'Nasty News - Traversing Time & Space' Vol: 69

[nasty daddy]

http://need4sheed.com/2010/04/pistons-s ... ation.html

The plus/minus in the box score for Detroit is the best I have seen all season long.

[nasty daddy]

http://need4sheed.com/2010/04/pistons-s ... ation.html

No Rip, Atkins, Brown, Atkins and Maxiell and Wilcox were inactive.

[nasty daddy]

http://need4sheed.com/2010/04/pistons-s ... ation.html

JJ for the play of the Day!

Video in the link above^.

[nasty daddy]

http://need4sheed.com/2010/04/pistons-s ... ation.html

Jonas played so hard and for so many minutes (38) he war drenched with sweat with no sign of hair gel left on his head. Jerebko scored11 with 3 boards, 4 assists a blocked shot and 2 steals. The Pistons found a heck of a starter, and a fan favorite in the second round of the Draft.

[nasty daddy]

http://need4sheed.com/2010/04/pistons-s ... ation.html

Ben Gordon actually knocked some shots down….commence celebrating. (13 points on 6-for-10 shooting with 2 assists, a steal)

[nasty daddy]

http://need4sheed.com/2010/04/pistons-s ... ation.html

Board war won 33-26.

[nasty daddy]

http://need4sheed.com/2010/04/pistons-s ... ation.html

Seven Pistons in double figures.

[nasty daddy]

http://need4sheed.com/2010/04/pistons-s ... ation.html

47 points from the Pistons bench.

[nasty daddy]

http://need4sheed.com/2010/04/pistons-s ... ation.html

Stucktacular – the great games keep coming from Rodney. Stuck with 24 points, 5 assists, and 2 steals as SHOOTING GUARD. He also came back from a really bad elbow he took in the ribs. Kid has heart!

[nasty daddy]

http://need4sheed.com/2010/04/pistons-s ... ation.html

Same with Tayshaun, as soon as he had that one breakout game after his injury, he hasn’t stopped. Tay with 14 points on 5-for-8 shooting with 7 boards, 4 assists and 2 steals. And this Tayriffic DUNK!

Video in the link above^.

[nasty daddy]

http://need4sheed.com/2010/04/pistons-s ... ation.html

Did I mention they played great D?

[nasty daddy]

http://need4sheed.com/2010/04/pistons-s ... ation.html

Atlanta again for the second to last home game for Detroit this season Wednesday night.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/trueblu ... 00406.html

Fun Night in Philly
A tumultuous travel day officially announced – via Twitter – that the Pistons had hit rock bottom Monday. On Tuesday night they began their ascent, and it was Charlie Villanueva, the player under the most scrutiny, who led the way. Villanueva scored a game-high 25 points to lead the Pistons past Philadelphia, 124-103, for the third time in four meetings. Seven scorers reached double figures for Detroit, which snapped an 11-game losing streak. “When you see the game I had, it is contagious in the locker room,” Villanueva said. “The guys showed a lot of light and energy.” The 124 points was a season high, and the most scored by Detroit in a non-overtime contest since 136 against Denver on Mar. 18, 2008. The teams essentially traded baskets en route to halftime tie at 61 before the Pistons started making plays on the defensive end. The Pistons scored 29 points on 16 Philadelphia turnovers, and held the Sixers to 44 percent shooting after halftime (down from 60 percent in the first half). “It always is when you play the right way, especially in the second half,” Kuester said of the relief he feels after Detroit’s first road win since February. “We had 61 points in the first half; it’s an awful lot of points to have. Even in the third quarter, we locked in defensively. It was good to get the win.” Things were going swimmingly in the third quarter for the Pistons, who had just extended their lead to double digits for the first time when Rodney Stuckey hit the floor after a hard foul by Sixers forward Marreese Speights. Driving hard on the baseline, Stuckey jumped toward the rim when Speights landed a solid blow to Stuckey’s exposed rib cage with his forearm and elbow.

Stuckey made the layup but did not get up for several minutes. He grimaced through the free throw, making it to complete the three-point play. Tayshaun Prince – who had 14 points, seven rebounds, four assists and two steals – intentionally fouled to have Stuckey substituted for. Stuckey was taken for X-rays, which were negative, and he returned for a “blue collar” fourth quarter to finish 24 points and five assists. The injury is being called a rib contusion. Villanueva – whose seasonlong frustration boiled to the surface in a series of Twitter posts after he and Austin Daye missed the team’s flight to Philadelphia – delivered his most inspired play of the season. Daye, who made similar remarks on Twitter, also responded well to the distraction with nine points and nine rebounds. After a “white hot” first half, Villanueva iced the victory with three triples in the fourth quarter, finishing 4-for-6 from the arc and 8-for-11 overall. The 25 points were his most since Dec. 10 – 55 games ago. “This has been a tough year for me, but I never lost confidence in my ability and it definitely feels good to get a game like this under my belt,” Villanueva said.

The Pistons were rolling even before Villanueva stepped on the floor. Though Rip Hamilton’s game-time decision turned out to be “no” – he missed his fourth straight game with a right ankle sprain – the Pistons scored 34 points in the first quarter, their most in their last 38 quarters played. Detroit shot 68 percent from the field (13 of 19) and had nine assists against just two turnovers, accomplishing it with remarkable balance. Five different Pistons scored six points apiece and four had two assists. The league’s fourth-worst free-throw shooting team, the Pistons also went 8-for-8 at the line. The Pistons – whose lack of a frontcourt scoring presence has been lamented for months – took the lead for good with points in the paint. Jonas Jerebko scored six of his 11 points in the third quarter with two running hook shots across the lane and a fast-break dunk as part of a 20-9 run. Later in the third, Ben Wallace set a season high with a steal and fast-break layup, giving him 18 points. Wallace made eight of 10 shots to go with six rebounds, three steals and three assists. The Pistons were so dominant upfront, with a 33-26 rebounding edge, that Philly starters Elton Brand and Samuel Dalembert were benched, playing a combined 25 minutes.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/trueblu ... 00406.html

TEAM COLORS
White Hot – Charlie Villanueva had been under scrutiny all season, but never more so than Tuesday night after making headlines nationally with his Twitter account. Finally, he let his play do the talking. Villanueva came off the bench late in the first quarter and scored six points in 80 seconds, making his first two shots and a pair of free throws. He scored seven straight Detroit points in the second quarter when he tripled, made a driving layup and hit another pair of free throws. Villanueva left late in the second quarter with 15 points in 10 minutes, having made five of six shots and four straight free throws. He scored 25 points in 23 minutes.

BLUE COLLAR – Sixers forward Marreese Speights tried to emphatically end the Detroit lay-up line with his third-quarter foul on Stuckey. He stirred up the Pistons guard more than the Sixers defense. Stuckey returned in the fourth quarter and went right back to work. He had eight points, making four of five shots, and two assists in the fourth. Not surprisingly, he was also more physical defensively, picking up two fouls.

RED FLAG – It’s been a long season, with its share of red flags. But you’d be pressed to identify any in Tuesday’s performance, save for concern about Stuckey’s sore ribs. You couldn’t even turn to the old standbys. No scoring in the frontcourt? Pistons delivered 48 points in the paint with Ben Wallace chipping in a season-high 18. Ben Gordon’s cold shooting? Bounced back from an 0-for-7 night in Atlanta with 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting. It was as complete a performance as the Pistons have had since the season opener in Memphis.

[nasty daddy]

http://basketball.realgm.com/src_wireta ... fracture/#

Bosh Suffers Facial Fracture
Following their loss in Cleveland on Tuesday, the Raptors announced that Chris Bosh has a "maxilla and nasal fracture to the right side of his face."

ill not travel with the team. He will be kept overnight in the hospital for additional observation.

Bosh was accidentally hit in the face by Antawn Jamison in the first period of the game.

[nasty daddy]

http://pistonspoint.blogspot.com/

Lottery watch
The Pistons (24-53) win over Philadelphia propelled them to a tie with Washington (24-53) for the fifth worst record in the NBA. Detroit came into Tuesday night tied for the third worst record. On Tuesday night, the Wizards beat the Warriors (23-54), who now own sole possession of the third worst record in the league.

Sacramento (24-54) has the fourth worst record after its loss at home to San Antonio Tuesday night.

[nasty daddy]

http://pistonspoint.blogspot.com/

Pistons' Villanueva, Daye shine after missing team flight
A day after venting their frustrations on Twitter, Charlie Villanueva and Austin Daye turned in solid efforts during the Pistons’ 124-106 win over the 76ers. Villanueva had 25 points, three rebounds and two steals in 23 minutes. Villanueva's 25 points were the most he scored since Dec. 10. Villanueva also shot an efficient 8 for 11 from the field and 4 for 6 on his 3-point attempts. Daye had nine points and a career-high nine rebounds in 23 minutes.

Villanueva and Daye both missed the team flight to Philadelphia on Monday and had to fly commercial. Both players tweets, in particular Villanueva’s, made it seem like their frustration was more than just missing the team flight. A report by 97.1 FM The Ticket said Monday’s practice was very heated and coach John Kuester even punted a basketball.

Both Villanueva and Kuester declined to comment on the situation before Tuesday’s game.“It was just me being frustrated,” Villanueva said. “Venting a little. It’s been a frustrating year. It’s just one of those things that I wanted to vent a little bit. It is what it is. Leave it at that.” It seems odd Villanueva and Daye would be so upset about missing the team plane, but if something else was the cause it likely won’t come out.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/pistons/index_main.html

Scouting Report - Atlanta Hawks
Scott Perry talks with Pistons Weekly's Pete Skorich about Wednesday's game against the Hawks.

Video in the link above^.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/games/20100407/ATLDE ... 0020901160

Hawks-Pistons Preview
Four days ago in Atlanta, the playoff-bound Hawks had trouble putting away the woeful Detroit Pistons. The Hawks will probably be in for another tough night in Wednesday's rematch in Detroit, as they could take the court without leading scorer Joe Johnson and starting point guard Mike Bibby.Atlanta and Detroit are separated by 25 games in the standings, but the teams appeared evenly matched at Philips Arena on Saturday. The Hawks (49-28), one game ahead of Boston for the third seed in the Eastern Conference, led by two points early in the fourth quarter before pulling away slightly to win 91-85, handing the Pistons (24-53) their 11th straight defeat. As Johnson sat out with a sprained right thumb, Atlanta's offense struggled to get in rhythm, finishing 10.8 points below its season average. Jamal Crawford led the Hawks with 29 points against Detroit, while Al Horford added 20 and 14 rebounds.

Bibby played against the Pistons - finishing with five points, five rebounds and four assists - before sitting out Tuesday's 109-100 loss to Charlotte due to an ingrown toenail. Johnson, who averages 21.2 points, is expected to miss another game because of his injury, but Bibby could return. Maurice Evans started for Johnson on Tuesday and rookie Jeff Teague took Bibby's place. Neither was impressive early. The Bobcats built a 59-36 halftime lead, denying Atlanta the chance to clinch its first 50-win season since going 50-32 in 1997-98. "I think we were all a little tense at the beginning,'' said Horford, who had 16 points and 12 rebounds.If neither Johnson nor Bibby can play against the Pistons, the Hawks might again have trouble achieving that milestone win. They've dropped 25 of 29 in Detroit, including a 94-88 loss Nov. 29.

The Pistons bounced back from Saturday's defeat in Atlanta with a 124-103 win at Philadelphia on Tuesday, snapping their longest skid since dropping 13 straight Dec. 15-Jan. 11. Detroit looked like a completely different team against the 76ers, finishing with season highs in both points and field goal percentage (62.7) after shooting only 37.6 percent versus the Hawks. "It's great to get a win,'' said Charlie Villanueva who shot 8 of 11 and finished 25 points to lead seven Pistons in double figures. "I haven't seen a locker room like this in a while. Guys are actually smiling.''The 25 points were the most since scoring 27 in a win over Denver on Dec. 10 for Villanueva, who had eight points against Atlanta and was averaging 4.7 on 25.0 percent shooting in his previous three games before Tuesday's victory. "It's been a rough year for me,'' he said. "But I never lose confidence in myself. It's just been one of those years. I'm not making excuses.'' The Pistons, guaranteed to finish with their worst record since going 28-54 in 1994-95, are trying to win consecutive games for the first time since defeating San Antonio on Feb. 21 and Sacramento two days later.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitbadboys.com/2010/4/6/ ... tery-balls

But What About the Lottery Balls: Pistons 124, Sixers 103
Everything was going according to plan. The Pistons were making some games interesting, and others not, but most importantly were on their way to closing out this mega-miserable season on an epic 17-game losing streak to all but solidify enough ping pong balls for a top three pick in this June's draft. Fans had officially become numb to all the losses, starting to re-think mass suicide (maybe), and suddenly hopeful that the Pistons were, for once, doing something right this season. Alas, something went terribly awry, though. Somewhere along the way, amongst missed flights, Twit-therapy, words of wisdom, and punted basketballs, the Pistons found some life for their Tuesday night game against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Pistons ill-advisedly shot 63% from the field (47% from downtown!) and had seven players score in double figures en route to a crushing 124-103 win. Instead of being tied for the third worst record in the NBA with the Warriors (136-137 lottery combinations), the Pistons now find themselves tied for the fourth fifth worst record with the Wizards and Kings (90 75-76 lottery combinations). Further, the loss for the 76ers means that they are within striking distance, now just two games behind the Pistons. Tragic.

In all seriousness, it was great to see the Pistons show that they haven't forgotten how to win. If the Pistons were capable of playing like this every night, I don't think we'd all be so depressed as a result of this season. Sadly, I think this was simply a case of the Pistons caring way more than the 76ers do at this point.

Some Box Score notes:
•Ben Wallace was a monster tonight, racking up 18 points and six rebounds in 24+ minutes (27 points and nine rebounds per 36).
•CV31 walked the tweet and scored 25 points in 23 minutes (roughly 38 points per 36)
•Austin Daye had nine and nine in 22 minutes.
•I wish there would have been more minutes for Summers, but one can't really complain when everyone else was en fuego.
•Stuckey was elbowed in the ribs during the game and appeared to be seriously hurt, again. He sank his free throw and left for X-rays, but returned to finish the game when those X-rays came up negative. Boss.