DETROIT PISTONS 2008-2009 SCHEDULE AND RESULTS

Saturday, December 27, 2008
Pistons 90, Thunder 88
Iverson hits last-second winner for Pistons
Guard's fadeway shot with 0.2 seconds left is first clincher with Pistons, gives him 22.
Ted Kulfan / The Detroit News

AUBURN HILLS -- This was a classic Allen Iverson moment.

Clock running down, waning seconds of the game, Iverson dribbling, looking for an opening, then nailing a shot over a frustrated defender.

He's done it many times in his career, but this was Iverson's first magical moment as a Piston. It was badly needed, giving Detroit a 90-88 victory over Oklahoma City on Friday night and averting what would have been a devastating defeat.

"The best feeling is when you're having a quiet game and not doing much on offense, and the coach and the team trust you to make that shot," said Iverson, who led the Pistons with 22 points.

Like he said, Iverson was having a quiet night. That is, until the fourth quarter, when he scored 14 of those 22, getting the Pistons in position to win.

"That's one of the things about having him -- he can put us on his back at times and carry us on the offensive end," coach Michael Curry said. "He did what he's done his whole career, make big shots and win the game."

Iverson was bothered by a groin injury which limited him in Tuesday's victory over Chicago. Two days off didn't entirely do the trick.

But after a good shoot-around Friday morning, and a positive warm-up session, Iverson felt he was ready to go.

"My wife made the statement I can't stay away from it," Iverson said. "She's right."

The Pistons (16-11) needed every able body, as it turned out.

After Iverson, Tayshaun Prince scored 16 and Rasheed Wallace and Rodney Stuckey scored 12 apiece.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder (3-27) with 26 points, while Russell Westbrook scored 14.

After no games or practice on Christmas Eve and Christmas, the Pistons looked sluggish.

"I knew coming off the break the starters would be rusty, and for us to win the young guys would need to bring energy and that's what they did," Curry said.

Still, a Joe Smith layup cut the lead to 84-81 with two minutes to play and a Durant jumper made it 84-83 with 1:30 to go.

Stuckey's basket gave the Pistons an 86-83 lead, but a free throw from Westbrook and a Durant jumper tied the score at 86 with 46.5 seconds to go.

Antonio McDyess and Joe Smith traded buckets to make the score 88-88.

"It was a great game and our guys played hard until the last second," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "This (Pistons team) is a good team, obviously one of the better teams in the East and it was their home court. We just have to figure out how to play from the opening tip."

Said Iverson: "These games are so tough, being that you have a team that's only won three games and they're hungry. Every game is a real big game for them because they want to get off the schnide. We understood they were going to come in and play hard, and we've had some lapses. We just wanted to get out of here with a win."

Big assist

Iverson made the big shot, but Curry thought the star of the game was Amir Johnson .

Although only playing 12 minutes, 56 seconds, and scoring two points, Johnson pulled down three rebounds and supplied strong defense on Chris Wilcox (10 points, eight rebounds), who hurt the Pistons in the first half.

"(Johnson) came in and gave us a huge presence, contested shots, and while he was in the game, we were able to get stops," Curry said.

The group of Johnson, McDyess, Arron Afflalo, Iverson and Prince keyed the Pistons in the fourth quarter.

"It felt good, like I said, you have to be ready for this situation and that's why you stay after practice and take the shots and be ready to go," Johnson said.

You can reach Ted Kulfan at (313) 223-4606 or ted. kulfan@detnews.com

Saturday, December 27, 2008
Pistons 87, Bucks 76
Pistons' defense stifles Bucks
Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

MILWAUKEE -- Not this time.

The Pistons have been blowing double-digit leads routinely this season, but they dispatched a cold-shooting Milwaukee Bucks team Saturday without too much unnecessary angst.

Up 20 early in the fourth, the Pistons rolled to their third straight victory, 87-76, at the Bradley Center.

"We did a good job at both ends of the court," said Allen Iverson, who had 18 points, six assists and four steals. "We especially did a good job on the defensive end. With the scorers they've got and as good as they've been playing, to hold them to 30 percent shooting, that says a lot about the defense we played."

Tayshaun Prince scored 19 points, Rasheed Wallace contributed 16 points and 12 rebounds and Rodney Stuckey had 16 points, six rebounds and six assists.

But this victory had Amir Johnson's stamp all over it.

"Yeah he energized us," Iverson said. "We've gotten a spark from him the last couple of games."

Johnson, who lost his starting spot after the Pistons acquired Allen Iverson on Nov. 3, got the start in place of Richard Hamilton (left groin strain), and he made the most of it -- eight points, 11 rebounds, four blocks and a steal.

"It's not all about being (frustrated), it's about being ready when the coach calls your name," Johnson said. "When your name is called, be ready and I was tonight."

His unbridled hustle gave the Pistons extra possessions (19 second-chance points) and disrupted the Bucks offense.

"Rip was the first one to tell him to be ready," Prince said. "He got his opportunity and he took advantage of it. I think the most important thing for him was that he had been in the starting lineup and he knew how important it is to really be ready."

The Bucks, who came in on a three-game winning streak, never found an offensive flow. They shot an icy 30 percent. They managed just 11 points in the third quarter, missing 16 of 21 shots.

This game will perpetuate the debate on the merits of the Pistons using their bigger lineup more than the small-ball lineup they feature with Hamilton.

"Defensively we have been good in stretches when we have two bigs on the floor," coach Michael Curry said. "One of the things we give up with our small lineup is that inside presence. Not having that other big on the floor, teams attack even more on the inside. When they attacked today, even when they got around Amir or 'Sheed, the other big was there to protect the basket."

So, what's the answer -- big or small? Both, according to Curry.

"We have been good defensively when we have two bigs on the floor and we are getting better with our small lineup," Curry said. "That's what we have to do -- be better no matter who is on the court."

Michael Redd, who was guarded by Stuckey, had just four points on 2-for-11 shooting. Richard Jefferson, guarded by Prince most of the night, took just three shots. He scored six of 10 points at the free-throw line.

"Rodney's done a good job matching up on (shooting) guards," Curry said. "He's taking the challenge and playing them hard. It's a lot for a young guy, but he's done a good job with it."

Andrew Bogut's 17 points led the Bucks.

The Bucks made 27 free throws and just 24 field goals.

Hamilton out

Suddenly, the Pistons have a groin epidemic.

With Iverson still fighting through a left groin strain, Hamilton had to sit out because of the same ailment.

"I don't want to miss no games, especially now when we're trying to find our rhythm and our niche," said Hamilton, who said he didn't want to predict whether he would be ready to play Monday against Orlando. "It's tough. We'll see how it feels."

The injury occurred in the second half at Atlanta last Saturday. He tweaked it again in the first half against the Thunder on Friday.

"I kind of came down and I didn't really know what happened, but after the game I really felt it," Hamilton said. "It was like a pull. The crazy thing about it, the next night AI (Iverson) did it. I said, 'I had the same problem.' He was like, 'I never had this before,' and I told him, 'This ain't no joke.' "

Hamilton tried to play through it. He played 33 minutes against Chicago on Tuesday and 30 minutes Friday.

"Last night I went to the basket and felt it pull again," Hamilton said. "That's when I knew I was in trouble. I just hoped I could keep going, keep running and keep going through it and maybe it would turn over. But this morning, after taking a lot of vitamins and getting treatment last night, it didn't feel any better."

Slam dunks

Bucks guard Charlie Bell (Flint, Michigan State) missed the game because of a sore right knee.

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

Three in a row

Monday, December 29, 2008
Pistons 88, Magic 82
Pistons cool Magic
Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

AUBURN HILLS -- They came in with the third-best record in the East and riding a seven-game winning streak, but before the game coach Michael Curry said the Magic looked to him very much like the team the Pistons ousted in five games in the playoffs last season.

What do you know, he was right.

The Pistons continue to vex the Magic, outscoring them, 11-5, down the stretch for an 88-82 win. It was their fourth straight and by far their most impressive in a long time.

Antonio McDyess took charge of this one. He scored nine in the fourth quarter with four rebounds and three assists. In the last six minutes he had five points, made three defensive stops on Dwight Howard, and survived a hard hit to the ribs from rookie Courtney Lee to set up another pivotal score.

On that play, McDyess was battling for the ball at the top of the key when he took a hard shot to the ribs. He drew a foul on the play and his hustle led to a 3-pointer by Rasheed Wallace.

Later, he hustled down another loose ball and fed it to Allen Iverson for a basket that put the Pistons up, 87-80, with 1:10 left.

The Magic, meanwhile, self-destructed down the stretch. They scored five points in the last six minutes and had two turnovers.

Rodney Stuckey (19), Wallace (16 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks, 3 steals) and Tayshaun Prince (16) led the Pistons.

Rashard Lewis had 23 points to lead the Magic.

The teams exchanged breathtaking plays in the fourth. First, McDyess rescued a loose ball and as he was flying out of bounds, got it to Tayshaun Prince, who drained a 3-pointer as the shot clock expired.

Lewis countered with a 3-pointer.

McDyess then hit a jumper on the next possession. Lewis countered that with a four-point play. He made a long 3 with Jason Maxiell flying at him. Maxiell fouled him and Lewis made the free throw to tie the game, 77-77, with 6:07 left.

As it turned out, though, that was the Magic's last hurrah.

The Pistons couldn't have played much better than they did in the first half. With Wallace bothering Howard, the Pistons limited the Magic to 41 percent shooting. They blocked four shots (two by Wallace, both on Howard) and four steals.

Howard didn't make a basket, 0-for-4, and had just one point.

Rodney Stuckey was doing to Jameer Nelson what Chauncey Billups used to -- overpower him physically and get him into foul trouble. Stuckey had 12 first-half points and Nelson, who came in averaging 23 points in the previous six games, had four points and four fouls.

The Pistons had a nine-point lead at the half.

And in the first two minutes of the third quarter they undid all their good work

Howard converted a three-point play, Hedo Turkoglu drained a 3-pointer and Nelson got an uncontested layup -- lead all but gone.

After holding the Magic to 12 points in the paint in the first half, the Pistons allowed 14 points in the paint in the third quarter.

Howard had 13 points in the quarter.

But the Pistons continued to fight. Iverson and Stuckey combined for 11 points and the Pistons were able to go into the fourth with a four-point lead.

Note

The Magic lost Mickael Pietrus in the second quarter. He sprained his right wrist when he fell hard after a dunk.

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

Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Pistons 83, Nets 75
Wallace hurt in Pistons' fifth straight win
Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

AUBURN HILLS -- The Pistons didn't have Richard Hamilton (groin), Antonio McDyess (ribs) or Rasheed Wallace but for 10 early minutes, but they had enough to dispatch the New Jersey Nets, closing out 2008 with an 83-75 victory at The Palace.

"Any team in the NBA that doesn't have three of their top six guys is going to struggle," coach Michael Curry said of his team's fifth straight win. "The thing we struggle with when we don't have especially our shooting bigs on the floor is our offense. But the game was won because the other guys all stepped up and played effectively."

Allen Iverson scored 19 and Tayshaun Prince 16 to lead the Pistons, but it was the contributions of Jason Maxiell, Kwame Brown and Arron Afflalo that put the Pistons in position to win.

Maxiell and Brown combined for 12 points and 15 rebounds. Amir Johnson, despite early foul trouble, contributed eight points and five rebounds. He also forced and won a key jump ball in the final minute to help preserve the win.

Afflalo added 10 points but, more importantly, played tough defense against Nets point guard Devin Harris.

"That was definitely a team effort," said Afflalo, who along with Rodney Stuckey limited Harris to 19 points. "My teammates were there to help me and I just did my best to contain him."

Harris scored 38 against the Pistons in November. This time, the Pistons trapped him and kept a bigger body on him as much as possible.

"Our defense is just really about having a sense of urgency," Iverson said. "We understand that's what we have to do to be successful. We are going to have to get stops. Tonight, we were just really on a string and on the same page."

The Pistons held the Nets to 29 points in the first half and badgered them into 37 percent shooting for the game. Rookie Brook Lopez led the Nets with 23 points and 12 rebounds.

But most of the fireworks happened in the second quarter when both North Carolina alumni -- Wallace and the Nets' Vince Carter -- left the game nearly two minutes apart.

Wallace got kicked in the right foot by Yi Jianlian four minutes into the game. He tried to keep playing but was in too much pain. He departed in the second quarter, scoring seven in 10 minutes of work.

"That foot had been bothering him and then he got hit on it," Curry said. "Arnie (Kander, Pistons physical therapist) said it would be best to keep him out."

A few minutes later, with 6:48 left in the first half, Carter got into a dispute with referee Derrick Stafford. Carter got incensed when it appeared that Stafford referred to him as "boy" -- at least that was what Carter was complaining about as he was being escorted off the court.

Stafford would not comment on what was said in the confrontation, but through Pistons' officials he did confirm that Carter made no physical contact with him. It first appeared that Carter may have head-butted Stafford.

In any event, Carter earned two technical fouls and the ejection. The Pistons went on a 12-0 run right after the ejection and built a 16-point lead.

Without Wallace and McDyess on the floor, the Pistons struggled to score against the Nets' zone defense.

"It was definitely a grind," Iverson said. "They played that zone and it took a lot of our aggressiveness away. They turned it into a boring game with that, but we just had to fight through it and penetrate.

"But without Sheed and McDyess, two guys who really spread the floor, they were able to just pack it in and we couldn't get into the lane."

Iverson was able to score six points in the final 2:38 to seal the win.

Saturday, January 3, 2009
Pistons 98, Kings 92
Stuckey saves the day for Pistons with 38
Pistons outlast Kings for sixth straight victory even though they only had nine healthy players.
Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

AUBURN HILLS -- The Pistons were so short-handed for Friday's game against the Kings, assistant coach Dave Cowens had to jump into the pregame huddle dance to fill out the circle.

Unfortunately for the Pistons, the Hall-of-Famer, a former Celtics center, couldn't play.

Without Rasheed Wallace (sore right foot), Richard Hamilton (left groin) and Antonio McDyess (ribs), the Pistons were down to nine healthy players, and just three frontcourt players.

As a result, their 98-92 victory over the lottery-bound Kings was more of a struggle than it should have been.

They didn't secure the win until Rodney Stuckey took things into his own hands in the final 2:27.

He made a layup and then converted a three-point play to put the Pistons up 94-86 with 2:01 left. Then, with the crowd chanting "Stuck-ey, Stuck-ey," he calmly passed to Amir Johnson under the basket for a dunk.

He wasn't done. After the Kings cut the lead to four, 96-92, with six straight free throws, Stuckey worked the ball to Allen Iverson, who hit a corner jumper with 15.2 seconds left to lock it up.

"I just felt like I had an advantage at the point guard position with (Kings guards) Beno Udrih or Bobby Brown and I was being aggressive," said Stuckey, who had 38 points and seven assists. "Sometimes they were focusing on AI and the other guys coming off screens and I wanted to take advantage one-on-one when it was to my advantage."

As for his pass to Iverson, Stuckey shrugged, "I knew they were focusing on me and I saw Iverson made that flair cut to the corner and I passed him the ball. I have all the confidence in the world in AI. Who doesn't?"

It was the Pistons' sixth straight win. Their record now is a respectable 20-11.

"Right now we are starting to feel real good as a team," Iverson said. "We are starting to get that confidence and swagger. We didn't have that feeling at first. Obviously, running off six straight wins helps you feel a lot better, but we are coming together."

The box score from this game makes absolutely no sense. Stuckey, Iverson (23 points) and Tayshaun Prince (23 points, 10 rebounds, three blocks) provided all but 14 of the team's points. Johnson provided 10 of those, with a career-high 14 rebounds.

But the Pistons were outscored 33-18 at the free-throw line, 35-2 off the bench, 21-10 on fast-break points and 9-0 on 3-point shots.

"Well, it helps when Stuckey gets 38 and Iverson and Tay gets 23," said Curry, who had to give the scoring sheet a double-take. "We knew it was going to be a unique situation and I thought those guys coming off the bench did a good job. They were coming off (the bench) as defenders tonight."

It was the first time the Pistons didn't make a 3-pointer in a game since April 10, 2005, against the Heat.

"We are just happy to get any win any way," Iverson said. "We knew it would be rough. The thing about it, everybody took advantage of the minutes they got. We are going to need everybody in the long haul. People get in foul trouble. People get hurt. That's what being a team is all about."

The Pistons' defense continues to play well. After holding their three previous opponents to 77.7 points, they limited the Kings to 33.7-percent shooting. Had they not been fouled so frequently, the Kings might not have scored 60.

The Kings made 33 of 34 free throws.

Brad Miller, taking advantage of a smaller Pistons lineup, had 25 points and 16 rebounds. John Salmons had 21 and Kevin Martin 20 for the Kings, who played without starting power forward Spencer Hawes.

Stuckey, though, was able to cancel out all those numbers. The only time he seemed to get flustered all night was when he was asked about the crowd chanting his name.

"It feels good," he said, looking down. "You know, it's our home court."

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

Sunday, January 4, 2009
Pistons 88, Clippers 87
Pistons' win streak hits seven
Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

LOS ANGELES -- There were several streaks on the line Sunday and all but one survived.

Al Thornton was called for goaltending on Allen Iverson's high-arching jumper with 2.8 seconds left and the Pistons escaped the Staples Center with an 88-87 win over the Clippers.

It was their first win on Sunday -- ending an 0-6 skid.

Still alive is the Pistons' now seven-game win streak, their 12-game win streak over the Clippers and the Clippers' seven game losing streak.

The Clippers had one last shot to pull the game out, but rookie Eric Gordon's last-second shot missed. It was the only thing he didn't make down the stretch.

Gordon scored 13 of 31 points in the fourth, including the Clippers' last 11.

Rodney Stuckey led the Pistons with 24 points and Tayshaun Prince, who had scored four key points in the final 1:20, finished with 20.

Iverson had 18 on 7 for 22 shooting and Antonio McDyess grabbed 12 of his 15 rebounds in the final quarter.

It was a battle of two wounded teams. Both started the game with nine healthy players.

The Pistons again were without Rip Hamilton (groin) and Rasheed Wallace (right foot). Antonio McDyess (ribs) returned to action. He played three minutes before suffering another aggravating injury. He hyper-extended his pinky finger on his left hand with 7:59 left in the first half.

He did return and wound up playing 23 gallant minutes. He scored four of his six points and grabbed 10 of his 13 rebounds in the fourth quarter.

For the Clippers, Zach Randolph (knee), Chris Kaman (left foot), Baron Davis (tailbone), Ricky Davis (knee) and Jason Hart (right elbow) were out.

The Clips were left with journeyman Fred Jones, whom they just signed, and Mardy Collins to man the point guard position. Collins is normally a two-guard.

Then, just 2:37 into the game they lost Jones to a mid-foot sprain.

By all accounts, Wallace should be ready to play Wednesday in Portland. The Pistons are being more cautious with Hamilton. Hamilton hasn't tried to sprint or make a hard cut yet.

The Pistons will catch a break Wednesday, too. Blazers point guard Brandon Roy is out 7-10 days with a hamstring injury.

Notable: Both Alex Acker and Walter Sharpe had solid D-League debuts with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants Saturday. Acker posted 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Sharpe had 10 points and four rebounds. The Mad Ants upset Iowa, one of the top teams in the league thus far, 121-117 in overtime.

Looks like they're finally starting to play well.

catbox_9 wrote:

Looks like they're finally starting to play well.

It's about time! And this is with injured starters!

Thursday, January 8, 2009
Trail Blazers 84, Pistons 83
Blazers rally past Pistons
Detroit squanders 13-point lead in second half, snaps its winning streak at seven games.
Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Here's what you can't do on the road against a quality opponent: You can't make unforced turnovers, you can't miss free throws and you can't give back two double-digit leads.

The Pistons did all of the above, thus, their seven-game winning streak is over.

Travis Outlaw made a fall-away baseline jumper with 8.3 seconds left to give the Trail Blazers an 84-83 victory at the Rose Garden Wednesday.

"I can't believe we lost," said Antonio McDyess, who pulled down 13 rebounds. "I am still in disbelief, stunned, the way we played, how well we played on defense -- but we just let it slip away."

Before Outlaw's game-winner, the Pistons had missed two open shots that would have extended the lead to three. The Blazers, down by a point, had 18.4 seconds to try and win the game.

The Pistons coaching staff had stressed all day to force Outlaw to his right. But, on the game-winner, he beat Arron Afflalo to his left and got off a comfortable baseline jumper.

"We send him right and maybe he doesn't make the game-winner," coach Michael Curry said. "We played good most of the game, but we made some mistakes, we didn't play their tendencies a couple of times and it cost us some big baskets."

The Pistons still had 8.3 seconds. Tayshaun Prince had been the Pistons' big gun. He scored 26 points, making 13 of 21 shots. Curry drew up a play for Iverson, thinking with a foul to give, that the Blazers would take a quick foul.

They did not. Still, Iverson drove into the lane and got off a fairly open 17-footer that missed.

"I don't make no excuses," said Iverson, who had 14 points on 6-for-19 shooting. "If I am out there playing, then I am playing. No excuses. I just had a bad game."

The Pistons shot 50 percent and outrebounded the Blazers, 40-28. They had a 13-point lead with six minutes left in the third quarter.

But all that was undone by a flurry of turnovers and a scoring barrage by LaMarcus Aldridge.

Rodney Stuckey, who had some 40 family and friends in attendance, had a rough night. He missed 8 of 12 shots and made six turnovers.

He and Iverson combined to miss 21 of 31 shots and make 10 turnovers. Stuckey's back stiffened during the game and he took treatment on it afterward.

"He's not going to make any excuses," Curry said. "He just made a lot of turnovers. They did a good job of trapping both Stuckey and Allen. They were really aggressive and we have to move the ball faster when we know the trap is coming."

The Pistons didn't get a very favorable whistle, either. There were several mystifying calls, several on Amir Johnson, who was again limited by foul trouble. He earned his fifth foul on a play where he was knocked to the floor by Joel Przybilla.

The Blazers scored a pivotal three-pointer in the fourth after a steal by Afflalo was nullified by a foul. Replays showed that Afflalo had stolen the ball cleanly.

The Blazers outscored the Pistons, 9-3, at the free-throw line in the second half. Part of that was due to the Pistons missing all three of their attempts in the fourth quarter.

"The things we needed to go right at the end all went wrong," Iverson said. "We made a bunch of mistakes and it cost us."

Overshadowed by the loss was some spirited play by Kwame Brown. He posted nine points, four rebounds and two blocks. He also helped take fellow No. 1 pick Greg Oden out of the game. Oden was in early foul trouble and wound up with four points and one rebound.

"Seems like every game is coming down to the last shot," McDyess said. "We have to start putting teams away when we get up eight, 10, 12 points. We can't keep letting teams come back. We have to stay composed. Seems like we start rushing our offense when the crowd starts getting into it. We have to manage the game better, keep our tempo and not rush it."

The Blazers are now 2-2 with point guard Brandon Roy (hamstring). The Pistons were again without Rasheed Wallace (foot) and Richard Hamilton (groin).

"We are a banged up team right now," said McDyess, himself nursing sore ribs, a sore thigh and a sore pinky finger. "I can't remember the last time we were banged up like this. We are usually a team that stays healthy. Now Stuck's back is acting up and he couldn't do the things he wanted to do out there. I hope he's OK."

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

Saturday, January 10, 2009
Pistons 93, Nuggets 90
Pistons' Iverson and Prince outdo Billups
Former Piston scores 30, but Detroit rallies from deficit to derail Denver in last minute.
Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

DENVER -- It started out like Chauncey Billups' night. He got the loudest ovation. He took it to his former teammates for 30 points, 20 in the first half.

But something happened on the way to his in-your-face victory.

Tayshaun Prince happened.

Not only did Prince step up in the fourth quarter to defend and cool off Billups, he hit a runner with 20.6 seconds left to lift the Pistons to an improbable 93-90 victory over the Nuggets.

Coach Michael Curry said Prince stepped up on his own and took the challenge of guarding Billups down the stretch.

"The thing about it, there was nobody on the court at the time that knows Chauncey's game like me," said Prince, who finished with 19 points and allowed Billups two baskets on his watch. "When you have a 6-9 guy like myself that's pretty quick off my feet, I am able to contest Chauncey's three, plus keep enough space because he's so fast off the dribble."

Prince's heroics upstaged a pretty good show between Billups and the man he was traded for, Allen Iverson, who survived a rough start (missing 10 of his first 12 shots) to score 23 points.

"We just kept fighting," said Iverson, who got a warm standing ovation from the sold-out crowd at the Pepsi Center. "Nothing was going right for us, but we just stayed with each other and climbed that mountain."

Billups and Iverson shared a hug at center court after the game.

"It was fun, man, it was fun," Billups said. "It's always good to hook up and compete with your buddies, but at some point it becomes a game and you have to try and win the best you can."

How improbable was this?

Consider that after three quarters the Pistons had missed 12 free throws (18-for-30), shot a frigid 39 percent from the floor and 1-for-13 from beyond the arc, and had as many turnovers as assists (eight).

Consider, too, that they were playing without Richard Hamilton (groin) for the seventh straight game and Rasheed Wallace (right foot) for the fourth. In addition, Rodney Stuckey was limited to 28 minutes, none in the fourth quarter, because of a sore back.

Stuckey, by the way, considers himself highly doubtful for the game tonight in Utah.

The win didn't come without some zaniness in the final seconds.

After Prince's basket, Iverson and Antonio McDyess teamed to strip J.R. Smith of the ball and Arron Afflalo made two free throws at the other end.

The Pistons were up 89-86 with 9.1 seconds left. They were still up three with 7.5 seconds left after Afflalo and Nene exchanged a pair of free throws.

But Iverson, chasing Smith up the court, fouled him behind the three-point line with 5.5 seconds left. Smith, though, missed one of the three.

Afflalo then made two more free throws and Billups' last-second shot was long.

"If guys are going to step up in a playoff series, they have to get that experience right now," said coach Michael Curry of Afflalo's six straight free throws. "He's been getting playing time, so this isn't foreign territory for him."

Afflalo finished with 17 points.

"It was priceless," Iverson said of the crowd's reaction. "It was very emotional for me. I have so many memories and friends here. I mean, this is where I thought I was going to finish my career. I couldn't sleep at all after shoot-around; I was so anxious. Then the way the fans treated me, I had to get all those emotions out of me before I could start to play the game."

McDyess had it right, though. He knew his buddy Billups was going to come out with a little extra fire Friday, playing against the Pistons for the first time since the Nov. 3 trade, and he was correct.

Billups took his protégé Stuckey to school in the first quarter, scoring nine points, including two blow-by layups. In the second quarter, he let Afflalo know he couldn't guard him either. Billups scored 11 points in the second quarter, beating Afflalo off the dribble and with step-back jumpers.

It was quite a clinic and he wasn't done.

He opened the third quarter by pump-faking Stuckey into the air then jumping into him to draw a foul -- a three-shot foul. It's a move Stuckey has seen Billups do hundreds of times and he still fell for it.

Billups converted all three free throws.

"It was a little strange," Billups said. "There were a couple of times in the third quarter when I kept looking up at the clock. We were up and for some reason I kept thinking we were down because I kept looking at the Pistons' score. It was just kind of weird."

But once Prince got on him, the fun stopped.

"That was just a matchup thing," Curry said. "They were small and he saw a chance where he could guard Chauncey. That was all Tay on that."

As for McDyess, apparently he's public enemy No. 1 in Denver. He was part of the trade back in November, but he let the Nuggets know he wasn't going to play for them and they bought him out. That allowed him to re-sign with the Pistons 30 days later.

The Nuggets fans apparently feel jilted because they booed McDyess every time he scored or committed a foul.

McDyess, with six points and 12 rebounds, took it in stride, cupping his ears with his hands as if to say, "I can't hear you."

The Pistons have won five straight over the Nuggets.

Saturday, January 10, 2009
Jazz 99, Pistons 82
Jazz end Pistons' trip on sour note
Tired legs show at end of road trip as Okur, rested Utah continue mastery vs. Detroit.
Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

SALT LAKE CITY -- Given that the Pistons don't beat the Jazz under the best of conditions, the odds of them rising up and stealing a game at Energy Solutions Arena Saturday were long.

While the Pistons were wrapping up a week-long Western road trip and playing their third game in four nights, the Jazz were in the middle of a four-game home stand and hadn't played since Wednesday.

Predictably, the fresh-legged Jazz ran roughshod on the Pistons, 99-82.

It was the Pistons' worst loss of the season and their eighth straight against the Jazz. That's four straight season sweeps. The Pistons are now 2-17 vs. Utah over the last decade.

"I don't use those excuses," Allen Iverson said of the end-of-trip fatigue factor. "That didn't have anything to do with it. They just kicked our (butts). That's it. It didn't have nothing to do with the last game of the trip, or dead legs and or anything like that. They were just better than us and they whipped us."

No team owns the Pistons like the Jazz do, and it's mystifying even to the Jazz.

"I don't know what it is," former Piston Mehmet Okur said. "We play good against them here and we play good against them (in Detroit)."

Okur became the second ex-Piston to drop 20 points on their ex-teammates in the first half. Chauncey Billups did it in Denver Friday and Okur repeated the feat Saturday.

He made his first six shots, had 15 points in the first quarter and wound up with 22. He made eight of his nine shots.

"I think Memo takes it personally every time he plays Detroit," said Ronnie Brewer, who scored 16 for the Jazz.

Hard to argue. Okur has averaged 21 points against the Pistons over the last six games.

"We still have to get better at the end of road trips," coach Michael Curry said. "Like the Phoenix game (a 104-86 loss) and like this game. I know a lot of teams in this league struggle at the end of trips, but if it's our goal to be a great team -- and that's what our goal is -- then we have to continue to work and take care of our bodies so at the end of a trip we have enough to give ourselves a chance to win."

Rasheed Wallace returned after missing three games with a sore right foot. He didn't start, but played 23 minutes and had eight points.

"Sheed hadn't practiced," Curry said, explaining his decision to bring him off the bench. "He hadn't done anything, really. And we had game-planned to go the way we went."

The Pistons are a collection of battered bodies right now.

Richard Hamilton missed his eighth game with a groin tear. He is expected back Tuesday. Rodney Stuckey, playing through some back stiffness, scored 19 to lead the Pistons but he clearly isn't comfortable.

Iverson, who had 11 points (4 for 13 shooting), is playing through an assortment of bumps and bruises. Amir Johnson played on a sprained left ankle. And Antonio McDyess continues to play with rib, thigh and finger issues.

"Sheed and Rip have been out healing but our injuries are getting worse because we've been playing," Iverson said. "It's going to be a struggle. But the way I think I deal with injuries is getting another one. You get one injury, then you get another one and it seems like the one you had before goes away."

Beginning Tuesday, the Pistons start another five-game in seven-day stretch with three road games.

AI's pitch

Iverson isn't a fan of being subbed out of games for defensive purposes. He made that clear to Curry in the late stages of the Pistons' win at Denver Friday.

After making a key steal on J.R. Smith in the final 10 seconds, he ran over to Curry to tell him that it wasn't necessary to pull him out of the game on defensive possessions.

"We were getting ready to sub him out before that," Curry said. "He said he wants to be out there and that's good. (Making that stop) is part of earning that.

"He's a prideful guy. It bothers him when we lose and it bothers him when he plays bad. He's taking responsibility and I think that's great."

Boozer update

The Jazz got some good news on injured forward Carlos Boozer . He had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee Friday. It was determined afterward that he would not need microfracture surgery.

Boozer now faces at least four weeks of rehabilitation before returning to practice.

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

Why does the NBA schedule road trips like that

Unfair for road teams

Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Bobcats 80, Pistons 78
Bobcats, Felton stun Pistons
Charlotte ends game on 13-2 spurt to spoil Hamilton's return to lineup from injury.
Ted Kulfan / The Detroit News

AUBURN HILLS -- It didn't matter what lineup the Pistons used Tuesday, the evening was a struggle.

Capping what turned out to be a miserable night, Charlotte's Raymond Felton nailed a jumper with 0.7 seconds left to give the Bobcats an improbable 80-78 victory.

Allen Iverson's last-gasp jumper bounced off the rim, ending an ugly loss.

The Bobcats finished the game on a 13-2 run, scored the last nine points of the game and held the Pistons to 10 points in the fourth quarter.

"They just played better than us," Iverson said. "We couldn't get it done. That's unacceptable. They did what they had to do at both ends of the floor."

Leading 78-71, the Pistons watched the Bobcats score seven consecutive points, capped by jumpers from Felton and Emeka Okafor, to tie the game.

On the Pistons' next possession, Rasheed Wallace was called for an offensive foul with 28.9 seconds left setting up Felton's heroics.

"We just didn't finish it out," coach Michael Curry said.

Rodney Stuckey had 22 points on 8-for-11 shooting to lead the Pistons (22-14). Wallace had 16 points (10 in the first half) and Iverson had 13. Richard Hamilton, in his first game after missing eight because of a groin tear -- and starting, which was a topic leading up to the game -- had 10 points.

"Rip did a good job," Curry said. "He missed some shots he normally makes but he was aggressive and was good defensively."

Felton scored 23 and Gerald Wallace 18 for the Bobcats (15-24).

The game was similar to one played last month in Charlotte between the teams. In that game, the Pistons led by as much as 24 points, but they had to hold off a late Bobcats charge.

"It just felt like déjÀ vu all over again," Iverson said. "Same thing from the last time we played them. This time they won."

The Pistons had a 68-62 lead through three quarters.

Wallace's 3-pointer gave the Pistons their biggest lead of the quarter, 63-53.

The Bobcats stayed close thanks to a pair of Juwan Howard jumpers, cutting the lead to 68-62 on a pair of Wallace free throws.

But in the fourth quarter, the Pistons' offense was stuck in neutral and the Bobcats capitalized.

"It was our fault tonight," Stuckey said. "As players we need to share the ball more. It was our fault."

More control

Curry said Wallace needs to show more control than he did in the third quarter, getting whistled for a technical foul, his league-leading 13th.

Moments earlier, Wallace made a 3-pointer, giving the Pistons a 63-53 lead.

"He knows what we demand as a team and he owes it to us as team to show better restraint," Curry said.

Wallace declined to talk to the media after the game.

Familiar lineup

Curry's starting lineup against the Bobcats was a familiar one -- with Hamilton in it.

Curry started his small lineup with Stuckey and Iverson in the backcourt, and Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Wallace in the frontcourt.

Curry said he's comfortable with the starting five -- especially against the Bobcats, Pacers and Thunder this week, all of who struggled against the Pistons' small lineup.

Still, Curry said either Hamilton or Iverson will be substituted early in most games when the Pistons use a bigger lineup.

"We want our best players on the court as much as possible," Curry said. "But for 32 minutes (of a game's 48 minutes) we need to be big. A lot of nights Allen or Rip will be subbed kind of early, but they'll come back at the start of the second quarter with (Will ) Bynum or Stuckey."

Curry wants to reduce Prince's minutes at the big forward spot, and incorporate Bynum into the lineup to limit Stuckey's minutes at point guard.

Both Hamilton and Iverson have been hesitant about being moving to the bench.

"I don't expect those guys to want to come off the bench, but if we're at the point we need to do that, we will," Curry said.

Said Iverson: "You always are supposed to do what the coach asks you to do. I'm not trying to be a distraction. Obviously it would be difficult for me. That's something I've never faced in my career, back to when I was a little kid. That's something I've never been through in my life."

You can reach Ted Kulfan at (313) 223-4606 or ted.kulfan@detnews.com

Thursday, January 15, 2009
Pacers 110, Pistons 106 (OT)
Pistons in need of steadfast closer
For the second straight game they give up late lead after so-called playmakers fail to deliver in the clutch.
Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

INDIANAPOLIS -- This isn't about lineups nor who's not playing.

This is about a veteran group of players, guys who have either won championships or been in countless big games, not finishing enough simple basketball plays to close out games.

"Yeah, it is surprising," said Allen Iverson. "I hadn't thought about it that way, but it is surprising to keep getting leads on teams and not being able to put them away. But the only feeling we should have right now is that we can get this together."

The Pistons missed seven opportunities to salt away the victory in regulation, scoring just one point in the final three minutes, which opened the door for the Pacers to steal the game, 110-106, in overtime Wednesday.

It was the Pistons' third straight loss and comes one night after blowing a late lead against the Bobcats at The Palace.

"We've got to figure this out," Iverson said. "We can't go into the All-Star break doing the negative things we keep doing. We have to get it together."

Troy Murphy hit two back-breaking 3-pointers to put the Pistons behind the eight-ball in overtime. But it was Danny Granger (24 points) and T.J. Ford (23 points) who did most of the damage.

The Pacers had lost three straight overall and eight straight to the Pistons.

"I really don't know what it is," said Rodney Stuckey, who nearly posted his first triple-double (30 points, nine rebounds and six assists). "All I know is we keep kicking ourselves in the butt. We have to figure out how to close out these games."

Here's how not to.

The Pistons missed 10 straight shots and three free throws in the final three minutes of regulation.

"We missed wide-open shots and we missed free throws," Michael Curry said. "I thought we executed. We got the ball into our playmakers' hands and we made plays. We just couldn't quite convert."

The Pistons were up 92-87 with three minutes left when the collapse began.

It started with Rasheed Wallace missing two shots and Jarrett Jack making two to cut the lead to 92-91 with 2:13 left.

Then, after Antonio McDyess rescued an offensive rebound, Iverson made 1 of 2 free throws.

Jack again attacked the basket and missed a hotly-contested shot at the basket. He thought he was fouled and picked up a technical foul.

With 48.2 seconds left, Tayshaun Prince, who had missed his only two free throws of the game, missed the foul shot. Why he was chosen to shoot it is a mystery.

"We put it up to them and whoever has the best percentage," Curry said. "Actually, Allen should have taken it, but he deferred to Tay because he had just missed a free throw."

McDyess, after another miss, got another rebound which set up another miss, this one by Prince.

So, down 93-91, the Pacers were alive and with 3.9 seconds left, Granger hit a 16-footer over Prince to tie the game.

For the final possession, Curry inserted Richard Hamilton and called a play for him. Hamilton, who had been sitting the entire quarter, missed a short baseline jumper and the game went into overtime.

"We live with that shot every time," said Iverson, who finished with 23 points on 9-of-19 shooting.

Hamilton, who had nine points (4-of-13) did not play in the overtime, either.

Wallace, who finished with 17 points and 15 rebounds, missed 8-of-10 shots in the fourth quarter and overtime. Iverson missed 3-of-4. Hamilton didn't play but for four seconds in the fourth quarter and overtime.

So the playmakers had the ball, but they didn't make many plays.

"We are going to have to get some consistency about ourselves," said Arron Afflalo, who scored eight of his 10 points in the fourth. "We have to get consistent with our effort, our intensity, individually with what we bring -- everything. We have to get some kind of rhythm and chemistry -- and that's on everybody."

Somebody is going to have to step up and be the closer. Chauncey Billups was that guy for six years. He was the anchor late in games.

Stuckey is growing every day, but in his second year, it might be a lot to ask of him to close games.

Iverson, Hamilton and Wallace have all excelled in that role over the years. Those are the guys who are going to have to step up now.

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

Pistons really falling apart lately.

Saturday, January 17, 2009
Thunder 89, Pistons 79
Thunder thrash Pistons
A 13-0 run at outset of fourth quarter hands Detroit fourth straight defeat; Stuckey scores 3.
Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

OKLAHOMA CITY -- It just keeps getting worse for the Pistons.

They lost to Charlotte (.385 winning percentage). They lost to Indiana (.375). And now they've lost to the losingest team in the league.

The Oklahoma City Thunder (.195 winning percentage) won their eighth game of the season, and second straight, 89-79, on Friday night behind 32 points from Kevin Durant.

"I wish I could put my finger on it," Antonio McDyess said. "It's definitely frustrating for us to keep losing games to teams that are beatable. This is not the team I am used to seeing."

The Pistons now have achieved something they didn't do the last three seasons under former coach Flip Saunders -- they've lost four straight games. The last time they lost four straight was January 2005 and Gar Heard was subbing for a recuperating Larry Brown.

"There's just no chemistry, you all can even see that," McDyess said. "I don't know what it's going to take to get it right."

It's going to have to start with scrapping the three-guard starting lineup. This was the third straight loss since Richard Hamilton returned and the Pistons went back to starting a smaller lineup.

Without two legitimate frontcourt players on the floor together, the Pistons are much worse on defense and they were totally inept on the boards. The Thunder outrebounded them 52-35 and had 16 second-chance points. The Pistons didn't have an offensive rebound in the first half and only five in the game.

"This whole thing came down to the way they beat us on the boards," coach Michael Curry said.

It came down to mismatches, too. The Pistons were asking Hamilton, Arron Afflalo and, at times, Rodney Stuckey to guard the 6-foot-10 Durant. Durant got off any shot he wanted, making 14 of 21. Allen Iverson was guarding Desmond Mason, a player six inches taller. On the other end, he was being defended by Durant.

Rasheed Wallace, who missed shoot-around with a stomach problem, was sluggish and could not keep the younger Thunder off the glass. Mason had 11 rebounds and Jeff Green had 14. Wallace wound up in foul trouble.

And here's another drawback to the small lineup -- it's exacting a harsh physical toll on the two players who are playing out of position. Tayshaun Prince, having to guard power forwards, is completely beat up. He strained his groin muscle in the third quarter and his status is unclear for tonight's game against the Hornets.

He had been playing well, scoring 18. He tried to return but was clearly laboring.

Hamilton, who also scored 18 from the small forward position, left the game late in the fourth flexing his right arm. He hyper-extended his right elbow, an injury that has bothered him all season.

Clearly, the three-guard lineup isn't working -- on any level. Even the offense has been erratic.

When Curry was asked before the game if he was thinking about re-evaluating the small lineup, he said, "We are consistently evaluating it on a day-to-day basis."

After the loss, Curry said, "I think about (the lineup) every day. Internally we will make a decision and when we make a change we will let you all know. But until we tell you something different, we are going with the lineup we have now."

The Thunder (8-33) blew the game open with a 13-0 run to start the fourth quarter. The Pistons did not score a point for the first 6:16 of the fourth, and by then, they trailed by 17

"I don't see how you can have so many great scorers on a team and be at the bottom of the league in scoring," Iverson said. "The only thing you can attribute it to is chemistry. The chemistry is not there. There's no excuse for it."

Iverson had 14 points in the first half but didn't score after that. He missed four free throws in the third quarter which seemed to break the Pistons' spirit.

Rodney Stuckey also seemed out of sorts. He didn't make a shot until the final minute of the third quarter and finished with three points on 1 for 10 shooting.

"Just one of those nights," said Stuckey, who said there was nothing wrong with his back.

You can reach Chris McCosky at chris.mccosky@detnews.com

Pistons lose 5 in a row!

And they lost to OKC


You got to be kidding me!

DETROIT 87, MEMPHIS 79
V at last: Pistons snap five-game losing skid
A.I.'s 27, defense put Grizzlies to sleep

BY VINCE ELLIS • FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER • January 20, 2009

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- It may have been a six-point victory over an 11-win team, but the Pistons will take it -- especially when it's a win that ends a five-game losing streak, which was the case Monday when the Pistons beat the Grizzlies, 87-79.


"The hell with a monkey, that was like getting a gorilla off our back," said Allen Iverson, who scored a game-high 27 points. "And this one was hard. You look at that team and their record, you would think we're supposed to roll over top of them.

"But it was a hard-fought game."

After 13 lead changes, it looked as if the Pistons might be headed for another loss when Memphis rookie O.J. Mayo tied the game at 77 with 4:49 left.

But the Pistons took control down the stretch.

Two Rasheed Wallace free throws gave the Pistons a lead they would never relinquish.

Mayo committed a turnover, and Iverson made him pay with a 19-foot jumper. After another Mayo turnover, Iverson hit a 4-footer. The Grizzlies' Mike Conley then hit a lay-up with 2:56 left, but the Pistons shut out Memphis the rest of the way for their first win in more than a week.

It was one of Iverson's best games as a Piston; he went an efficient 11-for-18 from the field.

"He's a guy that we depend on, and we want to make sure we put him in a position to score the basketball," coach Michael Curry said. "We definitely want to put the ball in his hands and look for him to score and make good decisions for us."

The Pistons were solid defensively, holding the Grizzlies to 41.6% shooting from the field.

The Pistons might have had an easier time if their free-throw woes hadn't continued. The Pistons are 45-for-78 (58%) at the line over the past five games.

Iverson admitted he doesn't have a good feel at the line.

"The bad part about it is that it's mental," Iverson said. "I've been through it before, and that's what prepares me for it when it happens.

"I know it'll be gone by the time we start the playoffs."

Iverson led four Pistons in double figures. Rip Hamilton, who said he is still bothered by a sore groin, and Rodney Stuckey scored 14 points each, and Wallace added 13.

Antonio McDyess came off the bench to grab 16 rebounds.

Rudy Gay and Mayo scored 15 each for the Grizzlies.

As for the losing streak, Curry said he wasn't overly concerned -- especially since the Pistons had a recent seven-game winning streak.

"You can't be that good and then become that bad in a week," Curry said. "There was a lot of stuff that went on in those games that were sort of self-inflicted."

NOTEBOOK: Curry took the Pistons to the National Civil Rights Museum on the team's off day Sunday. Former Piston and Detroit mayoral candidate Dave Bing, along with NBA great Julius Erving, received Sports Legacy awards from the museum before the game. ... Former Pistons first-round draft pick Darko Milicic was out of the Grizzlies lineup with a fractured right hand.

The Cavs havent had to worry about losing that much, but now they lost Z and Delonte West, so we may have to have a few guys step up big time.

Go Pistons

Thursday, January 22, 2009
Pistons 95, Raptors 76
New Pistons lineup opens with win
Johnson starts, Hamilton comes off bench and Pistons get easy win over Raptors.
Ted Kulfan / The Detroit News

AUBURN HILLS -- There wasn't any discussion about who should or shouldn't be starting, or coming off the bench, after Wednesday's game against the Toronto Raptors.

Everything worked to perfection in the Pistons' 95-76 victory.

Richard Hamilton scored seven points in 21:20, entering the game with 2:53 to go in the first quarter. Hamilton was replaced in the starting lineup by forward Amir Johnson (two points, five rebounds).

But with Tayshaun Prince scoring 25 points, Rodney Stuckey 17 and Jason Maxiell doing another fine job off the bench (16 points and 11 rebounds), the Pistons were able to coast in the final quarter.

But the story was Hamilton's first game coming off the bench since Feb. 1, 2002.

"Very weird," Hamilton said. "Probably one of the weirdest things I've dealt with since I've been in the league."

Finding a routine to get loose and ready, Hamilton said, will likely be the toughest thing he has to deal with.

"Usually you go from warm-ups and the game starts," Hamilton said. "Now it's like you go from warm-up to having to sit 12 minutes before you get in the game. You have to be mentally prepared.

"It's basketball, and you'll figure it out. I'm just trying to figure it out. When you win games like that, it makes life easier."

The man behind the move, coach Michael Curry, liked what he saw.

"We're a more balanced team," Curry said of the lineup change. "When you have a first quarter where you don't play great basketball, you can go to the bench and be real good.

"It's going to take Rip a little time to get his rhythm to play in that role, but he'll be great in it and we'll be a better team because of it."

The Pistons stretched a 46-43 halftime lead to 76-62 after three quarters, mainly behind Prince, who had 12 of his 25 points in the quarter.

For the first time in a while, Prince and Rasheed Wallace were able to sit and rest in the final quarter.

"It felt good," Prince said. "We haven't done that in a while, especially being banged up. It was nice to have that time off."

Slam dunk

Trainer Mike Abdenour missed the game after having knee surgery.

"It's probably the first game he's missed ever," Curry said. "We made him stay home. It was a big effort. We had a lot of people help out to do his chores."

You can reach Ted Kulfan at (313) 223-4606 or ted.kulfan@detnews.com

Pistons need to keep this lineup

Saturday, January 24, 2009
Mavericks 112, Pistons 91
Mavs shred Pistons' defense
Nowitzki dominates; Detroit's shooting woes and Wallace's struggles continue in listless rout.
Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

AUBURN HILLS -- It started with a bad shoot-around in the morning and ended with the Mavericks running roughshod over the Pistons, 121-91, at The Palace on Friday night.

"I can't take any positives out of this," coach Michael Curry said. "We got our tails kicked tonight. We have to do a better job of getting these guys ready to perform at a high level. We didn't do that tonight. It starts with me."

Curry did not have his best night, but he shouldn't have been the only one falling on the proverbial sword.

"We just got outplayed at both ends of the court," said Allen Iverson, who continues to struggle regardless of who he's on the court with. "They just played a better overall team game."

It started with Dirk Nowitzki. He shredded Amir Johnson and any other Piston who tried to defend him, scoring 26 and hitting 12 of 20 shots.

Before the game, Curry talked about his decision to start Johnson on Nowitzki instead of Rasheed Wallace.

"We don't want 'Sheed out 20 feet away from the basket and Amir underneath on a guy who has some 45 pounds on him (Erick Dampier)," Curry said. "This is part of Amir's growth. This is a tough test for him."

Understatement. Johnson was no match against Nowitzki's fallaway jumper.

"I tried to take away his shot, but that Euro, 1-foot fade is tough to guard," Johnson said. "I tried my best on him, but he's tough to stop."

It went way beyond Nowitzki. The Mavericks dismantled a soft, seemingly disinterested Pistons' defense. The Mavericks shot better than 60 percent most of the game, finishing at 55.

Josh Howard scored 22 and Brandon Bass 18.

"We made mistakes with our coverages," Curry said. "There were scorers we wanted to lock into but they got to making shots and it just snowballed."

The Pistons' sloppy offensive execution contributed, as well. They had 14 turnovers, 13 in the first half, which the Mavs turned into 16 points.

"We just couldn't gather ourselves," Curry said. "Except for one time in the second quarter."

That was when Richard Hamilton (17 points) and the new second unit went on an 11-2 run to get the Pistons within four. But with 3:37 left, Curry went back to the small lineup, inserting Iverson to play alongside Hamilton and Rodney Stuckey.

That left Tayshaun Prince to guard Nowitzki and that plan failed miserably.

Nowitzki and Bass helped the Mavericks close the first half on a 14-4 run and they never looked back.

"The way things were going, I thought Tay would be our best to defend Dirk at the time without fouling him," Curry said.

"They were in the bonus and Dirk is a 92-percent free-throw shooter. But we had some bad offensive possessions and bad defensive possessions and it kind of knocked the wind out of our sails."

Wallace continues to struggle. He provided no presence on defense, which is atypical, and managed just four points on 2-for-7 shooting.

Stuckey took a lesson from a master. Jason Kidd had 11 points and 10 assists, while Stuckey had as many turnovers (five) as baskets.

Stuckey was a minus-22 in the game (meaning the Pistons were outscored by 22 points when he was on the floor). Iverson (11 points) was a minus-20.

"We did not have a great shoot-around today, which was disappointing, and I am a big believer in how you go through shoot-around determines how you are going to play that night," Curry said.

"We had a bad shoot-around and it carried over."

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

Sunday, January 25, 2009
Rockets 108, Pistons 105
Pistons' rally fails against Rockets
Chris McCosky / The Detroit News

AUBURN HILLS -- It took three and a half quarters for the Pistons defense to show up.

By the time it did, the hole was too deep to climb out of.

The Houston Rockets, playing without all-star center Yao Ming, rode a 39-point first quarter and hung on for a 108-105 victory over the Pistons, ending an eight-year drought at The Palace.

The Rockets exploited every mismatch available, shooting 71 percent in the first quarter and better than 60 percent most of the game. Ron Artest scored 24 points and Luis Scola 21 for the Rockets.

Richard Hamilton had 27 points and Rasheed Wallace had 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Pistons, who are now 1-7 on Sundays.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Pistons: Notebook
Will Pistons' funk serve as blessing?
Pistons have dropped seven of last nine, but Curry thinks struggles will make team better.
Ted Kulfan / The Detroit News

AUBURN HILLS -- Michael Curry understands why fans are being critical of him and the Pistons. He also isn't fazed by it.

Mired in a stretch in which they've lost seven of nine games, Curry believes the Pistons must fight through this situation.

"We've raised the bar extremely high in Detroit and that's great," Curry said "You want to live up to those expectations. We have high expectations within the team. But when you've been around this game, you know you'll go through tough times and sometimes we forget about the tough times when you haven't gone through them for a while."

Curry also believes his team will come out of this funk stronger and better.

"You don't want to see bad times happen, but how you handle those bad times is what people will remember the most," Curry said.

The Pistons remain confident.

"Every team goes through it," Amir Johnson said. "We just have to get back into the flow, not point fingers at anybody, and just play harder."

Timberwolves next

The Pistons play tonight at Minnesota, a team that defeated them 106-80 on Nov. 23 at The Palace.

And that was when the Timberwolves were struggling. Near the bottom of the league standings for much of the season, they've won 10 of their last 12 games.

Much of the Timberwolves' success revolves around Al Jefferson , averaging 22.6 points and 10.6 rebounds.

Considered one of the best low-post players, the Pistons will defend Jefferson, initially, with Rasheed Wallace .

"(Jefferson) controls the tempo of the game," said Curry, noting that the number of shots Timberwolves perimeter players take are dictated by Jefferson's attempts.

Slam dunks

Curry liked the energy at Tuesday's practice after giving the team a day off Monday.

"It gave us a chance to regroup and get their bodies and minds ready for another tough week coming up," Curry said.

Curry said coaches and training staff are monitoring older players, making sure veterans are used and rested properly.

But Curry also said expecting a player like Wallace to produce like Wallace did five or six years ago isn't realistic.

"That's why it's been important to incorporate younger guys into the mix," Curry said."

Curry wants to see the Pistons concentrate on defense, specifically field goal percentage against and points allowed.

"Be in the top five of those categories and you have a chance of being real good in the playoffs," he said.

You can reach Ted Kulfan at (313) 223-4606 or ted.kulfan@detnews.com