'Nasty News - Traversing Time & Space' Vol: 31

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

Former Detroit Mercy star Willie Green had seven points and four assists for Philadelphia.

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

Wallace (strained left calf) is probable for Tuesday's game at Cleveland.

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http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime ... ime-090330

Iverson's First Day In His New Role
Allen Iverson returned to active duty with eight points in 21 minutes off the bench as the Pistons beat the Sixers. It was only the seventh time in Iverson's career that he played in a game that he didn't start (four times with the Sixers, once with the Nuggets and twice for the Pistons). Iverson has started 99.2 percent of his games in the NBA (877 of 884). Only four active players have started a higher percentage of their games than Iverson (minimum: 500 games): Tim Duncan (99.9 percent), Paul Pierce (99.6 percent), Ray Allen (99.6 percent) and Mike Bibby (99.5 percent).

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2009 ... er+$25+000

Mavs owner Mark Cuban fined another $25,000
The NBA slapped Mavericks owner Mark Cuban with a $25,000 fine Sunday for publicly criticizing the officials after Denver's 103-101 victory over Dallas.

Cuban used the Twitter online social network to complain after Friday night's game that Denver's J.R. Smith was not called for coming off the bench to taunt Antoine Wright after he missed a shot near the Nuggets bench.

Cuban wrote in another posting Sunday, he "can't say no one makes money from twitter now. the nba does." In an earlier meeting of the teams, Cuban was fined $25,000 after becoming upset about a foul that wasn't called on Smith. Cuban offered to donate the money to whatever charity Smith chose, then suggested he'd give it to the fund for a gruesomely injured hockey player.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2009 ... er+$25+000

James propels Cavaliers to 60th win, over Mavs
The Cavaliers turned 60 and didn't mind one bit. LeBron James had 24 points and 12 assists as the Cavaliers made more history with a 102-74 victory over the visiting Mavericks, extending their winning streak to a franchise record 12 straight.

The Cavaliers surpassed the club mark for victories in a season. They trailed, 35-20, in the first quarter and 49-47 at halftime. But the Cavaliers outscored the Mavericks, 30-11, in the third quarter and 55-25 in the second half to go to a league-best 35-1 at home.

Cleveland is the 61st team to win 60 games in the regular season. Later, James, on "60 Minutes," said his goal is an NBA title. "It's one of the ultimate goals for me as a basketball player," James said. "We're very close."

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2009 ... er+$25+000

The Celtics have won six of seven.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2009 ... er+$25+000

The Raptors have won four in a row.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2009 ... er+$25+000

Celtics forward Kevin Garnett is out for another two games. Coach Doc Rivers said Garnett would miss the game against the Thunder and probably Wednesday's against the Bobcats.

Garnett missed 13 games because of a strained right knee, then played part-time in four while trying to work his way back into shape. He missed Friday night's game against Atlanta. Boston is 11-6 without Garnett.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2009 ... er+$25+000

Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas was held out of the game to allow his surgically repaired left knee more time to rest.

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http://postingup.2dogs.com/member/blogt ... q=1&page=0

WELCOMe back A.I
great to have you back in this exciting win over 76ers.PRINCE you was a shining as well as WILL BYnum.great team effort DETROIT PISTONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!GO-DETROIT pISATONS-GO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2009 ... n+s+return

Pistons win in Allen Iverson's return
There was an awful lot for the Pistons to like about Sunday's game. Allen Iverson returned after missing 16 games because of a back injury. The Pistons and Philadelphia 76ers engaged in a physical, entertaining, playoff-type battle. And, with just nine games left in the season, the Pistons seem to be finding a workable formula. Using Iverson as a setup man with Will Bynum and Richard Hamilton as closers, the Pistons played one of their best fourth quarters in several weeks to pull out a 101-97 victory. "That was great," coach Michael Curry said. "I feel real good about this one, especially coming on a tough back-to-back." The victory, which stopped an eight-game home losing streak on Sundays, moves the Pistons into seventh place in the Eastern Conference. Their magic number to clinch a playoff spot is now seven.

Tayshaun Prince led the Pistons with 21 points, helping to offset a 27-point night for 76ers forward Andre Iguodala. Rodney Stuckey had 16 points. "The most important thing is we got the win," said Iverson, who scored eight points in 21 minutes. "I have a lot of respect for guys that come off the bench, even more now than ever. It's hard to get yourself going. Sitting there for a long period of time, then having to jump right into the fire -- that's different for me. It's hard. But I honestly feel I can get through it. I am a professional. I can figure out a way to do it and be effective." Just his presence alone helped. Hamilton was able to rest for nine minutes in the fourth quarter. He came back strong and sealed the victory with two clutch jumpers in the final 2:29. "They wanted to leave me out there, but I told them to take me out (at the end of the third) so I could rest," said Hamilton, who finished with 14 points. "I don't want to overkill myself to the point where I start playing on one leg again. Allen gave me a chance to rest and I came back rested and made my shots." Bynum, redeeming himself for a shaky fourth quarter in Washington Saturday, scored nine points in a 14-2 run in the fourth that took the Pistons from five points down to six points up with 4:03 left.Bynum finished with 12 points and he has all but convinced Curry that he needs to be on the floor at crunch time. "Will could be in there or (Rodney) Stuckey could be in there," Curry said. "But the big key is, we have to run stuff through Will regardless of who is on the court."

Curry liked the pairing of Bynum and Iverson, despite their obvious lack of size. The players' aggression put a lot of pressure on the 76ers defense. "I love playing with (Iverson)," Bynum said. "It's like teams have to pick their poison and it opens things up out there. We can get out, run and create some excitement." Curry offset the size problem by mixing in a zone defense. During the 14-2 run, the Pistons played zone for seven of eight possessions. The only 76ers score came on the possession the Pistons played man-to-man. Amir Johnson was on the floor during the run, too, and he contributed five points and four rebounds. His ability to protect the basket was vital to the Pistons' limiting the 76ers to just 14 points in the fourth. "I am just as happy as I can be to come back and be around the guys and get in front of the fans and contribute to a win," said Iverson, who hadn't played since Feb. 25 because of a sore back. "Now my whole thing is trying to be the best sixth man I can be."

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http://www.detnews.com/article/20090330 ... 1127/rss13

A.I. adapts to coming off the bench
He doesn't love it -- that much is clear. But if what he said Sunday is truly how he feels, then Allen Iverson is going to do everything in his power to make this coming-off-the-bench thing work. "You know, a person with my resume and all the things I've done in this league, to be coming off the bench, I just thought that would be tough for me mentally," he said, after returning to the Pistons for the first time since Feb. 25 and scoring eight points in the Pistons 101-97 victory over the 76ers. "I know I can get through the whole thing physically, but mentally it was tough for me. "But I just thought about the big picture and that's helping my teammates get wins. The more I thought about that, the more I relished the challenge of coming off the bench."

Iverson's first hurdle will be chipping away the rust from his game. It's not only that he missed 16 games, but with the sore back, he couldn't do any basketball related activity for three weeks. "On a scale of one to 10, I would put my conditioning at one," he said with a laugh, after scoring eight points, missing six of nine shots and toughing out 21 minutes. "It's rough. My wind isn't where I want it to be and my rhythm isn't where I want it to be. It's definitely a work in progress." Still, he was a presence. He had a key steal and layup and scored four of his eight points in the fourth quarter. His play allowed Richard Hamilton to get ample rest so he could finish the game strong -- which he did hitting two clutch jumpers. "I thought he was huge," coach Michael Curry said. "The rust was there, but he helped us get into the bonus and did a lot of good things." Curry was actually quite masterful in coaxing Iverson back onto the court -- resorting to some subtle psychological tactics. He made Iverson travel with the team, dress and sit on the bench Saturday night in Washington -- even though he wasn't going to play. "It was just great having him around the guys," Curry said. "I knew that would get him excited."

He took it a step further on Sunday. "I put him in uniform, and I am only going to ask him at the end of (pre-game) warm-ups if he can go," Curry said. "Maybe being in uniform, going through warm-ups, the palms get to sweating and the heart starts beating faster, maybe that will entice him to get out there a little faster. "Maybe there's a little strategy to the madness." It worked. "I just wanted to get out there," Iverson said. "Obviously, I am playing a new role and what better way to do it than with my home fans behind me. I just had to dig in more. I felt like I could do positive things to help my team." Iverson was still in pain. When he outraced Louis Williams to the basket for a layup he felt it. "I tried to kick it into a gear that I don't have just yet," he said. He will probably be in more pain today. But he said that wasn't going to stop him. "It's going to be hard to keep me off the court once I get on it," he said. Rasheed Wallace is the last injured Pistons still out. He missed his 11th straight game with a sore left calf. He could return Tuesday in Cleveland.

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http://www.detnews.com/article/20090330 ... 1127/rss13

PLAYOFF CHASE: The Pistons jumped ahead of the Bulls and moved into the seventh spot in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls have been hot since acquiring John Salmons and Brad Miller and the Pistons are slowly getting back to full strength.

The question presented to Curry before the game was, is there a better chance for a first round upset than usual this season?

"I think the teams that finish five through eight are going to be good," he said. "Chicago is a different team because of the trade they made. Had they had those guys all year they probably wouldn't be in the bottom of the bracket. If we had stayed healthy or if we blended better after our trade, maybe wouldn't be at the bottom either. "One of those teams could have a chance for a first-round upset. I hope so because we are going to be one of those teams."

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http://www.detnews.com/article/20090330 ... 1127/rss13

Curry was asked why he thought Rodney Stuckey played with more aggression when Richard Hamilton was in the lineup, and less so when he isn't? "If you aren't aggressive, you won't get no shots," he said. "If you are passive, Rip's going to take all the shots and that's a good thing. All great scorers are aggressive and that's why they pick up the level of play of the people around them." Hamilton took 29 shots against the Wizards Saturday.

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http://www.detnews.com/article/20090330 ... 1127/rss13

The 76ers lost center Samuel Dalembert (strained right calf) seven minutes into the game.

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http://64.246.64.33/merge/tsnform.aspx? ... W11159.htm

Final Score: Detroit 101, Philadelphia 97
Will Bynum scored nine of his 12 points in the fourth quarter to spark the Pistons to a 101-97 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in a game with Eastern Conference playoff implications. With the win, Detroit pulled within 1 1/2 games of the Sixers for the No. 6 seed in the East and gained a one-game advantage on the eighth-seeded Bulls after Chicago's overtime loss to Toronto earlier Sunday. Tayshaun Prince led the way with 21 points, while Rodney Stuckey and Richard Hamilton netted 16 and 14 points, respectively, for the Pistons, who have won two straight after dropping six of seven.Allen Iverson (back) returned to the court after a 16-game absence and scored eight points off the bench against his former team, which allowed Detroit to shoot 52.8 percent from the floor to fall 1 1/2 games back of idle Miami for the No. 5 seed in the East. "The most important thing is getting the win," Iverson said. "As far as getting back out there, it was different for me. It was rough having to run up and down the court."

Andre Iguodala posted 27 points, seven rebounds and five assists for Philly, which has dropped back-to-back bouts on the heels of a three-game winning streak. Thaddeus Young added 22 points and Andre Miller ended with 13 points and six assists in the setback. The Pistons trailed 89-83 early in the fourth, but Amir Johnson capped a 10-0 flurry with two free throws at the 5:27 mark to put the hosts in front for good. It was still a four-point game when Iguodala missed a three-pointer with 1 1/2 minutes to go. Hamilton was also off the mark at the other end, though he followed his miss with a rebound. Bynum then bricked an open jumper, but there were only 39.2 seconds left when the Sixers got the ball back.

After Iguodala's runner cut the deficit to two, Hamilton's baseline jumper with 14.0 seconds to play made it a two-possession game. Iguodala's errant three ended any chance of come-from-behind win by the visitors. "Every loss is tough down the stretch," Iguodala said. "I felt like we had control of the game. Some things changed the momentum and they got back in it. Bynum made some big shots and I guess they played tough defense down the stretch." Iguodala's 12-point first quarter allowed the Sixers to take a 31-27 lead, and the visitors were up 58-57 at the break despite Prince going off for 14 points in the second frame. Philly ended a back-and-forth third quarter with an 8-1 run to take an 83-79 lead into the fourth.

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http://64.246.64.33/merge/tsnform.aspx? ... W11159.htm

Detroit's Rasheed Wallace (calf) missed his 11th straight game...Young has scored 20-plus points in seven straight games for Philly, which shot 46.3 percent from the floor but just 3-of-12 from three-point range...The Sixers had won three straight in the series...Kwame Brown had 13 points for the Pistons.

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http://www.insidehoops.com/blog/?p=3996

Iverson returns, Pistons beat Sixers 101-97
The AP reports: Tayshaun Prince scored 21 points, Rodney Stuckey added 16 points and Allen Iverson returned from a back injury to help the Detroit Pistons beat the Philadelphia 76ers 101-97 on Sunday and gain ground in the Eastern Conference playoff race. Iverson, who missed 16 games, scored eight points in 22 minutes as Detroit pulled within 1 1/2 games of Philadelphia for sixth place in the conference. Philadelphia’s Samuel Dalembert left in the first quarter with a leg injury and didn’t return. Richard Hamilton had 14 points and seven assists for the Pistons, and Antonio McDyess scored 13. Andre Iguodala had 24 points and Thaddeus Young added 22 for the 76ers.

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http://www.freep.com/article/20090330/S ... ns+summary

Pistons 101, 76ers 97
PHILA. min fg-a ft-a r (o-t) a pf pts
Young 38:42 10-15 2-2 4-8 3 3 22
Iguodala 44:05 10-19 6-6 2-7 5 1 27
Dalembrt 7:16 0-1 0-0 0-2 0 2 0
Miller 33:03 5-14 3-3 1-4 6 1 13
Green 23:00 3-6 0-0 0-0 4 1 7
Ratliff 23:30 3-5 3-4 2-5 0 2 9
Williams 21:20 4-9 1-2 1-1 1 2 10
Ivey 14:57 0-0 2-2 0-0 0 2 2
Speights 13:13 0-5 2-2 1-2 0 4 2
Evans 17:30 2-5 1-2 3-5 0 1 5
Marshall 3:24 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 1 0
Totals 240:00 37-80 20-23 14-34 19 20 97
FG: 463. FT: 870. 3PG: 3-12, .250 (Green 1-1, Williams 1-2, Iguodala 1-5, Marshall 0-1, Young 0-1, Miller 0-2). Team rebounds: 9. Blocks: 1 (Green). Turnovers: 8 (Iguodala 3, Miller 2, Evans, Williams, Young). Steals: 7 (Iguodala 2, Miller 2, Green, Williams, Young). Technicals: Ivey, 6:04 second;Evans, 3:49 second; Iguodala, 7:28 fourth.

DETROIT min fg-a ft-a r (o-t) a pf pts
Prince 38:06 8-11 2-2 0-0 3 1 21
McDyess 35:58 4-7 0-1 3-6 3 4 8
Brown 22:03 3-6 7-11 1-5 0 3 13
Stuckey 26:08 7-13 2-2 1-3 5 1 16
Hamilton 31:06 6-12 1-3 1-4 7 3 14
Iverson 21:04 3-9 2-4 0-2 2 2 8
Maxiell 19:14 2-3 0-0 3-5 0 1 4
Bynum 22:01 4-9 4-4 0-5 4 1 12
Herrmnn 5:35 0-1 0-0 0-1 0 0 0
Johnson 18:45 1-1 3-4 2-4 0 1 5
Totals 240:00 38-72 21-31 11-35 24 17 101
FG: 528. FT: 677. 3PG: 4-10, .400 (Prince 3-4, Hamilton 1-4, Herrmann 0-1, Stuckey 0-1). Team rebounds: 12. Blocks: 2 (Maxiell, McDyess). Turnovers: 11 (Bynum 3, Hamilton 2, Iverson 2, McDyess 2, Herrmann, Maxiell). Steals: 5 (Stuckey 3, Iverson, Johnson). Technical: Hamilton, 2:51 first.

Philadelphia 31 27 25 14 -- 97
Detroit 27 30 22 22 -- 101

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http://www.hoopsworld.com/HeadlineStori ... TORY_17402

Marquis Daniels To Shut It Down?
It seems like the logical decision for Marquis Daniels: to shut it down. The Indiana Pacers swingman has been struggling with an injured right wrist and said he may talk with head coach Jim O’Brien and his agent about “shutting it down for the season.” "I've got to talk to my agent and the coaches on if I should try to come back or let it heal so I don't have to mess with it during the summer,” said Daniels, who has started 43 games for the Pacers.

Daniels is averaging 13.6 points on the season, but has missed the last five games and is currently wearing a soft cast to assist with the pain.

"He couldn't play basketball if he tried," O'Brien said. "Everything would have to be left-handed." Daniels isn’t the only member of the Pacers banged up.