PistonsNationBlog.com - Detroit Pistons News & Views

ROUND 1 / GAME 3
Where: Palace of Auburn Hills
When: 7:00 pm est
TV: ESPN
(Fox Sports Detroit for local coverage)
Cavs lead series 2-0

The Pistons are BEHIND. Get it?

A loss tonight and the series is over.  Many around the NBA globe thought the series has been over before it even got started, and now there’s evidence of the red, white, and Pistons’ blue faithful throwing in the towel.  I’m not going to lie, the first two games have really sucked the life out of my fanhood but I’m holding out hope that the guys can give the home fans a show tonight and send those Ohio-billys back home with long faces.  GMTR has a great suggestion on how the Pistons can get back at the fans who have lost faith:

So, really, the players have no one to be mad at but themselves. Well, okay, maybe LeBron James too, but mostly themselves. And the way to fix that is to come out and play hard and make it an effing game, so then the Detroitians will feel like jackasses for not going.

That way everyone is a winner, well, except for whomever loses the game.

There’s write ups in both the Free Press and News where Micheal is dismissing any notion that the Pistons have shown a lack of heart or passion.  Being a first year coach Curry may not have the freedom to publicly admit such a thing, but Antonio McDyess does.  And, Dice is right.  There’s a lack of playoff intensity/urgency with the leaders of this team.

Tayshaun Prince continues to struggle with a sore lower back.  And by struggle I mean he’s averaging 3 points and 2 boards in this series.  He says he’ll defer to Afflalo and Herrmann if he can’t preform at a high level.  I’m hoping that’s an emphasis on his comment that “it’s the biggest game of the year,” Prince said. “It’s all or nothing.” and not a pc way to say he’s got a consecutive start streak to think about.

ALSO OF NOTE: Chuck Daly not doing so good … SI: Six seasons on, Pistons are paying for drafting Darko over Carmelo … Dave Dial: Hope is coming for Detroit Pistons, but it won’t be until next season … The Detroit Pistons are now in full rebuilding mode … WFNY: Game 3 A Dangerous Trap For Cavaliers …

ROUND 1 / GAME 2
Where: Quicken Loans Arena
When: 8:00 pm est
TV: TNT
(FSN Plus for local coverage)
Cavs lead series 1-0

Ok, there’s been enough time gone by since game one for someone to have mentioned to the Pistons that the playoffs have started and despite their disappointing season they’re actually part of these playoffs.  It’s ok to play defense now.

It’s not going to be enough for Rasheed just to say the team has to “knuckle up“, he has to walk the talk being the team’s premier post player.  No more valeted trips down the lane for Cleveland.  Use a foul or two (Kwame, J-Max) to make the Cavs think before they go into the paint.

There needs to be a more aggressive effort to make life hard on LeBron.  Even considering that Tayshaun is trying to play trough injured ribs, Michael Curry is saying he needs to do a better job on LBJ. It has to start with Lebron, but then the Pistons can not rest on Cleveland’s depth.  That’s why nothing less then tough team defense will prevent a 0-2 hole.

On the offensive side we need to continue to patient and run offensive sets, particularly those that look to get Rip Hamilton involved in the scoring.  Fifteen points on 6/14 shooting is not going to be good enough.  It’s his team.  There’s  no Allen Iverson to deflect scoring deficiencies to, only the franchise’s most prolific post season scorer.

ALSO OF NOTE: With their victory on Saturday, the Cavs have won 5 straight playoff games over Detroit dating back to the ‘07 Eastern Conference Finals … It’s a major award! … Dan Feldman over at PistonPowered hosts a Pistons roundtable … Mike Freeman of CBS Sports takes Joe D to task with Dave Dial doing his best to counterbalance … Mike Brown is named COY … More on CasinoGate … Pistons fans: DON’T LOOK …

ROUND 1 / GAME 1
Where: Quicken Loans Arena
When: 3:00 pm est
TV: ABC

Sure, it’s not the position we’re used to seeing out team in, but they’re still our Pistons and it’s time to get behind them once again!

“What’s an eight seed?” backup guard Arron Afflalo said. “It’s a seeding that’s just given to you for matchup purposes. It doesn’t define who you are as a player or as a team that steps on the court.

“If we were a No. 1 seed, we’re still the same group of guys. The home-court advantage makes a small difference, but we’re going out there and play.”

The Pistons (39-42, 18-22 road) will in Miami to take on the Heat (42-39) Tip off is 8:00 pm est from the American Airlines Arena and will be televised locally on Fox Sports Detroit

Heat Snapshot
Home record: decent
Last game: they lost
Last 10: win some, lose some
Vs. Pistons: We beat them once, they beat us twice

I haven’t been this excited for a regular season preseason-like game in quite awhile.  The Pistons are finishing up their first losing season since 2000-01 when they went 32-50.

No one will be playing for the Heat, especially not scoring champ (30.2 ppg) Dwyane Wade.  The Heat are locked into the th playoff spot and will be playing the 4th seeded Atlanta Hawks.

Similarly the Pistons will shut down most of their starters with Tayshaun Prince seeing a few minutes to keep his 494 game active start streak alive. Dan Feldman of Pistons Powered would prefer the Pistons give the starters a little burn to keep the rust off.

Memo to Mike Curry: FREE WALTER SHARPE!

Dropping 11 of their last 17 games it’s not a stretch to say that the Pistons have backed their way into the playoffs this year.  So it’s on to Cleveland where LeBron’s powder toss will officially kick off the 2009 NBA Playoffs.  The Pistons seem poised and ready to defy the odds:

Playing Cleveland, Boston or Orlando – it doesn’t matter at this point. If we can’t do this during the regular season, it is definitely going to be hard to do it in the postseason.” Mcdyess - HoopsWorld

It’s going to be an odd site when these playoffs start, seeing polls that are asking how many games the Pistons will win against the Cavs instead of the other way around.

ALSO OF NOTE: The Heat have a chance to win the season series with the Pistons for the first time since 2000-01 … Pistons still doing great things in the community … Pistons lost 12 games this season after leading going into the 4th quarter … Pistons have won 9 of last 12 vs. Heat … Mourning thinks Wade is the MVP … TruthAboutIt believes Flip was the best available … DSR thinks Rip would be best suited as Bosh trade bait (via StringMusic), remember, Raptors reportedly expressed interest in trading for Rip back in June … TBJ Eastern Conference playoff preview …

The Pistons (39-41, 21-19 home) will be hosting the Chicago Bulls (40-40) Tip off is 7:30 pm est from the the Palace of Auburn Hills and will be televised locally on Fox Sports Detroit

Bulls’ Snapshot
Road record: 12-28
Last game: 4/11 (Sat) W 113-106 Vs. Bobcats
Last 10: 8-2
Streak: Won 4
Injuries: Luol Deng (Leg, Early June)
Vs. Pistons: Dec. 23rd – Bulls (98) @ PISTONS (104) / Feb. 10th – Pistons (102) @ BULLS (107) / Ma. 24th – Pistons (91) @ BULLS (99)

The Pistons haven’t had a meaningful 81st game of the season in quite some time.  Tonight the Pistons take on the Bulls for the right not to play the Cavs in the first round or as Detroitable has dubbed it “witness relocation program“.

The Bulls are hot right now.  They’re on a 4 game winning streak and have won 12 of their last 15 contests.  One thing that the Pistons have on their side is that the Bulls are a .300 team away from the United Center dropping 9 0f their last 11 road games.  The Pistons are 1-2 against Chicago with the win coming at the Palace.

Keith Langlois gives us a complete run down of the seeding scenarios at Pistons.com:

Simply put, a win Monday would give the Pistons a leg up on Bulls, whether they’re settling matters for the sixth or seventh seed, provided each team takes care of business in its regular-season finale. A Pistons victory sets up an interesting rundown through the playoff tiebreakers. First, it ties them at 40-41 overall, and win at The Palace would also knot the season series at 2-2, with the home team winning each time. That takes you to the No. 3 tiebreaker – higher winning percentage within the division – but a Pistons victory would give them identical 8-8 records in the Central. The fourth tiebreaker is higher winning percentage in conference games, and that would go to the Pistons, who currently have 26 wins in the East to Chicago’s 23. Keep in mind the sliding Sixers, whose ongoing five-game skid has dropped them to 40-40, could muddle up the mix as well.

If we can’t overtake the 76ers for the #6 seed and face the Magic I would definitely like the Pistons to get the #7 and play a Celtics team with a less than 100% Kevin Garnett.  Though, the Pistons don’t sound too optimistic about their prospects at any seed:

 ”We’re already near the bottom in the playoffs,” he [Rip] said. “At this point in time, regardless of who we play, we just have to know that we made it to the playoffs and hopefully we can make a run.” -mlive

ALSO OF NOTE: With the win Saturday, the Bulls got back to the .500 mark for the first time since November 15, when they were 5-5 … Wizards in hot pursuit of Flip Saunders, (despite Agent 0) … Iverson has some aggressive bodyguards … Pistons are a 4.5 point favorite tonight … Derrick Rose: On fire from midrange …Pistons are the only Eastern Conference team to make the playoffs the last 8 years … Excellent Q&A with Will Bynum … Ben Gordon named EC NBA Player of the Week …

The Pistons (30-40, 18-21 road) will be at Indiana’s Conseco Fieldhouse to take on the Pacers (34-45) tonight at 7 pm est. The Game can be viewed locally on Fox Sports Detroit.

Pacers’ Snapshot
Home record: 23-15
Last game: 4/10 (Fri) L 118-122 @ Hawks
Last 10: 6-4
Streak: Lost 1
Injuries: Mike Dunleavy (Knee – Out for the Season), Marquis Daniels (Wrist – Out Indefinitely)
Vs. Pistons: Oct. 29th – Pacers (94) @ PISTONS (100) / Dec. 12th – Pacers (110) @ PISTONS (114) / Jan. 14th – Pistons (106) @ PACERS (110) OT

Ok, we’re in.  Now it’s time to improve playoff seeding.  To recap the Pistons at 39-40 are tied with the Bulls for the 7th seed.  That puts both team 1 games behind the 76ers for the 6th seed.  The Pistons are actually still mathematically eligible for the 5th seed, but that would be quite a stretch.

To let the good times continue to roll they have to go down to the Hoosier State and handle they bitness.  That means staying focused against another squad that will be absent from the postseason.

Like the Nets the Pacers have a strong MIP candidate in Danny Granger.  Granger has averaged 25.5 ppg which is good enough for 6th in the Association.  He’s been particularly Bonkers D. Bobcat against our guys averaging 33 ppg which includes his career high of 42 in a Palace loss back in December.

Troy Murphy is also having a career year for the Pacers.  From Pacers.com:

Currently second in the league in rebounding (11.8) and fourth in 3-point percentage (.450), he is tracking to become the first player in NBA history to finish in the top five in both categories. The only player to rank in the top 10 was Larry Bird.

As if that wasn’t enough …

Murphy already has a career-high with 46 double-doubles (one shy of tying Clark Kellogg’s franchise record set in 1982-83). His rebounding average and 3-point percentages are career bests.

Using the Pacers last six games as a diagnostic for what we’ll see tonight expect scoring.  Over the last six games the Pacers are averaging just under 120 ppg, while giving up 110.

Look for this to be a more competitive game than the Pistons’ previous two.  The Pacers are tough at home having the best home winning percentage of any Eastern Conference non-playoff eligible team.  And, even though they’re not a great defensive team they do a good job of rebounding the ball (2nd in NBA).

ALSO OF NOTE: The Pacers 3 year playoff drought is the longest since missing the postseason 5 straight seasons in the 1980’s … Indiana is 2-19 when opponents shoot 50% or better … Piston Powered preview … the Pistons are a 2.5 point favorite tonight … Indy Corn Rows preview … SI’s Ian Thompson picks NBA award winners … Curry looking to get McDyess some rest down the stretch … HAPPY EASTER! …

The Pistons (38-40, 20-19 home) will be hosting the New Jersey Nets (32-46) Tip off is 8:00 pm est from the Palace of Auburn Hills and will be televised locally on Fox Sports Detroit.

Nets’ Snapshot
Road record: 15-24
Last game: 04/08 (Weds) L 104-106 @ Celtics
Last 10: 3-7
Streak: Lost 1
Vs. Pistons: Nov. 7th – Pistons (96) @ NETS (103) / Dec. 31st Nets (75) @ PISTONS (83) / Apr 1st – Pistons (98) @ NETS (111)

Who do the Pistons want to face in the first round?  It’s either go into Cleveland where the Cavs have been next to impossible to beat or go into Boston where the Celtics are real good, but not nearly as unbeatable.  Also keep in mind that the Celtics are  still trying to get everyone healthy and you’d have to say that they’d more desirable matchup (assuming Orlando stays at #3).

So, it would behoove the ‘Stonz not not only win tonight, but win out with 4 games left to play in the regular season.  If they do they are assured the 7th seed.  Currently they sit in 8th a half game behind the Bulls – whom they tangle with on Monday.

The Pistons should have no problem finishing the season strong if they’re able to match the same energy level they had Wednesday night at the Garden.

The Nets are officially out of the playoff picture, but I really don’t expect them just to pack it in.  To get a win tonight the Pistons must contain two guys that are favorites for post season awards.

Devin Harris – who looks like a great choice for most improved player – has really hurt the Pistons with his quickness and ability to get into the lane and draw fouls. In 3 games against the Pistons Harris is averaging 25 points, 7 assists, and 14 trips to the free throw line. Stopping Harris has not been easy for the Pistons.

Center Brooke Lopez who has a outside shot at Brookie of the Year has had two very strong games against the Pistons. In the last two meetings Lopez has really hurt the Pistons down low averaging 21 points and 9.5 boards.

ALSO OF NOTE: The Nets are trying to win their season series with the Pistons for the first time since 1993-94 … A Pistons win tonight (or a Charlotte loss) would eliminate the Bobcats from the playoffs … More love for Will “The Thrill” … If the Pistons do not win all four of their remaining games they will have their first non-winning season since 2000-01 … N4S preview … Who’s looking to put Flip Saunders in the 1st seat? … Jason Whitlock murders Iverson …Welcome Motown  String Music to the Pistons blogosphere …

The Pistons (36-38, 17-19 road) will be in New Jersey to take on the Nets (30-44) Tip off is 7:30 pm est from the IZOD Center and will be televised locally on Fox Sports Detroit.

Nets’ Snapshot
Home record: 15-22
Last game: 03/30 (Mon) L 107-78 vs. Bucks
Last 10: 2-8
Streak: Lost 5
Injuries: Bobby Simmons (Back, Day-to-Day), Eduardo Najera (Abdomen, Out for the Season)
Vs. Pistons: Nov. 7th – Pistons (96) @ NETS (103) / Dec. 31st Nets (75) @ PISTONS (83)

Tonight the Pistons and Nets will tangle for Eastern Conference supremacy.  Ok, the prerequisite April Fool’s pun is taken care of.

By virtue of their conference the Pistons are still parked in the playoff’s 7th seed with slim leads over the Bulls and Bobcats.  They can put a little space between themselves and the other two if they’re able to extend the Nets losing streak to 6 tonight.

I fully expect Michael Curry to cave under Iverson’s minute scrutiny.  Even without the 100-pound truck on his back do not expect the quickness of Devin Harris (22.2 ppg, 7 apg) not to be able to expose Iverson on the defensive end as he’s done in the previous matchups.

The Pistons will of course be without Rasheed Wallace after he picked up his 16th tech on the season – automatic one game suspension – after only one game back from his calf injury that had sidelined him in the Pistons previous 11.  To which Rasheed seems really remorseful about:

“I don’t care,“ he said. “That (stuff) doesn’t faze me. That’s what happens when you speak the truth.“

ALSO OF NOTE: Only 8 games left in the regular season … 7 of 8 remaining games against sub .500 teams … Sheed & Rip alma mater schmack talk’n … Hoop Doctors does the open letter thing to Piston blogs getting down on AI … Five Magazine’s Q&A with Iverson … Pistons 1 1/2 point favorites tonight … IZOD Center worst NBA arena? … Pistons have beat Nets 8 of last 9 … Delayed Brooklyn arena development is co$ting the Nets …

The Pistons (34-36, 18-18 home) will be hosting the Los Angeles Lakers (56-14) Tip off is 7:30 pm est from the Palace of Auburn Hills. The game will be televised locally on Fox Sport Detroit and a “Match-up Cam” version on Fox Sports Plus

Lakers’ Snapshot
Road record: 25-9
Last game: 3/24 (Tues) W 107-89 @ Thunder
Vs. East: 18-7
Last 10: 8-2
Streak: Won 3
Vs. Pistons: Nov 14th: PISTONS (106) @ Lakers (95)
Injuries: Andrew Bynum (knee – out)

It’s got to be a funny feeling for guys like Tayshaun Prince and Antonio McDyess.  They’re used to being in the position that the Lakers have achieved.  The Lakers have clinched their playoff spot and are looking to stay healthy and sharp.  Meanwhile the Pistons are fighting for their playoff existence with a slim lead over the Bulls for the 7th seed.

The Pistons will again be without Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace and of course Allen Iverson.

UPDATE: Rodney Stuckey didn’t take part in shoot-around Friday and is fighting a nasty cold. The Pistons are listing him as a game-time decision. -mlive

The Pistons (33-34, 17-17 home) will be hosting the Los Angeles Clippers (17-51) Tip off is 8:00 pm est from the Palace of Auburn Hills and will be televised locally on Fox Sports Plus

Clippers’ Snapshot
Home record: 7-25
Vs. East: 8-18
Last game: 3/18 (Weds) W 108-123 Vs. Wizards
Last 10: 2-8
Streak: Won 1
Vs. Pistons: Jan 4th – PISTONS (88) @ Clippers (87)
Injuries: Ricky Davis (knee, Out Indefinitely), Marcus Camby (sore right hamstring, Day-to-Day)

The Pistons need a win, but being without Rip (groin), Rasheed (calf), and Iverson (back) that’s going to be tough to do even against the 17 win Clippers.  The season started with apsirations of a trip back to the Finals, now the Pistons are fighting for their playoff lives:

“We definitely understand the situation,” said Antonio McDyess. “At this point, it isn’t about trying to move up to the top of the rankings. It’s about trying to hold on and stay in the playoffs.”

The last time we played the Clippers we were without Rip and Rasheed.  If you recall it took an Al Thorton goaltend on an Allen Iverson runner to escape Staples with a one point victory.

The Clippers have a roster of name guys who can play ball.  The Pistons will need big contributions from their lesser known guys to have a chance at halting their 3 game losing skid.    guys like Will Bynum, Arron Afflalo, Walter Herrmann, and Kwame Brown have to continue to step up their contributions.  Especially being one day removed from tough back-to-back losses in Texas where Guys like Dice and Prince (averaging a career-high 38.1 min) logged heavy minutes  It would be huge if Stuckey plays a little selfishly.

ALSO OF NOTE: The Pistons own a 12 game winning streak Vs. the Clippers … Clips Nation preview … Pistons are a 6 1/2 point favorite … In the Clips last game Baron Davis dished out a career high 20 assists … McDyess is averaging 15.5 pts & 15.6 rbs in his last 6 games … Do the Magic honestly want the Pistons in round 1? … N4S: Don’t Let This Year Get You Down …

The Pistons (33-32, 16-15 road) will be in Dallas to take on the Mavericks (40-27) tip off from the American Airlines Center will be at 8:30 pm est. The game will be broadcast locally on Fox Sports Detroit

Mavericks’ Snapshot
Home record: 24-8
Vs. East: 18-7
Last game: 3/15 (Sun) L 100-107 @ Lakers
Last 10: 6-4
Streak: Lost 2
Vs. Pistons: Jan. 23rd. – MAVERICKS (112) @ Pistons (91)
Injuries: Shawne Williams (foot, Out Indefinitely), Jerry Stackhouse (heel, Day-to-Day), Devean George (knee, Out for the Season), Josh Howard (ankle, Day-to-Day)

The Pistons have 17 games left to go before the playoffs start.  They’re currently own the East’s 7th seed.  The objective is to get as high up as the 4th seed to have homecourt advantage in the opening round of postseason.  To do that they’re going to have to dig in and get consistent play every game from here on out or it’s the Celtics or Cavs in the first round.

After a very disappointing loss to the Grizz on Sunday a win tonight would be a good start to strengthening their playoff push.

The Pistons will again be without Rasheed Wallace (back), and Allen Iverson (back).  Without Sheed Michael Curry will have search for good matchups for Dirk Nowitzki (25.5 ppg) possibly combinations of McDyess, Herrmann, and Amir Johnson.

The Mavs are also looking to keep pace in the playoff race.  The Mavs are just behind the 7th place Jazz while holding a 4 game lead over the Phoenix Suns.

ALSO OF NOTE: Pistons’ Bill Davidson laid to rest … The Mavs are on a 7 game home winning streak … McDyess is averaging 17.3 pts and 16.2 rebs in his last 4 games … Dallas Basketball preview … The Mavs are a 5 1/2 point favorite … Tim Legler on a possible Celtics/Pistons first round matchup … Sheed rejected by Fathead … Smush Parker vid trashing Kobe … Dennis Rodman leading a group of NBA Legends on basketball tour of Europe … Isiah Thomas update …

The Pistons (32-31, 15-15 road) will be in Toronto taking on the Raptors (23-42) at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre tonight at 7 pm est. The game can be viewed locally on Fox Sports Detroit.

Raptors’ Snapshot
Home record: 12-18
Last game: 3/11 (Weds) L 106-115 @ 76ers
Last 10: 2-8
Streak: Lost 6
Vs. Pistons: Nov. 5th – PISTONS (100) @ Raptors (93) / Jan. 21st – Raptors (76) @ PISTONS (95)
Injuries: Kris Humphries – (Lower Leg, Out Indefinitely)

Tonight the Pistons have a good opportunity to get back on the winning track against strugglesome (new word) Toronto Raptors squad.

The Raptors are on an Eastern Conference high 6 game losing streak.  They’re giving up 113.5 points per and 50.8%  shooting on this skid.  Their last 9 opponents have all scored at least 100 points on them.  That’s just sad, too bad there’s not a ‘D’ in the spelling of Raptors so I could cleverly leave it out to illustrate how poorly they’ve been playing on the defensive end.

The Pistons are going to again be without Rasheed Wallace who’s out with a calf strain.  With Sheed down Dice is going to need some help on the Toronto front court of “RuPaul” (22.7 pts, 9.3 rbs) and Bargnani (14.9 ppg).  It’ll be another great opportunity for guys like Maxy, Kwame, and Amir to show their mettle.

The final quarter of the season can potentially be very favorable for the Pistons to improve their playoff seeding.  Of the Pistons final 19 games a league high 14 are against losing teams.  If they give the kind of effort they given over the last 7 games they won’t lose those games they have no business losing like they did before the All-Star break.

“We need to go out there and let people know we’ve had a little slump, and now we’re back,” said Pistons forward Jason Maxiell. “It’s near the playoffs; we want to get a good stretch going on and come in (to the playoffs) and make a statement.” – mlive

ALSO OF NOTE: High (much-deserved) praise for McDyess … The Pistons are looking to sweep the season series with Toronto for the first time since 1997-98 … a look at the last Pistons’ 20-20 game … The Pistons have won 13 of the last 16 Vs. Toronto … Bench is energizing the team … Tayshaun is averaging 26 ppg against Toronto this season … Pistons Playoff Potential … Raptors Republic preview … Rip has averaged 25 pts & 6.4 asts in 7 games since returning to the starting lineup … The Jawai Factor … The Ultimate Pops Mensah-Bonsu Scouting Report … Carlos Delfino returning to NBA? … OT: Larry Brown turning Bobcats into winners …

The Pistons (31-29, 15-14 road) will be in Atlanta to take on the Hawks (34-28). The tip will be at 7 pm est from the Philips Arena. The game can be viewed locally on Fox Sports Detroit Plus.

Hawks’ snapshot
Home record: 20-7
Last game: 3/6 (Fri) – L 91-98 @ Bobcats
Last 10: 3-7
Streak: Lost 2
Vs. Pistons: Dec 21st. Pistons (78) @ HAWKS (85) /  Feb. 11th HAWKS (99) @ Pistons (95)

It looks as if we’re catching the Hawks at just the right time.  The Hawks have dropped 6 of their last 8 games and after last night’s loss to Charlotte the discord between Hawk’s coach Mike Woodson and Josh Smith resulted in a loud halftime argument and Smith being benched for the second half of the game:

Smith refused to comment after the game, and Woodson said it was a “coach’s decision” and that Smith’s status for tonight’s game against Detroit would be determined later. - AJC

Meanwhile the Pistons are starting to click, winners of their last four straight.  The Hawks currently have the 4th seed in the East with the Pistons in 6th but only two games behind the Hawks.  The Pistons would also like to avoid having the Hawks sweep the season’s series for the first time since the 1993-94 season.

“This is a good time for us to make a run,” Hamilton said. “We know we can’t get the first, second or third seed, we’re so far behind. But we can definitely shoot for that fourth seed.” - DetNews

ALSO OF NOTE: Everyone in the Pistons family is pulling for ya Daddy Rich … The Hawks are 2 1/2 point favorites tonight … Rip sets a new record you know …  The Celtics: Dirty By Design …

The Pistons (30-29, 15-15 home) will be hosting on the Golden State Warriors (21-40) Tip off is 8:00 pm est from the Palace of Auburn Hills and will be televised locally on Fox Sports Detroit.

Warriors’ Snapshot
Road record: 6-25
Vs. East: 9-17
Last game: 3/04 (Weds) L 88-110 @ Bulls
Last 10: 5-5
Streak: Lost 1
Against Pistons: Nov. 13th PISTONS (107) @ Warriors (102)
Injuries: Brandan Wright (Shoulder, Out Indefinitely), Kelenna Azubuike (Back, Day-to-Day), Monta Ellis (Personal, Out), Anthony Randolph (Groin, Day-to-Day)

Want a bite of how un-Pistons-like this season has been?  Tonight the Pistons are looking to do something they have not in two months… that’s win consecutive games at the Palace of Auburn Hills.  Once a tough place to play now gives opponents a 50-50 shot of leaving with a W at the end of 48 minutes.

The Pistons are now a game above even after winning 3  consecutive games against quality opponents.  If you were playing the Sesame Street “3 of these things belong together” tonight’s opponent would be the odd team out after the Pistons got quality wins over Orlando, Boston, and Denver.  The Warriors are not quite as good which kind of worries me because the Pistons save their A-game for elite company.

The Pistons have had a little drama with the whole Iverson-bench-injury thing but that seems like small peanuts with what’s going on with the G-State Warriors where Don Nelson is benching his best players in order to give PT to the youngsters. The move has rubbed Warriors fans and players the wrong way, least of which is Moped Ellis (13.4 ppg) who is said to have left the team in protest.

The Pistons have beaten the Warriors 3 straight and 8 of the last 10 meetings.  The Pistons are a 9 1/2 point favorite tonight.

The Pistons currently sit 6th in the Eastern Conference standings.

ALSO OF NOTE: “It’s just sad to see we’re 30-29,” the Pistons’ Richard Hamilton said … Bob Wojnowski: Don’t give up on Pistons’ Iverson just yet … AI might return sooner than 2 weeks … The Warriors have lost both games in which Nelson has sat starters (Crawford, Jackson) … GSoM doing a little venting (and not the kind with Coors Light) in their game preview … OT: Shaq’s b-day cards from around the league … Kevin Durant’s new nickname: ‘Durantula’ … Greatest basketball prank ever …

The Pistons (27-29, 13-14 road) will in Orlando to take on the Magic (42-15) at the Amway Arena. Tip off is 7:00 pm est and can be viewed locally on Fox Sports Detroit and nationally on ESPN.

Magic Snapshot
Home record: 22-6
Last game: 2/25 (Weds) W 114-109 @ Knicks
Last 10: 6-4
Streak: Won 1
Vs. Pistons: Dec. 29th – Magic (82) @ PISTONS (88)
Injuries: Mickael Pietrus (wrist, day-to-day)

It’s finally happening.  Rip will take his rightful place alongside Rodney Stuckey in the Pistons’ starting backcourt, while Allen Iverson will, if he’s able to play (back strain), will come off the bench.

If you’ve followed the site you’ll know this is the move we’ve been calling for from the start.  Here’s what Curry had to say about his most recent lineup change:

“This change is more than about Allen and Rip,” Curry said. “We hope that with this change, more guys will play better. That’s what we are seeking. Hopefully this will allow us to execute better, get us back in sync and rejuvenate us.”

Curry said he talked at length to Iverson Thursday night. Curry said Iverson isn’t happy with the decision but he expects him to handle it like a pro. “He’s been trying to play hurt and he’s been frustrated with that,” Curry said. “He didn’t react any different than Rip did when I told talked him about coming off the bench earlier. Neither guy wants to come off the bench, but this is the hand we’ve been dealt. If Allen is healthy, once he steps on the court I am convinced he will give us 110 percent.”-DetNews

Also, the Pistons WILL have the services of  ‘Sheed-O-nite‘ Wallace tonight.  After the two rescinded technicals he sits at 14 total with no other action being taken from the towel throwing incident.

ALSO OF NOTE: The Pistons have won 7 of their last 9 regular-season games against the Magic … Detroit hasn’t dropped 9 in a row since a 13-game skid to end the 1993-94 season … Top 5 alternate mask options for Rip … The Puns are Starting to Bore me preview … The Magic are an 8.5 point favorite tonight … Memo to Maxiell: Hedo is with fresh baby … 3QC preview … Ben Wallace breaks a leg …