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

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... ey-Stuckey

Pistons will play to win, with or without Rodney Stuckey
A mob of reports surrounded Rodney Stuckey, asking how he felt, asking if he believed he had a future in the NBA, asking what he remembered about collapsing in the game at Cleveland. Stuckey answered the questions patiently and optimistically. He felt fine, he said. Near the end of the interview he was asked, if permitted to play again this season, if he would be hesitant to return.Stuckey said, no, he wouldn't be. He wanted to play, as long as doctors said it was OK. "It's my job," Stuckey said.

If Rodney Stuckey feels good enough to play, feels as if he can go on playing without any fear, let him to do it. Stuckey has undergone multiple tests, multiple examinations. If all the doctors say he's healthy and able to exert himself, that's good enough for me. If Stuckey feels confident enough to play professional basketball, confident that it won't affect his health, that's good enough for me, too. It's not up to the Pistons, or their fans. Ultimately, this decision rests with Stuckey and whether he wants to go back on the basketball court. He certainly seems eager to do so.

There is a ticklish issue in all this, though. The Pistons can certainly hold him back, say it's for his well-being, and probably plummet in the standings. That would, of course, strengthen their chances of getting a higher draft pick. This is a different matter entirely, but I would hope the Pistons go after every victory possible. I expect them to do so, too. I have a difficult time seeing Joe Dumars and John Kuester giving away games. I just don't see that happening. Just like I don't see Rodney Stuckey staying away from basketball, either.

[nasty daddy]

http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=300313009

Stephen Curry had 35 points and 10 assists, Monta Ellis scored 31 in his second game back following a back injury and the Golden State Warriors beat Toronto 124-112 on Saturday night, putting another dent in the reeling Raptors' playoff hopes.

Corey Maggette added 20 points and Anthony Morrow had 11 for Golden State, which set a season high with 16 3-pointers while snapping a six-game losing streak.

Jose Calderon had 24 points and 12 assists and Chris Bosh added 24 points and 11 rebounds for Toronto.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitbadboys.com/2010/3/13 ... -hawks-112

Can't Knock The Hawks: Hawks 112 Pistons 99
Let's look at the positives. This could have been a whole lot worse. The Hawks led by an astounding 28 points at the half, and the Pistons did manage to cut it to nine in the 4th quarter before an 11-4 run turned the game into a blowout yet again. Not only that, but Jason Maxiell registered his third consecutive double-double. Hopefully, this proves once and for all that the guy deserves serious minutes. You especially have to appreciate the 7-9 performance from the free throw line. If the Pistons are going to move back into contention in the next couple of years, they are going to have to find a way to get more 19 and 12s out of Maxiell. Oh, and Will Bynum continued to make the case that maybe he should start at the point with 16 points and 7 assists. But if Stuckey's a sixth man, what does that make Ben Gordon. Outside of that, it was sheer misery...

Let's start with the fact that the Hawks shot 63% from the field, including 50% from beyond the arc. I would hazard to guess that this ranks among the top 10-15 single game true shooting performances for any team this season. It doesn't hurt that Josh Smith was able to deliver 11 dimes (!) with just one turnover. He also added five steals and 18 points on 8-14 shooting. Why wasn't this guy an all-star again? Jonas Jerebko had a lousy night. Nine points an nine rebounds off of 12 shots in 32 minutes isn't going to get it done. And the free agents did nothing to assuage us of the worry that they might be money poorly spent. But, really, you can't win games when you go down 28-7. During one stretch in the first quarter, the Pistons only managed four SHOTS in a scoreless 4:30. Detroit was simply overmatched against a team against which we were salivating for an Eastern Conference finals matchup just two years ago.

Elsewhere in the NBA...
As expected, Dallas' 13 game win streak came to an end in a 34 point home loss to the Knicks. Obviously, they got owned by Toney Douglas and Bill Walker, who combined to shoot 9-12 from behind the arc... Wait, what? I mean, the win streak was illusory, but was the ghost of Hank Gathers in the building or something? And, really, Mavs fans should be a bit worried that Rodrigue Beaubois is carrying the load on offense. Beaubois sounds like the name of a gay graffiti artist. In Memphis, JR Smith had another one of his "I'm just going to go ahead and hit everything I throw at the basket" nights. What is the record for the number of times a guy has hit six three pointers in a game? He's done it 21 times, and he's only 24. His team is 20-1 when he does so. Also, if present standings hold, Denver's route to the finals goes through Phoenix and Dallas with home court advantage, with the Lakers playing Utah in round two. If they lose their division, they could be looking at San Antonio and then Utah without home court advantage. I don't think any team has more to play for over the next few weeks. Also, for the record, the hoops-poops rhyme was not my idea.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20100314/S ... nt-deficit

Pistons can't overcome 28-point deficit
In the first half Saturday night, the Hawks looked like a team that could win an NBA title. In the second half, they looked like a team that could lose to the Pistons. Thankfully for the Hawks fans at Philips Arena, Atlanta rolled to such a gigantic lead that a sloppy second half didn't prove fatal for the Eastern Conference contender. After building a 28-point lead at halftime, the Hawks watched the Pistons (23-43) pull to within nine points early in the fourth quarter before settling for a 112-99 victory. "We didn't match the Hawks' energy coming out in the first half, and we turned the ball over a lot early," Rip Hamilton said. "It's tough to come back when you're down by so much."

The Hawks' size and athleticism gives them so much versatility on defense. Because of the similar sizes of starters Marvin Williams, Josh Smith, Al Horford and Joe Johnson, the Hawks (42-23) do a great job of switching on picks instead of trying to fight through screens like many teams. The Pistons struggled against the switching defense in the first half, committing 12 turnovers that led to 23 points for the Hawks, who led, 69-41. "It started for us on the defensive end," said Horford, who had 15 points and seven rebounds. "We were really tuned in to the game. We were really on edge. "I personally came out with the mentality that it was a playoff game. I think we have to come out every game with that sort of focus. I think that made a big difference for our team."

Will Bynum (16 points, seven assists) became more aggressive and Hamilton found his shooting stroke (14 points in the third quarter) in the second half. And to be fair, the Hawks probably thought the game was over. But the Pistons were able to close to nine points when Ben Gordon hit a reverse lay-up with 6:31 left. But all the Pistons did was make the Hawks continue to play as they were never really threatened."It was a good learning experience for us," Hamilton said. "I think we did a good job in the second half staying in our sets and not letting them rattle us like they did in the first half."

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20100314/S ... istons-box

Pistons box
Hawks 112, Pistons 99
DETROIT min fg-a ft-a r(o-t) a pf pts
Prince 37:20 4-10 0-0 0-4 4 2 8
Jerebko 32:26 4-12 1-2 7-9 0 2 9
Maxiell 32:47 6-9 7-9 6-12 1 1 19
Bynum 36:29 7-10 2-4 1-1 7 3 16
Hamilton 32:16 6-13 4-4 0-2 3 3 18
Gordon 26:12 3-8 5-6 1-2 2 0 12
Brown 15:06 2-2 0-2 0-1 0 3 4
Daye 10:48 1-4 0-0 0-1 1 2 3
Villanueva 15:34 4-7 0-0 1-1 0 0 9
Summers 1:02 0-0 1-2 0-0 0 0 1
Totals 240:00 37-75 20-29 16-33 18 16 99
FG: 493. FT: 690. 3PG: 5-14, .357 (Hamilton 2-5, Daye 1-2, Villanueva 1-2, Gordon 1-3, Prince 0-2). Team rebounds: 12. Team turnovers: 18 (29 PTS). Blocks: 1 (Brown). Turnovers: 16 (Gordon 6, Bynum 4, Brown 2, Hamilton 2, Maxiell, Prince). Steals: 9 (Gordon 3, Prince 2, Brown, Bynum, Daye, Hamilton). Technicals: Bynum, 6:11 first; Coach Kuester, 6:11 first.

ATLANTA min fg-a ft-a r(o-t) a pf pts
Williams 30:33 5-11 1-2 1-3 1 1 12
JosSmith 38:28 8-14 2-2 2-4 11 2 18
Horford 30:59 7-8 1-4 2-7 3 1 15
Bibby 29:17 2-6 2-2 0-2 5 4 7
Johnson 36:03 10-15 4-5 1-4 5 1 26
Crawford 22:21 7-8 0-0 0-2 6 4 17
Evans 15:03 1-3 0-0 1-2 1 2 2
Pachulia 16:54 1-1 0-0 2-6 1 3 2
Teague 12:08 2-3 2-2 0-1 1 2 6
West 2:29 0-0 0-0 0-0 1 1 0
J Smith 5:45 3-4 1-1 0-0 0 2 7
Totals 240:00 46-73 13-18 9-31 35 23 112
FG: 630. FT: 722. 3PG: 7-14, .500 (Crawford 3-3, Johnson 2-4, Williams 1-3, Bibby 1-4). Team rebounds: 3. Team turnovers: 17 (20 PTS). Blocks: 4 (Evans, Horford, Jos.Smith, Williams). Turnovers: 17 (Crawford 5, Horford 3, Bibby 2, Teague 2, West 2, Johnson, Jos.Smith, Williams). Steals: 12 (Jos.Smith 5, Bibby 2, Horford 2, Crawford, West, Williams).

Detroit 12 29 36 22 -- 99
Atlanta 30 39 23 20 -- 112

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20100314/S ... Basketball

Hamilton, Prince stay aggressive Pistons Basketball
Kuester impressed with their professionalism the door slamming shut on any chance of postseason play, it wouldn't be surprising to see evidence of Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince not taking the last month of the season seriously. Hamilton, Prince and the Pistons are used to jockeying for playoff position -- not jockeying for position in the lottery.

But by all accounts, Hamilton and Prince remain engaged, and first-year coach John Kuester is grateful for their professionalism. "They've both done a real good job, especially coming off two serious injuries where they weren't able to get into a groove, but how they've responded to this, they've done a wonderful job,"Kuester said before Saturday night's game against the Hawks. Prince has missed 32 games and Hamilton was out 27, so injuries could have led to built-in excuses.

But Hamilton, in his 11th season, is working to get his rhythm and has an active dialogue with Kuester and the coaching staff -- a far cry from his chilly relationship with former coach Michael Curry. And Prince, in his eighth season, is aggressive in looking for his offense and has been very vocal on the bench and during games communicating with his teammates. "They have a lot of pride," Kuester said. "The season is what it is in regards to our health issue, but Tayshaun and Rip have really taken on an aggressive role."

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20100314/S ... Basketball

STUCKEY TRAVELS: As expected, Pistons point guard Rodney Stuckey did not play against the Hawks. But Stuckey, who missed his fourth straight game, traveled with the team to Atlanta and took part in individual shooting drills with training staff before the game.

Stuckey said after Saturday's loss he will not play against Boston on Monday and that he would like to take part in a practice before playing in a game. Stuckey started shooting after Wednesday's practice, but he hardly worked up a sweat. He was a lot more aggressive Saturday, practicing moves and shooting against the outstretched arms of trainers.Stuckey hasn't participated in a practice since he collapsed and had to be taken from Quicken Loans Arena on a stretcher during a loss at Cleveland on March 5.

Ben Wallace (right knee) also did not play against the Hawks, missing his sixth straight game.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20100314/S ... ant-replay

Instant replay
Hawks 112, Pistons 99
WHAT HAPPENED: The Pistons fell behind by a whopping 28 points at halftime before closing to within nine points early in the fourth quarter before dropping their eighth of 10 games. Jason Maxiell continued his solid play with 19 points and 12 rebounds, and Will Bynum got it cooking in the second half to finish with 16 points and seven assists. Rip Hamilton finished with 18 points -- after scoring 14 in the third quarter when the Pistons made a push.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20100314/S ... ant-replay

The big number: 23 -- points off turnovers for the Hawks in the first half.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20100314/S ... ant-replay

The other side: The Pistons had trouble matching up with the trio of Joe Johnson, Josh Smith and Al Horford, as they finished with a combined 59 points, 15 rebounds and 19 assists. Former Michigan star Jamal Crawford came off the bench to score 17 points on 7-for-8 shooting.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20100314/S ... ant-replay

Order on the floor: Will Bynum let referee Monty McCutchen hear it about a non-call midway through the first quarter. It appeared that Bynum had said his piece when the official hit him with a technical. Pistons coach John Kuester confronted McCutchen only to earn another technical.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20100314/S ... ant-replay

Injury report: Rodney Stuckey and Ben Wallace (knee) were out for the Pistons. Jonas Jerebko injured his left shoulder early in the third quarter and had to leave the game momentarily, but he was able to return.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20100314/S ... ant-replay

In the house: Lions linebacker Julian Peterson watched the game from press row.

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http://www.freep.com/article/20100314/S ... ant-replay

Overheard: "I can't see no positives out of this game. I really can't see any positives out of this game." Hamilton said when asked about the team's second-half comeback.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20100314/S ... ant-replay

Up next: The Pistons are off today before facing the Celtics at Boston on Monday.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.freep.com/article/20100314/S ... ant-replay

Two cents: The Eastern Conference should be very afraid of a focused Atlanta Hawks squad.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/03/14/pace ... ef:nbahpt2

Ford out of Pacers' lineup 7 to 10 days
Pacers point guard T.J. Ford is expected to miss seven to 10 days with a sore left groin.

Coach Jim O'Brien made the announcement before Indiana played the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday. Ford was injured early in the first quarter of a loss to the Celtics in Boston on Friday night. He was averaging 10.3 points and 3.8 assists in 41 games, including 10 starts.

O'Brien said that rookie A.J. Price will get into the mix at point guard along with Earl Watson.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/2010/news/03/14/magi ... ef:nbahpt2

Magic's Barnes out vs. Bobcats with toe injury
Orlando small forward Matt Barnes will miss the Magic's game against the Charlotte Bobcats on Sunday with a sprained left big toe.

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said he expects Barnes to be back when they host San Antonio on Wednesday. Barnes injured the toe in a win at Washington on Saturday. The Bobcats were also missing a starter.

Gerald Wallace is out with an injured left ankle. Charlotte is hopeful he could return later this week. Wallace is averaging 18.5 points.

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/nba/n ... id=4994908

Bulls' Rose uncertain for Grizzlies
Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose did not practice on Sunday afternoon and his status for Tuesday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies is unclear because of a sprained wrist.

"Derrick went through a couple loosening drills, non-contact," Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said. "He's a little better, but he's still got some soreness, some strength issues. We'll get him some therapy, get him some rest, see how he feels [Monday]. Hopefully he can practice a little bit, but [Monday] will determine that."

Luol Deng (strained calf muscle), Brad Miller (rest) and Joakim Noah (plantar fasciitis) also did not practice. Del Negro said that Noah is starting to run a little more, a positive sign for the Bulls considering Noah hasn't had much physical activity over the past couple of weeks. "It's difficult," Del Negro said of all the injuries. "But it's out of your hands. You've just got to go with what's thrown at you. The cards that you're dealt, you've got to deal with them. We've had some tough cards and some tough things happen to us. But you've got to battle through it. "Luckily, nothing's major. Where there's some hope we can get everyone back here in the next four days, three days, five days, a week. I don't know what it is yet. But as soon as we can get everybody together, hopefully we can get on the same page quickly again and get back to playing the way we're capable of."

[nasty daddy]

http://www.nba.com/video/teams/pistons/ ... index.html

Postgame Recap - Pistons vs. Hawks
Jason Maxiell posted 19 points and 12 rebounds but the Pistons lost 112-99 to the Hawks on Saturday night at Philips Arena.

Video in the link above^.