The Detroit Free Press (Vince Ellis) reports: The Pistons will likely undergo a major roster overhaul in the off-season. Besides Antonio McDyess, Rasheed Wallace, Kwame Brown and Allen Iverson are unrestricted free agents. Iverson is gone, Wallace is likely to leave and McDyess is a question mark. It’s Brown’s option whether he will stay or not, but with a $4-million contract guaranteed, it’s hard to see him finding that kind of deal anywhere else. Walter Herrmann and Will Bynum are restricted free agents. It’s hard to see Herrmann back, but it’s the team’s option on Bynum and he’s expected to return. As for Michael Curry, it appears he will return for a second season. He has two years left on the $2.5-million-a-year deal he signed last year.
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LeBron lifts Cavs past Pistons and into 2nd round
The AP reports: LeBron James had 36 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists to lead the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 99-78 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday, sweeping the Eastern Conference first-round series… Mo Williams scored a career playoff-high 24 and Delonte West had 12 points for the Cavs… In the final game of what was a miserable season, Detroit’s Antonio McDyess had 26 points to tie a career playoff high, Will Bynum scored a career playoff-high 22 and Rodney Stuckey had 14… Rasheed Wallace was scoreless, missing all seven of his shots, in what was probably his last game with the Pistons unless they make a stunning move and re-sign him as a free agent.
LeBron lifts Cavs to 3-0 series lead over Pistons
The AP reports: LeBron James scored 11 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, lifting the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 79-68 victory Friday night over Detroit and a 3-0 lead in the first-round series… The Pistons, whose collective heart was questioned by one of their players, played hard for three-plus quarters before being rendered helpless by James… James had 11 rebounds and nine assists. He said he learned he was just short of a triple-double after looking at the stat sheet… Joe Smith had a career playoff-high 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas scored 13 points… Richard Hamilton had 15 points, eight rebounds and six assists, while Rodney Stuckey contributed 12 points and five assists.
Cavaliers hold off Pistons 94-82, win Game 2
The AP reports: Up by 29 points in the fourth quarter, the Cavaliers blew most of their big lead against Detroit’s reserves and LeBron James had to go back in and restore order as Cleveland held on for a 94-82 win on Tuesday night to take a 2-0 lead in their Eastern Conference playoff series. For three quarters, the Cavs were at their basketball best… James, showing no regard for a defensive plan Detroit spent three days preparing for him, scored 29 and Williams added 21 as the Cavaliers withstood a stirring comeback by the Pistons, who used a 27-5 run to close within seven on Antonio McDyess’ jumper with 3:51 left… Delonte West scored 20 and Zydrunas Ilgauskas 12 for the top-seeded Cavs, who led 79-50 in the first minute of the fourth and were embarrassing the Pistons. But Detroit dug down and gave Cleveland and its raucous crowd a scare the Cavs may never forget… Richard Hamilton scored 17 and Rodney Stuckey 14 for the Pistons, who are going home down 0-2 with their starters searching for positives.
Fans predict first round playoff results
InsideHoops.com posted a poll two days ago asking fans to predict the results of the 2009 NBA playoffs first round.
In the East:
325 fans picked the Cavaliers to beat the Pistons. Just 29 picked Detroit.
321 fans picked the Magic to beat the 76ers. Just 20 picked Philadelphia.
258 fans picked the Celtics to beat the Bulls. 87 picked Chicago.
And in the East’s only fairly close result, 183 fans picked the Heat while 155 picked the Hawks.
As expected, other than the Lakers-Jazz series, the voting was pretty close in the West:
336 fans picked the Lakers to beat the Jazz. Just 17 picked Utah.
241 fans picked the Nuggets to beat the Hornets. 113 picked New Orleans.
224 fans picked the Spurs to beat the Mavericks. 122 picked Dallas.
198 fans picked the Trail Blazers to beat the Rockets. 152 picked Houston.
Cavaliers roll over Pistons, take Game 1
The AP reports: LeBron James banked in a stunning 3-pointer at the end of the first half and finished with 38 points, eight rebounds and seven assists as the Cavaliers embarked on their quest for a first NBA championship with a 102-84 win over the Pistons in Game 1 on Saturday… The likely MVP went 13-of-20 from the field, 11-of-14 from the line and didn’t commit a turnover. Cleveland had only five miscues, a postseason franchise record… Joe Smith scored 13 points and Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 12 and 10 rebounds for the Cavs, who pushed the tempo in the second half and outran the aging Pistons. Rodney Stuckey scored 20 and Hamilton 15 for Detroit, which came in as a No. 8 seed and could be in for a shorter postseason run after making the Eastern Conference finals the past six years.
Rose, Gordon lead Bulls comeback win over Pistons
The AP reports: The Pistons blew another fourth-quarter lead in a 91-88 loss to the Chicago Bulls. The defeat means Detroit (39-42) will face top-seeded Cleveland in the first round of the playoffs… Derrick Rose scored 11 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, while Ben Gordon added 19. Richard Hamilton led the Pistons with 25 points and Tayshaun Prince added 19… Detroit broke open a tie game with an 8-0 run late in the second quarter, and still held a 56-48 advantage at the intermission.
Pacers stall Pistons quest for higher seed
The AP reports: Danny Granger loves playing the spoiler, especially against the Detroit Pistons. Granger had 24 points and the Indiana Pacers stalled Detroit’s bid for a higher playoff seed with a 106-102 victory Saturday night… The loss to Indiana won’t keep the Pistons out of the playoffs, but it could force them into a first-round matchup with Cleveland, which has the best record in the Eastern Conference. “It really don’t matter to us, to tell you the truth,” said Richard Hamilton, who led Detroit with 23 points… Richard Hamilton led Detroit with 23 points. Brandon Rush had 21 points for the Pacers, while Jack and T.J. Ford added 18 apiece. Prince scored 18 points for Detroit, and Antonio McDyess and Will Bynum each added 16.
Pistons beat Nets 100-93, clinch playoff spot
The AP reports: On Friday, the Pistons got 46 points from their bench and clinched a playoff spot with a 100-93 victory over the New Jersey Nets. “We’re getting better and better every game,” said reserve guard Will Bynum, who led the Pistons with 20 points… New Jersey (32-47) lost for the eighth time in 10 games as coach Lawrence Frank went with a young lineup for much of the game. Rookie Ryan Anderson led the Nets with 20 points, one short of his career high, and fellow first-year players Chris Douglas-Roberts and Brook Lopez had 16 each.
Pistons rout Knicks, move into tie for 7th in East
The AP reports: Richard Hamilton scored 22 points, Rasheed Wallace had 14 points and 12 rebounds, and the Pistons rolled into a tie for seventh place in the Eastern Conference by beating the New York Knicks 113-86 on Wednesday night. Antonio McDyess added 13 points and 16 rebounds for the Pistons, who pulled even with Chicago for the No. 7 seed and lowered their magic number to one to clinch their eighth consecutive playoff berth. Detroit will be back in the postseason with its next victory or one more loss by Charlotte… Tayshaun Prince scored 15 points and Stuckey finished with 14 for the Pistons in a game that was never competitive. Detroit scored the first 10 points and led by double digits for the final 43-plus minutes… Al Harrington scored 26 points and Wilson Chandler had 23 for New York (30-49), which lost for the 12th time in 14 games and will need to win its final three to avoid another 50-loss season.