'Nasty News - Traversing Time & Space' Vol: 63

THREE IN A ROW! Pistons start new streak
The Pistons, coming off an overtime victory Friday, were supposed to be tired. However, they were in the process of putting together their most consistent effort of the season against the equally-weary New York Knicks -- until the fourth quarter. They held on to win their third straight, 94-90, on Saturday, using guile and a favorable call. With the Knicks trailing by three with 19 seconds left, guard Nate Robinson threw up an errant running one-hander, and Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey and Knicks forward David Lee went for the ball as it headed out of bounds. After officials used instant replay, they determined Lee touched it, and the Pistons escaped, nearly giving up a 21-point lead. "We played well for three quarters," Pistons coach John Kuester said. "They made some shots. I think we kept looking at the scoreboard and kept thinking time was going to fly off, and in the NBA it doesn't." On the prospect of losing a huge lead, as the Pistons almost did against the Hornets, Kuester said, "It would have been a tough pill to swallow."

The Pistons built a 64-43 lead in the third quarter before tired legs -- or complacency -- set in. Stuckey, who was hospitalized for dehydration after Friday night's game against New Orleans, showed little sign of exhaustion, playing 42 minutes, leading the Pistons with 20 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals. Kuester called Stuckey's play "phenomenal." "I will fight through it," said Stuckey, who had to get an IV Friday night. "When BG (Ben Gordon) and Will (Bynum) get back maybe I will get some rest." Lee was a thorn in the Pistons' side in their last meeting, with 30 points and 12 rebounds. With the Pistons coming off an overtime game and Lee being one assist shy of a triple-double Friday night, he was expected to dominate. When he scored 16 in the first quarter, it looked like another long night for the Piston big men. Ben Wallace, who had 21 rebounds against New Orleans, took the challenge personally. He blocked two straight Lee shots in the second half when Lee tried bullying him inside. Lee finished with 26 points, 17 rebounds and nine assists, but his game wasn't as fluid as in his first trip to Detroit. "We were fortunate to do a better job in the post area," Kuester said. The power forward position, which has been in flux all season, proved to be fruitful. Chris Wilcox and Charlie Villanueva played the parts of thunder and lightning.

Wilcox had eight points and six rebounds in the first quarter on his way to a 14-point, 10-rebound night. "He did some great things, giving us a lot of energy in 17 minutes," Kuester said. Said Wilcox: "I just stayed professional until it was my turn. We knew what (Lee) did to us the first time and we wanted to focus on him. When Villanueva replaced Wilcox, he found his groove. No matter what the Knicks tried, they couldn't stop Villanueva from scoring 12 in the first half, as he ignited a 16-2 run that pushed the Pistons' lead to 17. "It helps me get into a consistent rhythm," said Villanueva, who finished with 19 points. "They had a little guy (Wilson Chandler) on me.""We really milked that play," Kuester said. "He was on a roll -- he had a very good game. I was very pleased with him."The Pistons took advantage of the Knicks' unconventional lineups and rode the hot hand on the way to one of their most efficient first halves of the season. They controlled the glass and shared the wealth offensively, with five players in double figures.The Pistons play the Knicks in New York on Monday.

nasty daddy · Post #398 » by **nasty daddy** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 11:36 pm

http://pistonsnationblog.com/2010/01/17 ... m-with-me/

Who wants to go in on an NBA team with me?
After reading the other day that Karen Davidson was looking to unload a pricey piece of real estate in Colorado I kind of wondered how long it would be until talks of selling the Pistons would surface. The answer; not long at all: Pistons owner Karen Davidson seriously is considering selling the Pistons and Palace Sports and Entertainment. She already has had a conversation with NBA commissioner David Stern on the process and protocol for attracting potential buyers. Once she sells, there would be nothing keeping the Pistons tethered to The Palace. There also has been a lot of chatter about the Ilitches making an offer to buy the Pistons and Palace Sports and Entertainment. They may have thought about it, but according to sources, Mike Ilitch is not a fan of the NBA. While he might be interested in The Palace, he has no interest in buying the Pistons.

I’ll be honest, reading that makes me a little sad knowing how much love and pride Bill Davidson had in owning this basketball team. I’d like to see the Davidson name attached to the Pistons forever, but I can also understand if Karen Davidson doesn’t have her late husband’s passion for owning the team. If / when the Pistons are sold I only hope pray it’s to a buyer(s) who are committed to keeping the team one of the class organizations in the league(unlike a certain area football team). Also, I better never read that there’s even a hint of this team leaving. The Shock is one thing, don’t f*!k with my Pistons…

The article also brings up the notion of bringing the Pistons back downtown and possibly sharing a building with the Red Wings, something Bill Davidson was always against. With so much Pistons history in Auburn Hills how would Piston fans feel about going to downtown Detroit to watch the Pistons?

nasty daddy · Post #399 » by **nasty daddy** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 11:43 pm

http://stats.mlive.com/nba/preview.asp? ... e=18&vis=8

Pistons-Knicks Preview
It's hard to believe the Detroit Pistons were mired in a 13-game losing streak less than a week ago the way they've played in their last three contests. The Pistons will try to win their fourth straight and complete a home-and-home sweep of the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Monday. Detroit (14-25) ended its lengthy skid with a 99-90 win at Washington on Tuesday before returning home to beat New Orleans and New York (16-24). The Pistons have led at halftime in all three wins, building a 51-37 advantage in Saturday's 94-90 victory over the Knicks. "We're playing harder, playing as a team, sharing the ball," Detroit guard Rodney Stuckey said. "That's pretty much it. I think that if we came out and share the ball, and help each other on defense we give ourselves a chance to win a basketball game."

Stuckey scored 20 points and Charlie Villanueva 19 against New York. Stuckey needed treatment for flulike symptoms and dehydration after he scored eight points in overtime in Friday's win over the Hornets, spending a long night in the hospital. "That young man showed some guts tonight," guard Chucky Atkins said. "He gave us 41 minutes after he was at the hospital at 3 a.m." New York cut a 17-point deficit entering the fourth quarter down to two, but was unable to complete the comeback in its fourth loss in five games. "We had a lack of energy, a lack of focus and a lack of urgency," coach Mike D'Antoni said. "We picked it up, obviously, at the start of the fourth quarter but it was too late. I don't think we came out with any kind of desire to win." Detroit avenged a 104-87 home loss to New York on Dec. 29, but hasn't been able to slow down David Lee. The Knicks leading scorer is averaging 28.0 points and 14.5 rebounds against the Pistons this season, and has five double-doubles in his last six meetings.

Danilo Gallinari scored a team-high 27 points and Lee added 26 in Saturday's loss. Gallinari and Nate Robinson combined for 20 fourth-quarter points. "With twelve minutes to go and guys out there that can shoot the ball like Nate Robinson or Danilo Gallinari, that's not really a big lead," Atkins said. The Knicks are 17-6 all-time on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, winning 102-98 at home over Chicago last season as they limited Ben Gordon to eight points on 3-of-15 shooting. Gordon, a Mount Vernon, New York native, hit a game-winning shot in his first game at MSG as a pro on Martin Luther King Jr. Day five years ago for the Bulls in an 88-86 victory. The first-year Pistons guard, though, has missed three straight games with a strained right groin. Detroit's Tayshaun Prince has missed the last four games due to a knee problem while Will Bynum has sat out nine in a row with an ankle injury.

nasty daddy · Post #400 » by **nasty daddy** » Sun Jan 17, 2010 11:50 pm

http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spur ... hange.html

McDyess hurt: Forward/center Antonio McDyess was unavailable Saturday after suffering a pinched nerve in his neck Friday in Charlotte. He will be listed as day-to-day.

McDyess suited up, but only due to a technicality in NBA rules. He did not have a jacket at the arena so he had to wear his uniform to sit on the bench.