Detroit Pistons Blog – Page 87 – NBA Blog

Richard Hamilton to come off bench

The Detroit Pistons have a problem. A bunch of their best players, Tayshaun Prince, Allen Iverson, Richard Hamilton and Rodney Stuckey are small. They’re little. You can pick them up and toss them in the air. If they’re all on the court at the same time, Prince, who is a skinny bean-pole, is forced to play power forward, which is just silly.

So now, a roster decision has been made. One that could change at any moment. But for now, here’s what’s up, as reported by the Detroit News (Chris McCosky):

Pistons coach Michael Curry announced Tuesday that he will begin using guard Rip Hamilton off the bench, with guard Allen Iverson and forward Amir Johnson starting… Curry said Hamilton, who has never come off the bench as a Piston, will start the second and fourth quarters.

Watch the Pistons, as they try to figure themselves out.

Iverson scores 27 to lead Detroit over Memphis

The AP reports: Allen Iverson and the Detroit Pistons tightened up on defense to end their losing streak and prolong the agony of the Memphis Grizzlies. Iverson scored 27 points and helped Detroit limit Memphis to just four shots in the final quarter on the way to an 87-79 victory over the Grizzlies on Monday, ending the Pistons’ longest losing streak in five seasons. Rasheed Wallace scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half to help bring Detroit’s five-game skid to an end… O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay led the Grizzlies with 15 points apiece and rookie center Marc Gasol had 12 points and 13 rebounds… The Grizzlies, who lost their sixth straight and for the 14th time in 16 games, missed 10 of their final 12 shots. They didn’t score after Mike Conley’s driving layup with 2:56 left.

Paul leads Hornets past slumping Pistons

The AP reports: Chris Paul had 23 points and 14 assists to help the New Orleans Hornets hand the Detroit Pistons their fifth straight loss, 91-85 on Saturday night… David West added 20 points for the Hornets, who had six players in double figures. Tyson Chandler finished with 11 points and 11 rebounds, winning the praise of New Orleans coach Byron Scott… Richard Hamilton led the Pistons with 20 points, but couldn’t keep the Pistons from their longest losing streak since just before they acquired Rasheed Wallace in 2004.

Thunder down Pistons 89-79 for consecutive wins

The AP reports: The Thunder haven’t looked this good since moving to town last year. The Pistons haven’t looked this bad since long before that. Kevin Durant scored 32 points as Oklahoma City recorded the first consecutive wins in its brief history, delivering a knockout punch with a 13-point run to start the fourth quarter in an 89-79 win over Detroit on Friday night… “We can’t be satisfied with these two wins that we just got. Yes, they were against good teams, but we can’t be satisfied,” said Jeff Green, who had nine points and 14 rebounds. “We’ve got to keep moving forward.” Chris Wilcox had 17 points and 11 rebounds in a rare extended appearance off the bench, and Desmond Mason added 11 points and 11 rebounds as the Thunder mounted a 52-35 rebounding edge. Prince and Richard Hamilton scored 18 each to lead Detroit, but Prince was injured and on the bench when Oklahoma City pulled away.

Granger leads Pacers past Pistons

The AP reports: For once, overtime was a good time for the Indiana Pacers. Danny Granger scored 24 points and made the tying shot late in regulation in the Indiana Pacers’ 110-106 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday night. It was Indiana’s first overtime win in five tries this season… T.J. Ford scored 23 points, and Troy Murphy added 18 points and 13 rebounds to help the Pacers snap a three-game losing streak. Rodney Stuckey led Detroit with 30 points, Allen Iverson had 23 points, and Rasheed Wallace added 17 points and 15 rebounds. The Pistons have lost three in a row, including a two-point loss at home against Charlotte on Tuesday night.

Felton’s last-second jumper beats Pistons 80-78

The AP reports: A month after rallying from 29 down to nearly beat the Pistons in North Carolina, Charlotte overcame a 78-71 deficit in the final three minutes to win 80-78 on the road… Raymond Felton scored seven points in the final 9-0 run, including a game-winning jumper with 0.7 seconds left… “This was about stepping up and being a leader,” said Felton, who led the Bobcats with 23 points… Gerald Wallace added 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Bobcats to help Larry Brown beat the Pistons for just the second time in seven tries since leaving Detroit after the 2004-05 season… Rodney Stuckey scored 22 points. All five Detroit starters reached double figures, but the bench had just six points in 64 minutes.

LeBron takes active scoring lead from Iverson

The Rocky Mountain News (Chris Tomasson) reports (via blog): After more than four years, Allen Iverson finally has been toppled from his throne. With the Detroit guard scoring just 11 points Saturday night at Utah, he relinquished the career active scoring average lead he had held since early in the 2004-05 season. The NBA’s active career scoring average is now Cleveland forward LeBron James, averaging 27.36 points per game. Iverson’s average dropped Saturday to 27.35. Early in the 2004-05 season, Iverson, then with Philadelphia, seized the active scoring average lead from Shaquille O’Neal, then with Miami. O’Neal had taken it over after Michael Jordan, the all-time leader, retired following the 2002-03 season.

Jazz beat Pistons for 8th straight time, 99-82

The AP reports: The Utah Jazz wouldn’t mind facing the Detroit Pistons more than twice a season. Detroit can’t seem to beat Utah, especially with former Piston Mehmet Okur leading the Jazz. Okur had 22 points and seven rebounds against his former team and the Jazz beat the Pistons for the eighth straight time, 99-82 on Saturday night… Andrei Kirilenko had 11 points and seven rebounds, and Matt Harpring also scored 11 points to help the Jazz sweep the Pistons for the fourth straight season. Rodney Stuckey led the Pistons with 19 points. Allen Iverson added 11 points and five assists for Detroit, which last beat Utah in March 2005.

Prince’s jumper, Iverson’s 23 lead Pistons over Nuggets

The AP reports: Tayshaun Prince and Aaron Afflalo ensured Allen Iverson’s return to Denver was a success. Prince hit a running jumper with 20 seconds left, Afflalo hit six straight free throws after that, and the Detroit Pistons overcame 30 points by Chauncey Billups to beat the Nuggets 93-90 on Friday night in Allen Iverson’s return to the Mile High city. Iverson, making his first appearance in Denver since being traded to Detroit for Billups, Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb on Nov. 3, led the Pistons with 23 points—20 in the second half. He said his return to Denver was special… The Pistons shot 37 percent in the first half but stayed within range heading into the third quarter. Denver led by 13 after Billups hit three free throws early in the second half, but Detroit climbed back, getting within 59-56 with 3:14 left in the period.

Outlaw’s fadeaway lifts Blazers past Pistons 84-83

The AP reports: LaMarcus Aldridge led the Blazers with 26 points, while Steve Blake had 10 points and 10 assists. Travis Outlaw finished with 14 points. “Travis has made many, may big shots for us, and I’m sure he’ll make many more,” Aldridge said. Tayshaun Prince finished with 26 points for Detroit, and Iverson had 14. Rodney Stuckey added 13 points, but had a season-high six turnovers… The Blazers were without All-Star guard Brandon Roy for the fourth straight game. Roy, averaging 23 points, has a sprained right hamstring.