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

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... -with-Cavs

By the numbers
52.8 -- Cavaliers C Shaquille O'Neal's free-throw percentage
3 -- Cavaliers home losses
7 -- Celtics home losses

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... -with-Cavs

Best of the best
Top 10 career scorers:
Player Points
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 38,387
Karl Malone 36,928
Michael Jordan 32,292
Wilt Chamberlain 31,419
Shaquille O'Neal* 28,014
Moses Malone 27,409
Elvin Hayes 27,313
Hakeem Olajuwon 26,946
Oscar Robertson 26,710
Dominique Wilkins 26,668
* active

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... -with-Cavs

Terry's top five
• 1. L.A. Lakers (1): Surviving a tough stretch; looking to make trades.
• 2. Cleveland (3): James knows how to run a team now.
• 3. Atlanta (5): Crawford the go-to guy on the court.
• 4. Denver (5): Nene is healthy and shooting 65 percent.
• 5. Boston (2): This team is different without Garnett (back Friday).

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... -with-Cavs

Terry's bottom five
• 26. Sacramento (25): Rookies Evans and Casspi are players.
• 27. Washington (27): Time to break this team up; players are on the block.
• 28. Golden State (28): Curry was allowed to re-enter after fouling out.
• 29. Minnesota (29): Rambis is embarrassed by team's lack of defense.
• 30. New Jersey (30): On pace to tie record for fewest victories (9).
Last week's rankings in parentheses

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... -with-Cavs

Down and out
Five disappointments this season:
• LaMarcus Aldridge, Blazers: Why is old Juwan Howard playing so many minutes? Aldridge is too inconsistent.
• Gilbert Arenas, Wizards: He calls himself a leader, but began clowning even before gun charges sidelined him.
• Elton Brand, 76ers: Has not recovered from an Achilles injury and does not fit in with the up-tempo 76ers.
• Manu Ginobili, Spurs: Father Time catching up (40 percent shooting).
• Andrew Bogut, Bucks: A decent player, but No. 1 should be an All-Star.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... -with-Cavs

Quotable
“It’s frustrating, especially for somebody like myself. I’ve been in so many wars. To have to watch, it was tough.”
-- Allen Iverson, 76ers guard, to nba.com, on being on the bench for the final 52 minutes, including overtime, of a loss to the Timberwolves.

[nasty daddy]

http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

DetNews: Karen Davidson confirms Pistons for sale: Karen Davidson confirmed today that she is pursuing a sale of... http://twurl.nl/33733o

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http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

DetNews: Fans remember Rasheed Wallace's Pistons career fondly: Wallace still might be a Piston to some fans, bu... http://twurl.nl/j5u3vk

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http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

DetNews: Bob Wojnowski: Wings, Pistons must unite: They've been wary adversaries for years, competing for some o... http://twurl.nl/h2z2ez

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http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

DetNews: Estate of Pistons owner mired in legal battles: A legal fight has erupted pitting the widow of William ... http://twurl.nl/m2vgn8

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http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

MLive: Pistons coach John Kuester praises Ben Wallace's 'all-star' play: Known for his defensive ability and aggre... http://bit.ly/67mR6R

[nasty daddy]

http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

DetNews: Bob Wojnowski: Wings, Pistons must unite: They've been wary adversaries for years, competing for some o... http://twurl.nl/h2z2ez

[nasty daddy]

http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

MLive: Pistons coach John Kuester praises Ben Wallace's 'all-star' play: Known for his defensive ability and aggre... http://bit.ly/67mR6R

[nasty daddy]

http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

DetNews: Amid sales talk, Pistons begin home stand with grand victory: Oh yes, there was a Pistons game Wednesda... http://twurl.nl/ol8ya7

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http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

DetNews: Terry Foster: Shaq is content to be role player with Cavs: Leave it to dad to put you in your place. Sh... http://twurl.nl/0yrpd3

[nasty daddy]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=300120009

Chauncey Billups matched his career high with 37 points, including 10 in overtime, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Golden State Warriors 123-118 on Wednesday night for their fourth straight victory.

Carmelo Anthony had 23 points, including two clinching free throws with 12.5 seconds left to help the Nuggets (27-14) win for just the second time in nine road games.

Monta Ellis had 39 points and 10 assists, while Corey Maggette added 33 points and nine rebounds for Golden State (12-28), which lost for the fourth time in five games.

[nasty daddy]

http://twitter.com/detroit_pistons

DetNews: Bob Wojnowski: Selling Pistons is right thing, and Karen Davidson knows it: She recognizes the enormity... http://twurl.nl/tn4ss5

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http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... -1-pointer

Mavericks win another 1-pointer
Caron Butler's 16-foot jumper had no chance. Shawn Marion was all but guaranteed to get a hand on it. The Washington Wizards aren't having much of a season, and the Dallas Mavericks don't lose when it's a one-point game.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 28 points, Terry added 21, and Jason Kidd had 15 assists for the Mavericks, who again made up for some offensive doldrums with good defensive stops. Marion's play on Butler was one of nine Dallas blocks to go along with nine steals, helping overcome the fact that the team known for scoring in bunches was kept under 100 points for the sixth straight game.

The Wizards nearly pulled off an impressive last-minute comeback. The Mavericks led 94-87 with 1:12 to play after Erick Dampier's dunk, but Washington rallied with back-to-back 3-pointers from Foye and Mike Miller to make the score 94-93 with 27 seconds left.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... e-for-sale

Karen Davidson: Pistons are for sale
Pistons owner Karen Davidson confirmed Wednesday she's pursuing steps to sell the team. In a one-sentence statement issued through a public relations agency, Davidson said: "I'm pleased, as noted by Oscar Feldman, that the limited partners concur in my decision into inquiring about selling the team." Feldman, a former minority owner, told The News on Tuesday, that rumor of the team being for sale was "the word around town." The News reported Davidson was looking to sell the team in a story first published on detnews.com Sunday. Pistons officials wouldn't comment on Davidson's statement. Sitting at her courtside seat at The Palace at halftime of the Pistons-Celtics game Wednesday, Davidson reiterated her earlier statement, saying: "We're looking into the possibility of inquiring about selling it. But there's nothing definite. We're just looking into it." Davidson took over ownership of the Pistons last year after the death of her husband, Bill. Ben Wallace, who's been through the gamet of good and bad times with the Pistons, wasn't too shocked at the news. "Eventually most teams are going to change and make changes," said Wallace, who left Detroit to play for Chicago and Cleveland before returning this season. "In this league, players change. Teams change owners. Teams even change locations now."

Whatever happens with ownership, the Pistons can't let it affect them on the court. "It's just one of those things," Wallace said. "We have to take it for it's worth and continue to do our jobs." The Davidson estate is estimated to be worth $4 billion. Along with the Pistons and Palace Sports and Entertainment, Davidson owns Guardian Industries, a worldwide glass supplier. Forbes Magazine listed the Pistons as the fourth most valuable team in the 30-team NBA -- trailing only the Lakers, Knicks and Bulls. The magazine valued the Pistons at $479 million, although it's doubtful in the present economy, the franchise could fetch that much. Still, the fact the next owner could also own The Palace could possibly quicken the sale. Along with the potential sale of the Pistons, it appears Davidson and Palace Sports and Entertainment also must deal with getting their hockey team back. Sources both in the NHL and at The Palace believe ownership of the Tampa Bay Lightning could revert back to Davidson as early as Feb. 15, although the Lightning wouldn't confirm any deadline. The current ownership in Tampa has been trying, with the help of the NHL, to find either more investors or another buyer. Those efforts are ongoing. But the bosses at Palace Sports and Entertainment are girding for the inevitable return of the team they sold in August 2008.

They knew all along this scenario was possible and never really completely cut ties with the Lightning. The sale price was roughly $200 million. The current ownership group, led by Oren Koules and Len Barrie, could only come up with about $95 million. Tom Wilson, CEO of Palace Sports and Entertainment, was so desperate to dump the Lightning, he convinced Bill Davidson to loan Koules and Barrie the balance of the sale price. So, essentially, Palace Sports and Entertainment has held the mortgage on the hockey franchise, collecting a monthly payment, since the sale was approved. The NHL wasn't thrilled with that arrangement and didn't approve the sale until Davidson agreed he would take back the franchise if the new owners defaulted on the loan.Not only have Koules and Barrie had trouble making the monthly loan payments, they also have fallen behind on operating expenses. Barrie, in a frantic attempt to raise money, got himself in trouble by leveraging some of his retail property (Bear Mountain Resort). So the league, already operating the Phoenix franchise, is now overseeing the daily operations of the Lightning. The Lightning could be lumped on to a sale package along with the Pistons and Palace Sports and Entertainment, making a sell tougher. This is a nightmare scenario for NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, as well. The Tampa franchise has to be sold, but the last thing he wants is to transfer ownership twice to Davidson and then to whoever might buy it from her.

[nasty daddy]

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2010 ... e-for-sale

So who's next?
Who will be the next owner of the Pistons. No potential names have surfaced, but here are possibilities.
Mike Ilitch: Already owns the Red Wings and Tigers, and wants a new arena for the Wings. The Palace would suit him well short-term.
Dan Gilbert: He'd have to sell the team he owns now, the Cleveland Cavaliers, but he's always wanted to own his hometown Pistons.
Magic Johnson: A darkhorse, but the Hall of Famer would presumably have the connections to put together a group to buy his home state team.