts up to $6 million Euros, and there are rumors that league rival Lietuvos Rytas is trying to acquire some of its players.

[nasty daddy]

http://newsok.com/thunder-will-hunt-for ... tory_title

While it was disappointing to not land Chandler, the Thunder could sign an up-and-coming player like Knicks big man David Lee, Portland’s LaMarcus Aldridge, Atlanta’s Marvin Williams, the Lakers’ Lamar Odom or Utah’s Paul Millsap.

It’s doubtful Presti would sign an aging All-Star. But some team will commit valuable cap space to Allen Iverson, Jason Kidd, Ron Artest and Rasheed Wallace.

[nasty daddy]

http://need4sheed.com/2009/02/the-pisto ... liers.html

The Pistons start off their brutal road trip in Cleveland tonight to face LeBron James and his 42-11 Cavs. “We lost again,” guard Rodney Stuckey said. “I don’t know. I really can’t explain anything anymore. We just keep losing, and now we’ve got some great teams to play.” Stuckey has averaged 8.2 points during the Pistons current skid, and has totaled five points in his last two games. Now they want to be on the road? “I never say it’s a relief to go on the road,” Pistons coach Michael Curry said. But Curry admits, “this group of guys have had tendencies to not play as well at home, for whatever reasons.” Rip is awe, like the rest of us. “It’s crazy,” said Detroit’s Richard Hamilton. “If you look at our record, that’s kind of insane to me. “The season is far from over. We have a tough schedule coming. We have to take it one game at a time, and hopefully get a win.” Remember my whole blind date analogy? Well the way Detroit is playing of late a win on the road against the Cavaliers is like a guy waiting for his fix up and Giselle Bundchen walks in hopped up on roofies, picks up the tab and insists on taking you home with her. I know…I’m horrible.

The Good/Bad/and More
No More ‘FRO, you will see a new look Ben Wallace tonight.
The Cavaliers, who own the NBA’s best home record at 24-1, have lost four of five to Detroit at Quicken Loans Arena.
Detroit hasn’t lost six straight since Feb. 3-17, 2004.
Delante West is back for The Cavs.
Detroit is one game over 500, a loss tonight gives them a 27-27 record while fighting for the 6th seed with with Sixers.
Michael Curry may decide to stick with his 7 man rotation since the starters got all that rest because of the TNT timeouts.

Tip off is at 8:00 PM and will be Nationally televised on ESPN and locally broadcast on FSN. If you can’t catch the game on TV, or are gearing up for the Oscars, you can listen locally at WDFN 1130 AM or follow/listen to the game at NBA.com.

[nasty daddy]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/b ... ref=si_nba

West returns to lineup for Cavaliers
Delonte West was cleared by doctors to return from a wrist injury
West missed 16 games with a broken wrist sustained on Jan. 2

Cavaliers guard Delonte West has been cleared by doctors and will start Sunday night's game against Detroit, his first action since breaking his right wrist in January.

West missed 16 games with the injury, which he sustained while trying to block a shot on Jan. 2 in Chicago. The Cavs went 12-4 without West, their best perimeter defender who is averaging 12.3 points, 3.5 assists and 3.1 rebounds.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/2009/news/02/22/warr ... index.html

Warriors' Ellis to rest repaired ankle
Golden State guard Monta Ellis will rest his surgically repaired left ankle for at least one week after experiencing occasional stiffness since his season debut for the Warriors last month.

Ellis is averaging 13.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 13 games since returning Jan. 23. His ankle was badly injured last summer in an accident on a motorized scooter. After Sunday's practice, the Warriors announced Ellis will go back into advanced rehabilitation on his ankle for up to two weeks. Ellis missed five months of court time after the injury, which occurred just a few weeks after he signed a $66 million contract extension with Golden State. The Warriors suspended Ellis for 30 games without pay for the incident, which violated his new contract.

Ellis, a second-round pick out of high school in Jackson, Miss., in 2005, scored 14 points while playing 32 minutes in the Warriors' 133-120 victory over Oklahoma City on Saturday night.The guard wasn't noticeably bothered by his ankle during Golden State's fifth win in seven games, but he has only rarely shown flashes of his usual speed and athleticism since returning to Golden State's lineup.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/2009/news/02/22/piet ... index.html

Magic's Pietrus misses game with sprained wrist
Orlando Magic shooting guard Mickael Pietrus missed Sunday's game against the Miami Heat with a sprained right wrist.

Pietrus was injured after crashing to the floor on a drive in the Magic's 92-80 win over the Charlotte Bobcats on Friday night. He is listed as day to day.

Pietrus has started 21 of 31 games played this season, averaging 11.1 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. Courtney Lee, who replaced Pietrus in the starting lineup before the injury, will be asked to play more minutes along with backup J.J. Redick.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.hoopsworld.com/TheWireStory.asp?id=16940

Warriors G Ellis out at least one week
Monta Ellis' comeback from ankle surgery has been put on hold. The Golden State Warriors announced Sunday that Ellis, who missed the first 43 games this season, will need at least one week to rest his surgically repaired left ankle.

Ellis, who was suspended the first 30 games for violating the terms of his contract, has recovered from a torn ligament in his left ankle he suffered in a moped accident over the summer. The 6-3 Ellis has appeared in 13 games since returning to the Warriors last month, averaging 13.4 points and 2.8 assists. Although he has not been visibly affected by the injury, Ellis' numbers have dropped dramatically since last season, when he averaged a career-high 20.2 points.

Ellis signed a six-year, $66 million extension last offseason. The Warriors determined he violated his contract when he lied about how he sustained the injury. The 22-year-old Ellis initially told the Warriors that the injury happened during a pickup basketball game. But the team ultimately learned that Ellis was injured while riding the moped.

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=A ... &type=lgns

Cavaliers guard Delonte West has been cleared by doctors and will start Sunday night’s game against Detroit, his first action since breaking his right wrist in January.

West missed 16 games with the injury, which he sustained while trying to block a shot on Jan. 2 in Chicago. The Cavs went 12-4 without West, their best perimeter defender who is averaging 12.3 points, 3.5 assists and 3.1 rebounds.

West’s return means Cleveland will have its starting lineup for the first time since Dec. 30.

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3926761

Charges brought for two deaths
Authorities in Chicago have charged a man with murder in the deaths of the former girlfriend of New York Knicks' player Eddy Curry and her infant daughter.

Cook County State's Attorney spokeswoman Sally Daly says 36-year-old Frederick Goings was charged with two counts of first-degree murder on Sunday. The bodies of 24-year-old Nova Henry and her 9-month-old daughter, Ava, were found in their Chicago apartment on Jan. 24. Both died of multiple gunshot wounds.

Henry was the mother of ex-Chicago Bulls player Curry's 3-year-old son. The boy was found unharmed at the scene. A spokesman for the Knicks and Curry declined comment Sunday. Goings is due in bond court Monday. It was not immediately clear if he had an attorney.

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3926585

Ellis to sit out 1-2 weeks to rest ankle
Golden State Warriors guard Monta Ellis will rest his surgically repaired left ankle for at least one week after experiencing occasional stiffness since his season debut for the Warriors last month.

Ellis is averaging 13.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 13 games since returning Jan. 23. His ankle was badly injured last summer in an accident on a motorized scooter. After Sunday's practice, the Warriors announced Ellis will go back into advanced rehabilitation on his ankle for up to two weeks. Ellis missed five months of court time after the injury, which occurred just a few weeks after he signed a $66 million contract extension with Golden State. The Warriors suspended Ellis for 30 games without pay for the incident, which violated his new contract.

Ellis, a second-round pick out of high school in Jackson, Miss., in 2005, scored 14 points while playing 32 minutes in the Warriors' 133-120 victory over Oklahoma City on Saturday night.The guard wasn't noticeably bothered by his ankle during Golden State's fifth win in seven games, but he has only rarely shown flashes of his usual speed and athleticism since returning to Golden State's lineup.