'Nasty News - Traversing Time & Space' Vol: 68

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http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=300324025

Kevin Durant scored 25 points, James Harden added a spark with 23 points off the bench while returning from an injury and the Oklahoma City Thunder ended a string of futility against the Houston Rockets with a 122-104 victory on Wednesday night.

Luis Scola scored 25 and Trevor Ariza added 20 points for Houston, which fell seven games behind Oklahoma City and 5 1/2 behind eighth-place Portland in the Western Conference with a dozen games left.

Kyle Lowry had 13 of his 15 points in the first half, but the rest of Houston's depleted bench did little to offset Harden's spectacular return on a night that saw Oklahoma City score its second-most points this season and make a season-best 47 field goals on 59 percent shooting.

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http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=300324024

Kobe Bryant scored 24 points and the Los Angeles Lakers extended their winning streak to seven games with a 92-83 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday night.

Lamar Odom added 19 points and Ron Artest had 16, but it was Bryant who put the Spurs away for good. He scored 10 in the fourth quarter, including two backbreaking 3-pointers that San Antonio couldn't shake off.

Manu Ginobili scored 24 points and George Hill had 21, but the Spurs got little help from anyone else. San Antonio had no other scorers in double figures, and got a dreadful 2-of-11 night from Tim Duncan, who finished with six points and 12 rebounds.

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http://need4sheed.com/2010/03/need4shee ... riter.html

Need4Sheed Podcast – Interview with Dana Gauruder Pistons Beat Writer
I was lucky enough to score an interview with someone who I have been reading since I used to actually hold a newspaper in my hand and turn the pages. Dana Gauruder has been giving us the Pistons inside scoop for 10 years and he was kind enough to let me bombard him with questions that Pistons fans need the answers to.

Dana always gives tells it like it is, so make sure you keep up with this Pistons recaps over at NBA.com and follow him on Twitter @dgauruder. Thanks again to Dana for taking the time out for us. He went so far as to get a haircut for the occasion, even though we did the interview by phone. Now that’s what you call class.

Audio in the link above^.

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http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

DetNews: Pistons' Jason Maxiell: Players are saving money to cover possible lockout: Maxiell, the Pistons' playe... http://twurl.nl/z8q40v

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http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

MLive: Billy Hunter: Labor trouble on horizon for NBA: Hunter stopped by the Pistons' practice facility Wednesday ... http://bit.ly/9HzJQw

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http://wdfn.com/pages/DETROITPISTONS.html

Pistons lose to Indiana, swept by Pacers in season series for the first time
Danny Granger scored 32 points and the Indiana Pacers snapped a nine-game road losing streak with a 98-83 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night. Indiana is just 20-46 against the rest of the NBA, but beat Detroit in all four meetings this season -- the first time the Pacers swept a season series with the Pistons.

Detroit was officially eliminated from the playoff race with the loss, ending an eight-year streak of postseason appearances. Brandon Rush scored 20 points for Indiana, while Troy Murphy added 10 points and 12 rebounds. Tayshaun Prince led the Pistons with 14.

The Pistons lost starting point guard Will Bynum in the first half with a back bruise, then coach John Kuester was ejected for arguing a call in the third quarter. Indiana led by double figures in the first quarter, but only held a 52-49 advantage at the half. The Pacers regained the momentum in the third, moving the margin to 13 in the aftermath of Kuester's ejection. The Pacers led by 11 going into the fourth and were never seriously threatened down the stretch.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... -at-buzzer

Josh Smith gives Hawks win, playoff berth with dunk at buzzer
Smith swooped in to dunk Johnson's miss just ahead of the buzzer as the Hawks pulled out another close one, finally beating the Orlando Magic 86-84 Wednesday night to clinch a third straight trip to the playoffs.

Smith blew past Rashard Lewis and dunked over Dwight Howard, who had a season-high 24 rebounds but wasn't there at the end because he came out to help defensively against Johnson.

Carter led Orlando with 20 points, while Howard chipped in with another monster performance: 19 points and his domination of the boards. Johnson led six Atlanta players in double figures with 17 points, while Smith scored 15.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... ot-of-buzz

Amar'e Stoudemire dunk still generating a lot of buzz
They're calling it, "The Throwdown in Oaktown." The Arizona Republic is conducting a fan poll of the best Amar'e Stoudemire dunks after the facial he gave to Warriors forward Anthony Tolliver.

The dunk, which has become a YouTube sensation, happened during the Suns' 133-131 victory over the Warriors. Stoudemire received an outlet pass from Jason Richardson (Michigan State) and engulfed Tolliver en route to a one-handed thunder jam that electrified the fans. Then, Stoudemire grabbed his jersey and taunted fans as if to say, Does anybody else want some of this. "When J-Rich tossed me the ball, my first thought was I hope he jumps," Stoudemire told the Arizona Republic. Richardson, a two-time dunk champion, said it was the best dunk he's seen.

Teammates agree. "I didn't know what to do," Leandro Barbosa said. "The bench was crazy. It was unbelievable. It's not because he's on my team or because I like him. It's because it's something I've never seen before."Stoudemire, however, is doing more than dunking. He's averaged 30.8 points and 11.0 rebounds and shot 59 percent the last 11 games. "The last month and a half, I think he's been the best player in the NBA," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... ot-of-buzz

Floor coach
Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups might need to extend his leadership skills.

Denver might go the remainder of the regular season without coach George Karl on the sidelines. Karl has undergone treatment for blood clots in his lungs and legs following chemotherapy for throat cancer.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... ot-of-buzz

Starting over
Drew Gooden has played for nine teams in eight seasons, and probably will play for No. 10 next season.

It's unlikely the Clippers will re-sign Gooden. And, Gooden wants to return to the Mavericks, who traded him this season. "I started (in Dallas) and I committed myself to this team and sacrificed for this team and I had a goal," Gooden told the Dallas media this week. "I wanted to finish it out, but sometimes that doesn't happen in this league."

So how does Gooden feel about bouncing around? "It makes you a little cold-blooded, especially the situation I've been in," he said. "I've put my trust in teams and sacrificed and I've always wanted to be a winner. I've never understood why teams get rid of guys who really want to be winners."

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... ot-of-buzz

Technical advice
They're running neck and neck down the stretch, but Celtics center Kendrick Perkins leads teammate Rasheed Wallace in technicals, 14-13.

If either reaches 16, they'll serve an automatic one-game suspension.

"My technical fouls have been tangle-ups," Perkins told the Boston Globe. "It hasn't been at the refs, it's been tangle-ups. I'm just trying to do a better job of not getting them."

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... ot-of-buzz

By the numbers
37 -- Age of the ageless Mavericks PG Jason Kidd
$925,000 -- Salary the Cavaliers are paying C Zydrunas Ilgauskas the remainder of the season
$10M -- Lost Adidas revenue by suspended Wizards G Gilbert Arenas

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... ot-of-buzz

Sky time
The best dunkers in NBA history:
• Michael Jordan: So creative and powerful with his tongue wagging in air.
• Julius Erving: Dr. J had huge hands and could twist his body like a pretzel.
• LeBron James: Has the most powerful jams in history.
• Amar'e Stoudemire: Just put up a classic against Golden State
• Dominique Wilkins: Sick jackknife jam brought the house down.
• Darryl Dawkins: Created chocolate thunder.
• David Thompson: Some say he could touch the top of the backboard.
• Spud Webb: Only 5-foot-7, but could dunk with the big boys.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... ot-of-buzz

Terry's top five
• 1. Cleveland (1): Big Z and Big Shaq will make them even better.
• 2. L.A. Lakers (2): Time for Jackson to step in and put out the fires.
• 3. Orlando (3): Carter is thrilled to win 50 games for the first time.
• 4. Denver (4): The Nuggets have to go without Karl for a little longer.
• 5. Dallas (5): Kidd 37th birthday ends with season high 26 vs. Pacers.

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... ot-of-buzz

Terry's bottom five
• 26. Detroit (23): Pistons looked listless during a six-game skid.
• 27. Washington (22): It appears as if Arenas is headed for jail.
• 28. Golden State (28): At least the Warriors look exciting when they lose.
• 29. Minnesota (29): Courtship of Milicic continues; likely staying.
• 30. New Jersey (30): The Nets are consistent (3 home wins, 3 road).
Last week's rankings in parentheses

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... ot-of-buzz

School days
Five players who raised their NBA stock with their NCAA Tournament showings:

Player School Comment
DeMarcusWittman Cornell They love his shooting ability

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... ot-of-buzz

Quotable
“Hey, if I’ve got to go somewhere, the Knicks is the place. It’s New York City. A lot of Puerto Ricans over there. And I like the coach (Mike D’Antoni) they have now. I love his system and the way they play.”

-- J.J. Barea, Mavericks guard, to the New York Post, on playing for the Knicks

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http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=300324009

Stephen Curry had 30 points and 11 assists, Reggie Williams scored 23 points, and the Golden State Warriors damaged the Memphis Grizzlies' playoff hopes with a 128-110 victory on Wednesday night.

Monta Ellis added 21 points for the Warriors, who snapped a three-game losing streak. Corey Maggette and Anthony Tolliver each had 12 points and Chris Hunter, making his sixth start, recorded his first career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Rudy Gay had 25 points and 10 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who had won three of four. O.J. Mayo and Mike Conley each added 21 points. Sam Young scored 14

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... BA-lockout

Players preparing for possible NBA lockout
If you're an NBA fan, brace for a lockout after next season. The players are already doing just that.Billy Hunter, director of the NBA Players' Association, was at the Pistons' practice facility Wednesday, updating players on the status of negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement. The current CBA expires after the 2010-11 season. "The players are concerned there may be a work stoppage," Hunter said. "That's the last thing they want to see. There may be teams that are struggling in smaller markets. It may be something they can't recover from."

Owners want a hard salary cap, the Players' Association does not. "We're not at all open to a hard salary cap and we've conveyed that," Hunter said.

Jason Maxiell, the Pistons' player representative, said players are beginning to take precautions with a lockout looming. "Mainly save your funds, knowing it could be like 1998 (the last NBA lockout)," Maxiell said. "It was tough for (the players) then, and it could be tough for us. As a player you have to be prepared for it." Will Bynum practiced and scrimmaged Wednesday after taking a hard fall during Tuesday's game. He will be ready to play Friday in New Jersey.

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http://www.freep.com/article/20100325/S ... abor-talks

NBPA executive director Billy Hunter: 'We're not at all open to a hard salary cap...'
The presence of Billy Hunter at the Pistons' practice facility Wednesday served as a reminder of the labor clouds looming over the NBA. Hunter, who has led the National Basketball Player's Association since 1996, was in town to give an update on the status of labor talks as the current collective bargaining agreement is set to expire in June 2011. And status of those talks? As has been reported, there is a vast chasm between the league and the players, and a lockout after next season is possible.

The sticking point is the league's initial proposal -- one that would reduce the length and amount of guaranteed deals and pretty much kill all salary-cap exceptions -- that smells a lot like a salary cap. "That issue was raised in '98 and it led to a lockout," Hunter said of the shortened season in 1998-99. "We're not at all open to a hard salary cap and we've conveyed that ..."The owners are seeking these concessions because they say they are suffering massive losses. Commissioner David Stern said during the All-Star weekend that the owners would lose $400 million this season.

There haven't been talks recently, but both sides will probably get together after the regular season because the owners would like to resolve the issue before the start of free agency July 1. Most likely, any breakthrough won't happen until the deadline approaches. For that reason, Pistons player rep Jason Maxiell said preparations have begun. "It's going to be tough and the players got to be prepared for it," he said. "You save your funds up and knowing that it could be the same way it was back in '98-99, I believe."