Billups Injured In Pistons Loss To Pacers

Now this one was just a heartbreaker of a game. After the Knicks marathon I almost couldn't stand what was happening at the Palace last night. It was bad enough sitting through the ups and downs of last nights game against the Pacers but to lose Chauncey with a calf strain for at least 10 days is another thing.

Chauncey led The Pistons with 23 points and a career-best 12 rebounds in 40 minutes. Rip added 22 and the slumping Tayshaun just 10. Rasheed played just 21 minutes and only seconds of the fourth quarter because of a stomach illness.

Key Points

• I clearly heard boo's last night when Flip Murray entered the game.
• Chauncey Billups must be friends with Pacers Al Harringtion. They had about a five minute conversation at half court during pre-game warm-ups.
• Nazr Mohammed had a couple of nice blocks early in the game.
• Delfino again played well but his game ending foul that gave the Pacers the win is all anyone will remember.
• I kept wondering why Sheed wasn't playing in the fourth quarter, I hate not knowing important details when I am at the game.
• Stephen Jackson is an angry man.
• Chauncey's 3 point buzzer beater at halftime gave life to the Palace.
• My stomach was in my shoes when this happened.

• The Pistons were 35-for-83 from the floor. The Pacers were 34-for-84.
• Maxiell was a monster again.
• When will the Pistons learn how to NOT blow a big lead?
  
• The Pistons allowed the Pacers to get too many easy baskets.
• I was a little confused as to why Nazr played so few minutes.
• Will Blalock start in Chauncey's place?
• I hope so.
• Where is the defense?
• Will Amir Johnson see a minute or two while CB is gone?
• Tayshaun is still slumping.
• It seemed like it took the Pistons 10 minutes to score after halftime.
• 19 is just way too many turnovers.
• Chauncey couldn't hit anything in the first quarter. He eventually went 7-19.
• The Pistons looked great when they were up 12 in the second. It was all downhill from there.
• Chauncey again missed a crucial free throw at the end of the game.
• This was awesome.

• Lots of T's in this one.
• I was so upset after the game I didn't realize I didn't park in my usual place. It took me 15 minutes to find my car.
• We have to be thankful that Chauncey's only out for 2 weeks.
• What's Tony Delk doing right now? Matt informs us he's in Greece.....Bummer.
  
• It's going to be tough against the Suns without Chauncey.
• Rasheed bairly broke a jog the whole game.
• Maxiell is not scared to take the shot.
• Sometimes we don't pass the ball enough and sometimes we make too many passes.
• Someone is happy about the Pistons-Pacers game.
• I am not a fan of Jamal Tinsley.
• Pistons out rebounded the Pacers 55-42.
• McDyess is still inconsistent but he's hustling on every play.
• Let's hope the Pistons can figure out how to win without their floor leader.

Carlos Delfino Wallpaper

New Carlos Delfino desktop background wallpaper located in the Wallpapers section of the website. Available in Standard and Widescreen resolutions.

Around The Way

The Holiday Edition of The Carnival of the NBA #39 is up at Bullets Forever.com, so grab your eggnog and settle in.

• It's Camo Night in Memphis!
• Jason Kidd was fined 20,000 for his Three Blind Mice remark after the Pistons-Net game.
• Slam's take on the Knicks - Pistons Marathon.
• George Blaha talks Isiah Thomas.
• Reggie Miller on Dancing With The Stars?
• Although not my style and I will never wear them, I think I have to order these.

Both Teams Played Hard: Knicks Beat The Pistons In Triple Overtime

Someone had to lose this one and tonight it was the Pistons. Carlos Delfino's three with 5.3 seconds to play sent the game into it's first overtime. Channing Frye's buzzer beater sent it into a third overtime, but it seemed like it was all Jamal Crawford's game after that as the Knicks beat the Pistons 151-145.

Though the Pistons lost, some good things came out of the game at the Garden. Richard Hamilton set a career high 51 points, Carlos Delfino had his best game in a Pistons uniform, Nazr continued his clutch play and Dyess seems to be coming out of his early season cloud.

Key Points

• The Pistons had 27 offensive rebounds.
• Stephon Marbury scored 41 in the best performance I have ever seen from him.
• The Knicks shot 56% for the game. At one point they were shooting almost 65%.
• The Pistons defense was nonexistent for lapses during the game.
• Chauncey Billups had another off shooting night going 3-13.
• Rip was perfect from the stripe.
• Chauncey missed a key free throw in overtime.
• Does Steve Francis even play anymore? The only time I remember him out there was when he caused a delay of game that sent Isiah into a rampage.
  
• The Pistons were 7-for-25 from beyond the long line.
• Though it was a loss I sill have to commemorate Richard Hamilton's milestone.

• Joe Dumars is probably looking for Flip Murray's replacement as we speak.
• I didn't think Channing Frye's shot to send it to the 3rd overtime was going in.
• Crawford was key for the Knicks in overtime, the guy just couldn't miss.
• George Blaha says David Lee is to the Knicks as Jason Maxiell is to the Pistons.
• Tayshaun Reggie Millerd Renaldo Balkman.
• Rip was hot, after 31 minutes he had 35 points.
• Tayshaun is still in a bit of a slump.
  
• Delfino was clutch.
• The Knicks played great the whole game.
• Dyess looked good in the second half of the game.
• Nazr is fitting in well, 18 points, 14 rebounds, 2 blocks in 30 minutes.
• I would have liked to see if Maxiell could have stopped Curry.
• Dyess had a really lucky tap on a Sheed missed three.
• It wasn't Rasheed's best night, 9 points, 9 rebounds in 36 minutes. He fouled out before overtime started.
• Tayshaun was just 4-for-16 and 1-for-7 from beyond the arc.
• Jason Maxiell played just 2 minutes while Delfino played 30.
• I think Sheed read my comment yesterday about the way he tucks his jersey in his shorts. They were clearly more noticeable tonight, add some suspenders and he looked almost Urkel like tonight. So I guess you could call him Sheed Urkel.
  

• You have to appreciate a hard fought game like that no matter which side you are rooting for.
• Good thing Flip has been using the bench lately or the Pistons would have run out of gas during the first overtime.
• It was nice to see Pistons fans in the crowd. I wonder if one of them was Vin (a fellow Sheedologist).
  
• I learned at halftime that Lindsey Hunter has a clause in his contract that will allow him to be part of the Pistons management after he retires.
  
• Poor shot by Chauncey at the end of the first overtime, I don't understand why he took that long three.
• Chauncey fouled Marbury, who was shooting a three, at the end of the first overtime. Marbury made all three and tied up the game and sent the game into a second overtime. Had Chauncey not fouled him, the Pistons might have won the game right there.
  
• I was waiting for Rip to get T'd up in the closing seconds.
• For going into triple overtime, the Pistons only had 10 turnovers. Three of them belonged to Flip Murray, who just played 4 minutes.
  
• Will Blalock continues to get minutes.
• Flip Murray doesn't.
• I really thought the Pistons had it put away in the second overtime.
• Delfino redeemed himself after the New Jersey game.

The game ran so long I am probably forgetting key points. Feel free to comment on anything I left out.

No Shame in Sheed's Game

Most of you have already seen Rasheed and the rest of the crew's Grammy like rendition of Jingle Bells. What you didn't get to see was their fellow teammates reaction to the video as it played on the giant screen at the Palace. As you can see from the video, even Sheed gets a kick out of his own silliness. Too bad they didn't get shots of the Hawks bench, because they enjoyed it just a much a the Pistons did.

Click here to watch the Bench Reaction.

Pistons Squeak By The Nets

If you're a Pistons fan you had beef with the officials the entire game except for the last few seconds. If you're a Nets fan, you believe the game should have been yours after the non call against Rasheed in the final seconds of the game. Either way you look at it you can say the officiating was questionable.

Rasheed and Rip led the Pistons with 21 each in the 92-91 win against the Nets at the Palace. Mr. Big Shot was Mr. Big Not, going just 1-for-10, but his late drive to the hoop that garnered two free throws put the Pistons over the top to hold on against New Jersey.

Key Points

• Rasheed was ThreeTASTIC in the first quarter.
• The bench had an awful night.
• Rasheed, Chauncey and McDyess all got called for technical fouls.
• The Pistons argued foul calls most of the game.
• There was no flow in the 2nd or 3rd quarters, because of the ticky tack fouls being called.
• The refs decided to put the whistles away in the fourth and let them play.
• Rasheed chatted up Vince Carter every time the two were lined up for a free throw.

• I am shocked it took so long for Sheed to get called for a tech.
• Lawrence Frank, along with a NJ assistant coach went ballistic after the non call. Frank had to be held back.
• I think I need to get a Maxiell Jersey.
• Sheed said the call could have went either way.
  
• Jason Kidd spent the entire time out, with 1.6 seconds left, talking to the refs.
• I still don't like Richard Jefferson.
• Flip Murray kicked the basketball right in Eddie Houses face. If that were me I would have surly teared up.
• Delfino was horrible in the 6 minutes he was out there.
• McDyess was no better, playing just 9 himself.
• Nazr was solid and had a few key rebounds in the closing minutes.
• Will Blalock had 2 steals and 2 assists in 9 minutes.
• Chauncey Billups favorite Christmas present was a Incredible Hulk Big Wheel.

• The Nets shot 38 free throws to The Pistons 28.
• Dale Davis collected 7 rebounds in 15 minutes.
• I wonder if Jason Kidd will get fined for this. "We come to work, and we work extremely hard at this, only for the officials to screw us," Jason Kidd said. "We fought, but that doesn't mean anything when you have the officials take over the game like that. You go with the Three Blind Mice, and it's just sad that Tom (Washington) screwed up that game for us."
• Billups was 0-for-5 from downtown.
• Someone commented that they heard the crowd boo Flip Murray when he was on the floor, I myself didn't notice anyone doing it around my section.
• Hey we're movin on up!
  
• Prince played 41 minutes.
• Rip rarely has had an off night this season, yet he is still way behind in all-star voting.
• I am convinced that Rasheed tucks his jersey inside his shorts like this to irk Mr. Stern.

• It was a good game to be at the Palace, the crowd was loud and loyal.
• My heart sank when Tayshaun tripped and fell on the last play of the game, while trying to defend Carter.
  
• I don't understand why Flip took Sheed out when he was on fire early in the game.
• The Pistons interior defense was non existent for the entire third quarter.
• I got THIS awesome present for Christmas.
• The crowd cheered loudly for Maxiell when he entered the game.
• Flip Murray, not so much.
• The Pistons have won 5 in a row.
• I hope everyone who celebrates Christmas had a merry one, if not I hope you had a nice day off.

Jingle Bells: From Rasheed and Company

I was all set to send my holiday greetings your way, but after seeing this, what I had planned didn't quite compare.

Here you have it, a Pistons rendition of Jingle Bells. Featuring Will Blalock, Jason Maxiell, Amir Johnson and the oh so jolly Rasheed Wallace. Now I happen to be partial to the Remix, but that's just me. When they played this during a time out at the Palace, the whole place erupted, including the entire Pistons bench.

Happy Holidays and enjoy this video. This one is truly SHEEDtastic!

Bad Boy For Life: Bill Laimbeer

I was pleasantly surprised a few days ago while leafing through a stack of mail. In a pile of junk mail and holiday cards I found a magazine I didn't quite recognize. It was called 48322 and on the cover was a larger than life Bill Laimbeer proudly displaying his championship rings. The article gives some insights on Bill past and present, from how he met his wife to his days with the Detroit Shock.

Under normal circumstances I would point you to the online article so you could check it out, but this seems to be a local magazine highlighting residents and businesses in the area. So rather than give you a summary of the piece, I decided to scan it for your reading pleasure. If you are not a Pistons fan I am sure you hate the man, but if you are a Piston fan for life, like me, you have nothing but love for man everyone loves to hate. I know at least one person that will really enjoy this.

Bonzi Talk

"A more likely deal I could see going down closer to the trading deal is a straight-up swap of Flip Murray for Bonzi Wells. It's no secret that the Pistons have loved Bonzi for quite some time now. If he would have opted out of the final year of his contract in Sacramento, Detroit was prepared to offer him a multi-year deal worth more than $30 million. And this summer, had Ben Wallace returned to Detroit, a similar deal to the one the Pistons offered Nazr Mohammed, would have been there for Wells to take. It's pretty clear that Murray's just not working out in Detroit, and Bonzi's issues in Houston have been well-documented as well. There's nothing to do this right now, but like I said earlier, do not be shocked if talks begin to heat up as we move closer to the Feb. 22 trading deadline." Via A. Sherrod Blakley @ MLive

Around The Way

• Human Victory Cigar has a great interview with WDFN's Matt Dery.
• Rip Hamilton Video for the new NBA Street.
  
• The Basketball Jones is giving away DVD's.
• Amen Kelly.
• Again Ron Ron?
• I am not the only one that loves Jason Maxiell.
• lowpost.net has some great interviews with Jeff of Celtics Blog.com and Howie from NBA Basketball and Other Unrelatedness that I have neglected to mention until now.
• HoopsAddict Podcast with Rus Bradburd about his book "Paddy on the Hardwood."
• The Nugg Doctor is anxiously awaiting A.I.

Billups Fourth Quarter Surge Helps Top The Cavs

Chauncey Billups was just 1-9 until he caught fire in the fourth quarter to help propel The Pistons past The Cavs 87-71. Chauncey hit three jumpers, two of them 3-pointers in the first minutes of the fourth as the Pistons went on a 14-3 run to open a 71-58 lead in the fourth quarter.

The score was close, and it looked like it was going to go down to the wire, but The Pistons defense and their hot shooting helped pull them away in the fourth quarter.

The Pistons defense forced The Cavs into shooting a horrible 18% in the third quarter and 34% for the night. Collectively the Pistons did a nice job shutting LeBron down, especially in the second half. But he still led the Cavaliers with 26 points, going 9-20 from the floor.

Key Points

• Rasheed returned with 9 points, 6 rebounds in 25 minutes.
• Tayshaun Reggie Millered The Cavs Daniel Gibson.
• Will Blalock played 10 minutes and did a fine job backing up Chauncey.
• Carlos Delfino played great D against LeBron.
• LeBron is immune from Techs, I can't remember how many times I saw him complain about an AND-1. For some people that results in a T.
• The Cavs fans booed Sheed every time he touched the ball.
• The Cavs fand booed their own team in the fourth quarter when it was clear they were going to lose.
• I have been to, and have seen hundreds of Pistons games. I have never witnessed Pistons fan boo their own team. Not even in the teal days, and that's saying something.
• I like Kenny, Charles and Ernie Johnson. I will take TNT over ESPN any day.
  
• Steve Kerr and Marv Alpert were gushing over Mad Max, even more so after this happened.

• Surprisingly they interviewed Maxiell right at halftime. They told him of the comparisons he was getting to Charles Barkley. Good for him.
• "They are still a Powerhouse" said LeBron James after the game.
  
• I still want to unload my nephews paint ball gun at Anderson Varejao. I might just use this as target practice.
  
• McDyess had his breakout game of the season, a double-double, 11 points and 11 rebounds. Although his season high is just 11 he looked like the Dyess of old, which is a good sign.
• What's the deal with the patch of hair on the back of Drew Gooden's head? Did Stevie Wonder give him a haircut?

• Tayshaun had his best game in while, going 8-11 with 16 points 8 rebounds, 3 assists and that Reggie Miller block.
• Mr. Mohammed had a solid game.
• Ilgauskas looks like he joined The Club over the summer.
  
• Flip Murray played just 9 minutes and was 0-3.
• Rip had an off shooting night going 4-10 in just 29 minutes.
• Flip Saunders is using the bench well. For now at least.
  
• Big Z is soft.
• The Shins new single, Phantom Limb is really good. I have been listening to it on replay as I write this.
• Super Dupe got some playing time.
• Maxiell scored 11 points in 16 minutes.
• Kid Rock was in the house.
• The Cavs had just 9 turnovers, The Pistons had 10.
• I was pleasantly surprised when The Pistons shots started dropping in the fourth quarter.
• What happened to Webster, he barely played and when he did he was nonexistent.
• Scott Pollard has nothing better to do than get a mowhawk.
• The Pistons are now a game and a half in front of Chicago for 1st place in the Central division.
• It was nice to have breathing room at the end of the game.
• I laughed when someone left me a comment after the game that read "SPANK YOU VERY MUCH!"
• GO Pistons!
  

Pistons - Cavs TNT Showdown

The 15-8 Pistons take on The 14-10 Cavs in a battle of Eastern conference supremacy. It looks like Rasheed will be making his return tonight against the Cavs. I will be surprised if Sheed plays more than 25 minutes, unless he's having a monster game, which might be the case because as you all know Rasheed likes to play the villain and there is no better place to put on his mask than in Quicken Loans Arena.

"I love it," he said. "It just gets me more riled up and fired up."

Don't be surprised if you see a few "Rasheed Must Bleed" signs in the crowd, in reference to Sheed's hard foul on Ilgauskas last season. Even on gimpy wheel, you can bet Sheed will be all over Varejao if there is any kind of trouble.

Tayshaun is downplaying the battle saying that the Cavs shouldn't measure themselves against a Pistons team that isn't playing their best basketball.

"I don't think this would be a good time to measure yourselves against the Pistons right now because we're not playing our best basketball," he said Wednesday before his team made the short flight to Ohio. "They probably feel they're not playing their best basketball, too, so that's not the right time to do that." Via Daily Tribune

The wannabe Pistons Cavs just might take offense to that statement by Tay. I hope Tayshaun isn't using that as an excuse if the Pistons have a bad night in Cleveland.

Fellow Sheedologist Dominique Wilford has the Matchups for this one, although I have to say I can't agree with him on the Tayshaun - LeBron matchup.

"The Goon Squad" (Davis & Maxiell) should get some minutes to give Sheed some rest for his ailing ankle and knee.

The Pistons are on the national stage tonight, the game is being broadcast on TNT. Make sure you catch the first interview with Allen Iverson since his trade to Denver. Coach John Thompson sits down for a one-on-one interview with "The Answer". Here are a few excerpts from the interview.

Iverson on his infamous "practice" comments: "It's just blown all out of proportion. That was a day I wish honestly never happened. I didn't mean it like 'I don't care about practice' or anything like that, I'm just saying we are having a press conference and all you all want to talk about is practice and we should be talking about your (Iverson's) future is still being here (in Philly). I couldn't have accomplished the things in my career if I didn't practice, and the worst part about that whole thing is when a kid comes up to me and says "Allen I don't like practice, either". I've got to straighten that kid right then. I didn't mean what these people are putting out there, that every time you see that one clip you see "I'm talking about practice". I didn't mean it like that. I just want kids all over the world to know you have to practice to be any good in this game, it's too hard. When you are not practicing someone else is getting better...I don't get enough credit for the practices I HAVE been to in the past ten years (laugh)."

Thompson: "Are you a thug?"

Iverson: "A thug? Man, I'm 31 years old and a husband with four kids, I hope I'm no thug. I hear all those negative things and don't hear anything positive. I think that's all those people feel...that way that's all they hear about when you hear Allen Iverson did something negative or something. And when it's about something negative, everybody wants to rush to get it. I'm not going to be the same as I was when I've made so many bad mistakes. If I'm not getting older and more mature at 31, then something's wrong."

I am anxiously awaiting both.

Rasheed Wallace Has Charisma

Another reason to love Sheed you say. Aren't there too many to count already? Yes, but here is another. Local Pistons affiliate myTV 2o Detroit has had the Pistons starters doing the team introductions from time to time. Nobody shines more than Rasheed does as he announces his fellow teammates with style and flair, including himself of course.

Video courtesy of myTV 2o Detroit

Roscoe you ask? Yes, that's Sheed's nickname he got from a fellow teammate in Portland simply because Rasheed looked like a guy he once knew named Roscoe. Now that one would only stick in Sheed's world.

Seattle Wants Dale Davis

Seattle is looking for a veteran center and they are staring right at Dale Davis.