DETROIT PISTONS 2008-2009 SCHEDULE AND RESULTS

2008 Detroit Pistons Schedule/Results
(All Times Eastern)

RECORD: 39 WINS - 41 LOSSES

ESPN COVERAGE OF SCHEDULE

October
10/29 vs Indiana WIN 100-94

November
11/01 vs Washington, WIN 117-109
11/03 at Charlotte, WIN 101-83
11/05 at Toronto, WIN 100-93
11/07 at New Jersey, Lose 96-103
11/09 vs Boston, Lose 76-88
11/11 at Sacramento, WIN 100-93
11/13 at Golden State, WIN 107-102
11/14 at LA Lakers, WIN 106-95
11/16 at Phoenix, Lose 86-104
11/19 vs Cleveland, WIN 96-89
11/20 at Boston, Lose 80-98
11/23 vs Minnesota, Lose 80-106
11/26 vs New York, WIN 110-96
11/28 vs Milwaukee, WIN 107-97
11/30 vs Portland, Lose 85-96

December
12/02 at San Antonio, WIN 89-77
12/05 vs Philadelphia, Lose 91-96
12/07 at New York, Lose 92-104
12/09 at Washington, Lose 94-107
12/12 vs Indiana, WIN 114-110
12/13 at Charlotte, WIN 90-86
12/17 vs Washington, WIN 88-74
12/19 vs Utah, Lose 114-120 (2OT)
12/21 at Atlanta, Lose 78-85
12/23 vs Chicago, WIN 104-98
12/26 vs Oklahoma City, WIN 90-88
12/27 at Milwaukee, WIN 87-76
12/29 vs Orlando, WIN 88-82
12/31 vs New Jersey, WIN 83-75

January
1/02 vs Sacramento, WIN 98-92
1/04 at LA Clippers, WIN 88-87
1/07 at Portland, Lose 83-84
1/09 at Denver, WIN 93-90
1/10 at Utah, Lose 82-99
1/13 vs Charlotte, Lose 78-80
1/14 at Indiana, Lose 106-110 (OT)
1/16 at Oklahoma City, Lose 79-89
1/17 vs New Orleans, Lose 85-91
1/19 at Memphis, WIN 87-79
1/21 vs Toronto, WIN 95-76
1/23 vs Dallas, Lose 91-112
1/25 vs Houston, Lose 105-108
1/28 at Minnesota, WIN 98-89
1/30 vs Boston, Lose 78-86

February
2/01 vs Cleveland, Lose 80-90
2/04 vs Miami, WIN 93-90
2/07 at Milwaukee, WIN 126-121 (OT)
2/08 vs Phoenix, Lose 97-107
2/10 at Chicago, Lose 102-107
2/11 vs Atlanta, Lose 95-99
2/17 vs Milwaukee, Lose 86-92
2/19 vs San Antonio, Lose 79-83
2/22 at Cleveland, Lose 78-99
2/24 at Miami, Lose 91-103
2/25 at New Orleans, Lose 87-90
2/27 at Orlando, WIN 93-85

March
3/01 at Boston, WIN 105-95
3/03 vs Denver, WIN 100-95
3/06 vs Golden State, WIN 108-91
3/07 at Atlanta, Lose 83-87
3/09 vs Orlando, WIN 98-94
3/11 vs New York, Lose 111-116 (OT)
3/13 at Toronto, WIN 99-95 (OT)
3/15 vs Memphis, Lose 84-89
3/17 at Dallas, Lose 101-103
3/18 at Houston, Lose 101-106 (2OT)
3/20 vs LA Clippers, WIN 108-90
3/22 vs Miami, Lose 96-101
3/24 at Chicago, Lose 91-99
3/26 vs LA Lakers, Lose 77-92
3/28 at Washington, WIN 98-96
3/29 vs Philadelphia, WIN 101-97
3/31 at Cleveland, Lose 73-79

April
4/01 at New Jersey, Lose 98-111
4/04 at Philadelphia, Lose 90-95
4/05 vs Charlotte, WIN 104-97
4/08 at New York, WIN 113-86
4/10 vs New Jersey, WIN 100-93
4/11 at Indiana, Lose 102-106
4/13 vs Chicago, 7:30 PM
4/15 at Miami, 8:00 PM

GO

Yuck. the Pistons.

Go Cavs!!!

gdennis59 wrote:

Yuck. the Pistons.

Go Cavs!!!

Yuck, The Cavs

Go

Fine. Maybe not the Cavs.

Go Suns!!!

gdennis59 wrote:

Fine. Maybe not the Cavs.

Go Suns!!!

How about Pistons vs Cavs in Conference Finals

The winner plays the Suns in the NBA Finals

So your saying Cavs/Suns in the Finals?

gdennis59 wrote:

So your saying Cavs/Suns in the Finals?

Whoever wins

It be a tough series

I be rooting for the Pistons

I think the Suns are gonna be in the finals


Probably be the Celtics playing them



But don't count out the Cavs or Pistons

I cant believe the Cavs traded Lance Allred, I was pissed about that.

ya gs i agree pistns all the way

GO PISTONS

Pistons win the opener!

GO PISTONS

PISTONS BEAT RAPTORS TO GO 4-0!

Ok, so after this whole Iverson trade I have come to like the Pistons quite a bit more. I now prefer them over a few teams.

gdennis59 wrote:

Ok, so after this whole Iverson trade I have come to like the Pistons quite a bit more. I now prefer them over a few teams.

GO PISTONS GO

How soon before we start a Pistons Win the Finals Countdown?

Friday, November 7, 2008
Iverson's impact: Pistons benefiting from veteran's fame
Tim Twentyman / The Detroit News

AUBURN HILLS -- Allen Iverson hasn't even stepped on the court in a Pistons uniform yet, but his impact is already being felt.

The team has averaged more than 5,000 individual ticket sales in each of the first three days since Monday's blockbuster deal that sent Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb to the Nuggets for Iverson. The Pistons also have sold an additional 100 full-season tickets.

"It was like we were a team in the sixth year of a sitcom," said Tom Wilson, CEO of Palace Sports and Entertainment. "You knew the characters, but they weren't as compelling."

The addition of Iverson makes the new-look Pistons Emmy worthy.

The Pistons marketing and promotions team hit high gear promoting the "Five-rson plan," a five-game ticket package for the price of four. Iverson also recorded a phone message after Monday's news conference that was sent to season and partial-season ticket holders, today, thanking them for their support and expressing his excitement to be in town.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday have been the three largest ticket sales days of the season for the Pistons.

The team Web site, Pistons.com, averaged 84,101 page views per day during the week leading up to the trade, according to Pistons officials. In the three days since the trade, the viewership spiked to 493,239 on Monday, 560,228 on Tuesday and 414,400 on Wednesday. That's an average of 489,289 page views per day, up more than 400,000 the last three days.

"You knew this guy was going to get everyone's attention," Wilson said. "I watched him the other night and he had 15 cameras and microphones in his face. That was for Game 4 of an 82-game season."

The Pistons' merchandising department has received more than 1,000 pre-orders for Iverson's No. 1 Pistons jersey. The Palace Locker Room stores expect the jerseys to be delivered today.

"I can't remember when we've acquired an icon," said Wilson, who's been with the Pistons 31 years. "You ask young people who the icons in the NBA are and they'll tell you Kobe (Bryant), LeBron (James) and Iverson, even though he is 33 years old."

Nationally, TNT has added the Nov. 13 Pistons-Warriors game to its national broadcast schedule. Iverson's first game on FSN Detroit tonight from New Jersey is expected to have increased viewership. Pistons ratings on FSN Detroit are up 18 percent over last year at this time and are expected to go up.

You can reach Tim Twentyman at ttwentyman@detnews.com

Friday, November 7, 2008
Nets 103, Pistons 96
Iverson scores 24 but Pistons lose
Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Allen Iverson was pretty good in his debut with the Pistons on Friday, at least offensively. The rest of the team, especially defensively -- not so much.

Iverson scored 24, hit 11 of 13 free throws and had six assists.

Devin Harris, bettered that with 38 points, leading the Nets to a 103-96 win over the Pistons at the Izod Center.

It was the Pistons' first loss of the season and the first time they didn't score at least 100 points.

As expected, with Iverson just having one practice before the game, the offense lacked some fluidity. But it still got more than enough quality shots. The Pistons just didn't finish them.

Tayshaun Prince (19 points) missed 11 of 15 shots. Richard Hamilton (22 points), who was in foul trouble late, missed 12 of 20.

The Pistons shot 37 percent on the night.

But the defense was awful. Nobody -- Iverson, Rodney Stuckey, Prince -- contained the Nets' dribble penetration. That resulted in Harris' production, as well as 18 second-chance points. The Pistons were in scramble mode most of the last three quarters.

Josh Boone had 19 points and 14 rebounds for the Nets.

The Pistons got plenty of offense down the stretch, but couldn't get the necessary stops. The Nets scored on their last seven possessions -- the clincher, a three-point play by Harris.

The best they could do with Harris was foul him.

Harris made 13 of 15 free throws in a 19-point third quarter. He scored one in the fourth. On the night, he made 20 of 24 free throws.

Iverson scored his first basket on the Pistons' second possession of the game, a driving lay-up. He had 11 points in the first quarter, making all three of his field goals and all four of his free throws.

In the second quarter he buckled Eduardo Najera with a stop-and-go move that brought the crowd to its feet.

But as the game wore on, he seemed to wear down and the offense became more and more disjointed. That's part of the process. The defensive lapses, however, is not.

• Notes: Rasheed Wallace picked up his second technical foul of the season with 5:47 left in the third quarter. He felt he was fouled on a runner in the lane. The shot went over top of the backboard.

Darn!





Get em next time Pistons

Monday, November 10, 2008
Celtics 88, Pistons 76
Celtics put damper on Pistons
Iverson held to 10 in his Palace debut as Boston uses balance and rides big second quarter to decisive victory.
Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

AUBURN HILLS -- It started out like Allen Iverson dreamed it. The sellout crowd cheered wildly when he was introduced before his first game at The Palace as a member of the Pistons.

The ending, though, was more like a nightmare.

"Yeah, I didn't dream it up like that," Iverson said after the Pistons were booed after losing to the defending champion Boston Celtics, 88-76, Sunday. "In my dreams we won the first game I played and in my dreams I got that ovation, but we won the game. But this is the way it is. I have to be able to accept what happened and move forward."

Nobody expected a seamless transition. Nobody expected a core group suddenly dissolved after playing together for six seasons -- two-fifths of the starting unit is new -- could pick up the pieces and find a new groove quickly.

But nobody could have expected the transition to look this bad.

"Don't put this on the trade or on Allen," coach Michael Curry said. "Put it on our offense. Boston got up into us and we have to be better when teams do that to us. I am not up here to talk about how long it's going to take for everything to look smooth."

Smooth? Right now the Pistons would settle for slightly bumpy. The offense is completely out of sync, and yes, the Celtics' swarming, smothering defense had a lot to do with it.

"We have some work to do," Iverson said. "But that wasn't the scrubs we were playing out there."

The Pistons shot 25 percent in the first half, scoring just 10 points in the second quarter. They didn't make a basket for the final 7:33 of the first half and it never really got better. The Pistons finished shooting 34.7 percent with 17 turnovers and just 14 assists.

"Obviously it's going to take time," said Iverson, who had 10 points (4-of-11 shooting) with four turnovers. "It's a different look and a different flow. I am a totally different player than they are used to playing with. We just have to get used to each other."

Richard Hamilton was 0-for-8 and managed just three points. Hamilton has been held without a field goal only one other time as a Piston -- it was Jan. 6, 2005 against Memphis. In that game, though, he made all 14 of his free throws.

Rasheed Wallace finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds, but he missed 13 of 17 shots.

"Yeah, Boston executed great on defense and it was just one of those games," Hamilton said. "We don't get frustrated with it. We know that it's going to be great for the long haul, so we just have to keep playing, keep working it out."

Tayshaun Prince was the only gun firing on this night. He scored 23 points with eight rebounds.

"We didn't do anything right," Prince said.

The defense was just as bad as the offense. For the second straight game, they could not contain dribble penetration. Through three quarters, when it mattered, the Celtics outscored them 32-16 in the paint. The Pistons, because the offense was so erratic, had no floor balance and consequently got beat often in transition.

Reserve Tony Allen scored 23 points, most off the dribble. Kevin Garnett scored eight points and Paul Pierce seven.

"The harmony didn't look the same with this team," Garnett said of the Pistons. "I'm not taking away from A.I., he's a great player. But when a team's cohesive, man, and they are joined as one, it's different."

The Pistons' bench without Antonio McDyess is just as scrambled as the first unit. Through three quarters, the Celtics' reserves outscored the Pistons', 26-8. The Pistons' bench players made just one of nine shots to that point, with four turnovers.

"That second quarter (with the reserves on the floor) is what I've been concerned with," Curry said. "We have to find a way to get something going when we take our scoring big (Wallace) out of the game."

That was the role McDyess played, anchoring the second unit. The Pistons were outscored, 30-10, in that second quarter. Jason Maxiell finished the game missing all five of his shots and making three turnovers. The Pistons got four points off the bench from their frontcourt players.

It didn't help, either, that the Pistons lost Rodney Stuckey for the second half. Pistons released a statement saying Stuckey experienced symptoms of dizziness and that he felt lightheaded. He's expected to travel with the Pistons to Sacramento.

You can reach Chris McCosky at (313) 222-1489 or chris.mccosky@detnews.com

Pistons beat the Kings 100-92

But I like the Kings.
Dangit. But at least they finally won with Iverson.

Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Pistons 100, Kings 92
Iverson era gets its first victory
New star scores 30, Prince adds 26 points, 11 rebounds in gritty triumph.
Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

SACRAMENTO -- There's some fight in this dog, after all.

The Pistons, behind the 8-ball all night against an oversized Sacramento Kings team, scratched and clawed and finally got themselves a win in the Allen Iverson era.

"You have no idea (how good it feels)," said Iverson, who scored 30 points to help the Pistons to a hard-earned, 100-92 victory at Arco Arena Tuesday. "That's a huge lift off of me. It just feels good. I wanted to get that monkey off my back and get that first win. Now we can try to get a whole lot more."

Tayshaun Prince came up big again, as well, contributing 26 points and 11 rebounds. He hit all 10 of his free throws and effectively ran the offense in the fourth quarter from a point forward position.

"AI did well and Tay continued to be aggressive," coach Michael Curry said. "That's what we are pushing him to do."

But this was a struggle. The Kings gave the Pistons fits, having two 7-footers and a 6-11 small forward on the court almost the entire game. Making it tougher were two guards, Beno Udrih and John Salmons, who are big and quick off the dribble.

The Kings had their pick of mismatches and they exploited them effectively, until the final quarter.

But the Pistons scrambled and switched, and in the fourth quarter found a way to get some game-saving stops. Rasheed Wallace had a block, two steals and three tough defensive rebounds down the stretch. Iverson had a steal, and the Pistons forced four turnovers in a five-possession stretch of the fourth that enabled them to take control.

The Kings managed just three baskets in the final 8:24.

"It was our defense on the ball that made the difference," Curry said. "Will Bynum and Arron Afflalo came in and pressured the ball and that was really the key. We have to be good on the ball to be a good defensive team. Those two were really good and took them out of their rhythm."

By going to a small lineup, featuring Bynum, Iverson and either Afflalo or Richard Hamilton, Curry also forced the Kings to alter their attack. They had been killing the Pistons with pick-and-roll plays. Once the Pistons went small, Kings coach Reggie Theus decided to abandon the pick-and-roll for straight post-ups.

"We felt better about defending the post-ups than the pick and rolls," Curry said. "This one worked out in our favor."

The Kings scored just 15 points and had 6 turnovers in the fourth quarter.

"We outplayed them for 42 minutes," Theus said. "We have to learn how to win games down the stretch. We had six turnovers in the last five minutes and none of them were caused by the other team. It was carelessness on our part."

Theus was upset that the Pistons outscored the Kings 30-10 from the free-throw line, but with a three-guard lineup, they were in attack mode all game.

"This does a lot for the team's confidence," said Afflalo, who along with Bynum contributed six points. "It uplifts the spirit. We have to understand what we did that allowed us to win this game."

What they can't do is start the game like they did Tuesday, falling behind by 15 points.

"This was the first game of the seven we've played where we weren't what I would consider ready to play at the start," Curry said.

Without leading scorer Kevin Martin (ankle), the Kings battered and bewildered the Pistons with a big front court -- 7-footers Brad Miller, Spencer Hawes and Mikki Moore; and a 6-11 small forward Jason Thompson -- and two knifing guards early on. Somehow, the Kings were both bigger and quicker.

They scored 22 of their 31 first-quarter points in the paint, 14 off layups and dunks. It was some of the worst defense played by a Pistons team in years.

"They ran that pick-and-roll so well and they have a great point guard (Beno Udrih) running it," Iverson said. "We just tried to keep them in front and make them take contested jumpers."

But a few things happened in the second quarter that allowed the Pistons to fight back. One, Iverson took over the offense. He scored 10 of 16 first-half points in the second quarter. Secondly, Afflalo and Kwame Brown came off the bench to bolster the defense. Brown offered some basket protection (two blocks), and Afflalo dissuaded Udrih and Salmons from driving the ball.

The Pistons cut the Kings' layups and dunks to three and limited them to eight points in the paint.

Prince, too, got active. He scored seven of his 11 first-half points in the second quarter and defended well against the taller Thompson.

"It was a good win," Curry said. "Right now Rip is a little out of sync, missing a lot of shots. But these guys are willing to work. It's going to come together."

Hamilton missed his first seven shots Tuesday. Add that to his 0-for-8 night against Boston, he missed 15 straight shots before draining a three-pointer. He finished with 17 points, missing 13 of 17 shots.

You can reach Chris McCosky at (313) 222-1489 or chris. mccosky@detnews.com

Friday, November 14, 2008
Pistons 107, Warriors 102
Iverson, Wallace lead Pistons past Warriors
Josh Dubow / Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. -- Allen Iverson scored 23 points and Rasheed Wallace hit back-to-back 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to lead the Detroit Pistons to a 107-102 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night.

After losing their first two games with Iverson, the Pistons have won the first two games on their four-game road trip. There wasn't a lot to feel good about, though, in this blunder-filled game that featured 33 turnovers and many other miscues.

Golden State trailed by nine early in the fourth quarter but took the lead when Wallace tipped a missed shot by C.J. Watson into the wrong basket. Andris Biedrins was credited with the basket that gave Golden State an 87-86 lead. Wallace then missed two free throws on the other end and the Warriors extended the lead to four points.

But with Detroit down by two, Wallace hit a 3-pointer to give the Pistons the lead for good. After Watson stepped over the sideline for an inbound violation, Wallace hit another from long range to make it 96-92 with just over 3 minutes remaining.

Wallace finished with a season-high 19 points and 11 rebounds. Richard Hamilton led Detroit with 24 points, with many coming from the line down the stretch. Tayshaun Prince grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds for the Pistons.

Biedrins had 17 points and 19 rebounds for his 16th straight double-double for the Warriors, who are still seeking their first back-to-back wins of the season. Watson and Stephen Jackson also scored 17 points apiece.

The Warriors built a 12-point lead early in the third quarter as they got into the lane and the foul line with ease. Detroit committed the first five fouls of the quarter, with Corey Maggette taking 10 free throws in the first 5:03. But a missed dunk by Biedrins that could have made it a 13-point game seemed to spark Detroit.

Iverson scored quickly on the other end and Arron Afflalo hit a 3-pointer to cut the lead to six. That started a 17-2 run that gave Detroit a 75-71 lead. Afflalo scored eight points during the spurt, including the final five.

The Warriors committed turnovers on five straight possessions during the run. They didn't make a field goal for the final 5:41 of the third quarter, falling behind 80-73 heading into the fourth. By the time Ronny Turiaf hit a jumper early in the fourth, the Warriors had missed 11 straight shots and gone 6:50 without a basket.

The first half was sloppily played, with the Pistons nearly reaching their season average in turnovers with 11. That led to easy baskets for the Warriors. Jackson's jumper in the final seconds of the half gave Golden State its biggest lead, 53-46.
Notes

Maggette had 13 points in his first game back after missing four games with a strained left hamstring. ... Pistons G Rodney Stuckey worked out before the game and is expected to play Friday against the Los Angeles Lakers. Stuckey missed the first two games of the road trip after undergo tests for being lightheaded and dizzy. ... Detroit coach Michael Curry made a lineup change, starting Kwame Brown for the first time this season and bringing Amir Johnson off the bench. Curry said he would stick with this lineup for the time being.

GO PISTONS!

Allen Iverson STARTING TO MESH A LITTLE BETTER NOW. I predict the Pistons will do better now.

PISTONS RULE!