[Detroit News]

Hamilton searches for his rhythm
He watched again as Michael Redd scored 40 points on him and others. He saw himself struggling to find his rhythm, struggling to find any kind of space on the offensive end. He saw himself losing his composure with Redd and the officials.

The No. 32 in the Pistons uniform on that film was a player he didn't really recognize as himself.

Chris McCosky's Game 4 preview
"We gave up 124 points, man," Chauncey Billups said, with disgust. "That's a lot of points for a bad defensive team to give up. For us, and the pride we have, that's just not acceptable. We know that. I think you will see (tonight) a lot of things will be different."

Pistons Notebook: "We have to go to" Rasheed
"Usually when a play is working, we like to go back to it until teams find a way to stop it," coach Flip Saunders said. "But we got a couple of fast-break opportunities and butchered them. We made a concerted effort at one point to get Rip going and we sort of played out of character a little bit.

"There's no question that when you have a guy like Sheed, and he has it going, you have to maximize that hot hand as long as he's got it going."

[NBA.com]

Detroit Pistons Game Five Tickets on Sale Monday
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - The Detroit Pistons announce that tickets for Game Five, Round One of their series against the Milwaukee Bucks, including 500, $12 tickets, will go on sale Monday, May 1, at 10:00 a.m. The Pistons will use a random numbering procedure to select the first person in line from those on-site, beginning at 9:30 a.m. The date of Game Five at The Palace is Wednesday, May 3. Game time is still to be determined.

[Associated Press]

Ford Shows Brilliance Against Pistons
... The Pistons, who allowed the Bucks to score more points on them than anyone since 2001, returned to their consistent plan - and practice schedule - after the uncharacteristic blow out.

"Same like it always is," Chauncey Billups said. "That's why we're so good. We don't really change, we don't press, we stay poised. They had a good game, you've got to give them a lot of credit."

[Racine Journal Times]

GERY WOELFEL: Pistons' Hamilton should sit out Game 4
“I definitely think he did it on purpose,’’ Redd said. “It (Hamilton’s elbow) was way up, way up. The film showed it all.’’

Asked if Hamilton should be suspended, Redd said, “That’s up to the NBA. I just play basketball. I know Larry’s talking to them (NBA officials) today.’’

[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]

Doing the dishes
The formula for success has been pretty much the same all season for the Milwaukee Bucks.

When they have been at their best, they have passed the ball and gotten everyone involved. That tends to lead to better shots, which of course have a better chance of going in.

Pistons' sparkplug tunes up for Game 4
Hamilton admitted that the injury has weighed on his mind a bit, and it has taken away from one of the greatest strengths of his game, his ability to move without the ball and work open off screens.

"I ain't moving like I usually move," he said. "I looked at that when we watched tape today. It was like I was walking up the court sometimes. I'm not cutting the way I used to cut. I've got to get strength in my ankle; I got kneed in the thigh yesterday. I've got to figure out a way. I've got to be mentally tough to help my team win."

[YAYsports!]

Michael Redd knows how to shoot and such
It's cute to go read how excited they are in Milwaukee, but let's face it, short of huge asteroids coming down and destroying Detroit, the Bucks aren't winning this series.

[Detroit Free Press]

Hamilton is pleased after workout
MILWAUKEE -- Outside, rain fell, wind circled and gloom ruled in Milwaukee on Sunday afternoon. But inside the Al McGuire Center on Marquette's campus, Richard Hamilton beamed.

That's because Sunday, Hamilton pulled on a practice jersey and ran through an off-day workout for the first time since he sprained his left ankle in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Oh, what a difference a win makes for Bucks
"We've got one more to go," said Ford, who dished 15 assists in Game 3, tying him for second-most single-game playoff total in team history. "It's definitely a brand-new series. We'll take care of business (today) and do what we're supposed to do and take care of home-court advantage. It's still a must-win for us to go to Detroit 2-2."

Playoffs on big screens
Why fly or waste precious gas driving to Edmonton or Milwaukee to cheer on the Red Wings and Pistons when you can watch the home teams from metro Detroit venues? Tonight, the area's sports-loving bars and restaurants are ready to feed you and flat-screen-TV you. Here are some area favorites, including a tip on where the Wings' Red Patrol will be hanging out.

Sexual healing

So I'm not as cranky today. Why?

1. Kobe Bryant.1

2. The Baby Bulls; specifically, Andres Nocioni, Kirk Hinrich, and Ben Gordon.

3. And finally, my fiancee snapped the below pic for me while she was in Michigan this weekend. Note: I'm told the photo was snapped in Westland.

Let's just hope the [...]




Bucks' Ford shows brilliance against patient Pistons
Associated Press

MILWAUKEE (AP) - T.J. Ford studied Sunday how he was finally able to break down the Detroit Pistons' formidable guards.

The Bucks trail Detroit 2-1 in the Eastern Conference series with Game 4 on Monday night.

Ford's career-high 15 assists in Milwaukee's 124-104 victory on Saturday night was just off the franchise's playoff best of 16 set by Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson and twice tied by all-time Bucks assist leader Paul Pressey.

"Those are some of the greats," Ford said Sunday. "I want to finish my career here and hopefully one day my jersey can be retired with the Bucks, too."

Some thought Ford's career was over in February 2004.




Pistons hope to learn from mistakes
by A. Sherrod Blakely

MILWAUKEE -- There's no such thing as a good playoff loss, but the Detroit Pistons believe something positive can come from their being whipped, 124-104, by Milwaukee on Saturday.

Several Pistons talked about how the loss should help them regain their focus on the little things they normally do to win games but that they didn't do in Game 3 on Saturday.

"It reminds us when we don't do what we're supposed to do out there, we can get beat," said Detroit center Ben Wallace.




Rip: That wasn't me in Game 3
by DANA GAURUDER

MILWAUKEE, Wis. - Plenty of people around the country wear Richard Hamilton replica jerseys. When Hamilton watched the replay of the Pistons' last game, he was wondering who was trying to impersonate him on the court.

The skinny guy in the blue uniform with the Velcro, form-fitting mask covering his nose and cheeks resembled Hamilton, but he certainly didn't play like him. Rather than scampering around the court like a frightened cat, this impostor slogged around in slow motion.


Embarrassment over Bucks' output
by DANA GAURUDER

MILWAUKEE, Wis. - To paraphrase Rasheed Wallace, the numbers don't lie. The last time the Pistons' defense was as soft as it was in Game 3, Grant Hill was completing his fi rst season in the NBA.

Not since the tail end of the 1994-95 season - a year in which the Pistons fi nished 28-54 - have they given up more than 124 points during a regulation game. They surrendered 129 to Miami on the final night of that wayward season.

Expect Big Things From Rip Hamilton

Since Rip Hamilton's game one ankle injury he just hasn't been the Rip we have come to count on, that's to be expected with his type of injury. Hamilton relies on his speed and agility to cut through screens and pester his defender and he hasn't been able to do that. Many people, including myself have wondered why Rip didn't sit a couple of days to rest his injury and let it heal during this first round match up with the Bucks.




Transplant fans should root for the Mavs

While listening to the local sportstalk station1 last night after the Wizards game, I learned something of interest to fellow transplanted Piston fans. If Dallas sweeps Memphis tonight, Game 5 of Pistons v. Bucks will be on TNT on Wednesday night. But, should the Grizzlies pull out the W tonight, the Pistons would [...]


Ain't nothing going to change but the weather

Rasheed on Milwaukee's win in Game 3 and how the Pistons will try to adjust in Game 4:
"I don't think they can repeat that performance," Rasheed Wallace said. "Ain't nothing going to change but the weather."

The NBA's hairy situation

Is it me, or are more NBA players than ever channeling their inner Mark Eaton? As I remember it, only a handful of players back in the day sported full beards, but these days it seems like entire rosters are rocking out with full-length facial follicles.
I'm not referring to Shaquille O'Neal's " Buddha Edwards" Fu [...]

Ben Wallace is NBA.com's DPOY

The official Defensive Player of the Year award, voted upon by the media, has yet to be named. However, NBA.com polled the league's general managers, who picked Ben Wallace in a landslide, with Bruce Bowen and Andrei Kirilenko finishing second and third, respectively. Also receiving first-place votes were Kobe Bryant, Alonzo Mourning, Dwyane Wade and [...]




Bogut's Bucks party
ANDREW Bogut and the Milwaukee Bucks are back in the game.
by Grantley Bernard

After dropping the first two games of the best-of-seven NBA Eastern Conference first round playoff series to Detroit, the young Bucks hit back with a 124-104 home victory in Game 3.




Adam Thompson column: Bucks too inconsistent to advance

Watching the Milwaukee Bucks dismantle the top-seeded Detroit Pistons Saturday night was an impressive sight to behold, to say the least.

The Bucks shot a blistering 60 percent, held strong against the Pistons' frontcourt and guys like Toni Kukoc and T.J. Ford stepped up their games enormously. That's not even mentioning Michael Redd's 40-point outburst.

It was also quite frustrating to observe. After all, where was this when it really counted?

roscoe36: Yep, I'm scraping the walls of cyberspace with fingernails Lebron has not chewed off yet. Who woulda thunk you would be reading Aussie news and a blog entry from Sheboygan? Which brings me to today's missive.

Have you posted recently or at all? And if you haven't, why not start (again)? Take a minute out of your hectic life to say hello to the posting membership right here! Pay it forward. Your support makes, uhm.. well, uhm.. you know...it's REALLY good to have your support because news posting is not glamorous!

[Associated Press]

Billups' 34 Helps Pistons Take 3-1 Lead
MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Chauncey Billups got sick of chasing T.J. Ford around the court. So he decided to make Ford do the chasing.

Billups scored 13 fourth-quarter points - including a critical 3-pointer and six straight free throws down the stretch - as the Detroit Pistons beat the Milwaukee Bucks 109-99 to take a 3-1 lead in the first round of the NBA playoffs Monday night.

[Detroit Free Press]

Game 4: Pistons 109, Bucks 99
MILWAUKEE -- The Pistons will be happy to leave the bad memories of Milwaukee behind when they wake up at home today. All Wisconsin offered was Bucks guard Michael Redd draining jumpers, a suddenly missing-in-action defense, a plethora of whistles, chants of "Detroit sucks!" and ugly nights for starters Richard Hamilton and Ben Wallace.

And one other thing -- in the final moments, it yielded a 109-99 win.
The Pistons stole Game 4 of their first round playoff series at the Bradley Center on Monday night thanks to an 8-0 run in the fourth quarter and perfect free throw shooting from Chauncey Billups down the stretch.

[Fox Sports]

MIKE KAHN: Cassell has the Clippers flying high
In the event the Milwaukee Bucks had any designs at taking a run at the two-time Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons following Saturday's 20-point win in Milwaukee, Chauncey Billups put them in their place. Billups sank all 16 of his free throw attempts, finishing with 34 points as the Pistons pulled away in the fourth quarter en route to a 109-99 victory in Milwaukee; and now they're headed home with a 3-1 lead .... The Pistons crushed the Bucks down the stretch, outscoring them 35-23 in the fourth quarter with defensive stops and getting to the foul line — outscoring Milwaukee 31-19 from the line.

[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]

Danger Zone: Bucks on the brink of elimination
“They’re a very experienced team and down the stretch, they know exactly how to get it done,” veteran Bucks forward Toni Kukoc said. “That’s why they are who they are.”

Said Bucks coach Terry Stotts: “They played a good game and we played a good game. With 2 minutes to go, it could have gone either way.” [This story has an excellent game recap, as Milwaukee's newspapers continue to kick butt against their Detroit rivals.]

MICHAEL HUNT: This is no choke, Pistons simply are better team
In an entertaining and well-played game otherwise too frequently interrupted by whistles - maybe the officials failed to check their watches to note that it was May, time to let the players play - the Bucks were beaten mostly because the league's rightful MVP refused to allow the Pistons to lose. Chauncey Billups scored 34 points and seized the final minutes, ultimately exposing one of the glaring differences between a championship aspirant and the Bucks.

Ford gets his motor running in second half
Ford sank seven of eight shots in the third quarter as the Bucks rallied from a six-point halftime deficit. It was the point guard's jumper with 1 minute 55 seconds left in the quarter that created a 70-70 tie, but he picked up his fourth foul 14 seconds later and had to go to the bench.

"I've been in foul trouble this whole series," Ford said. "But it's tough when you're going against Chauncey (Billups). He's hard to defend once he turns his back.

No turn of the century
Through three quarters, the Bucks were shooting 60% and seemed poised to crack the 100-point mark for the second time in this series .... But Detroit’s playoff experience might have been the deciding factor in the end. The Pistons outscored the Bucks, 35-23, and finished the game on a 14-6 run.

Monday Buck report
STATISTICS SHEET: The Bucks trailed at halftime, 51-45, despite shooting 55.9%, out-rebounding Detroit by two, and outscoring the Pistons in fast-break points, 12-0. Detroit had an 11-5 edge in free throws.

OFF THE BENCH: In the second quarter, the Pistons got seven points from Lindsey Hunter, five from Tony Delk, three from Maurice Evans and two from Antonio McDyess.

League punishes Pistons' Hamilton
Stu Jackson, the National Basketball Association's vice president of basketball operations, announced that Hamilton had been fined $15,000 and assessed a Flagrant Foul 2 for "unnecessary and excessive contact" with Redd in the fourth quarter of the Bucks' 124-104 victory over the Pistons in Game 3 of their first-round playoff series.

[Wisconsin State Journal]

Milwaukee down, almost out after Game 4 loss
Pistons forward Tayshaun Prince, who finished with 18 points, answered with a short hook shot to put Detroit ahead 87-86. Then things rapidly deteriorated for the Bucks. Rookie forward Andrew Bogut missed a pair of free throws on the Bucks' ensuing possession. And the Pistons' offense showed up with back-breaking ruthlessness on its next two.

Chauncey Billups, who had a game-high 34 points, buried a long 3-pointer just before the shot clock expired to make it 90-86. After an offensive foul call on Bucks forward Bobby Simmons, Pistons guard Rip Hamilton found himself open in the left corner and buried another 3-pointer to make it 93-86 with 3:48 to play.

[Racine Journal Times]

GERY WOELFEL: Stu Jackson strikes again
So what was the reaction of the Bucks to Jackson's decision? You won't know. The NBA bans front office officials, coaches and players from making any public comment after a fine or suspension is meted out. I can tell you this: They weren't happy about it. One Bucks player snarled to another teammate, "If that was me, I wouldn't be suiting up tonight.'' Responded his teammate, "Neither would I or anyone else in this locker room.''

[Detroit News]

Just one to go
MILWAUKEE -- Championship teams don't blow 15-point leads in four minutes against sub-.500 teams. Championship teams don't miss 10 free throws. They don't allow teams to shoot 55 percent from the floor the game after they allowed it to shoot 60 percent. They don't allow 5-foot-10 point guards to torch them for 16 points in a quarter.

But championship teams do keep their poise and they continue to fight in hostile environments. Championship teams do find a way, somehow, to overcome all their misdeeds.

Pistons' grades
B Ben Wallace was hamstrung a bit with two early fouls, thanks to the refs going with a very tight game call. No banging allowed. [You saw Ben's production in this game. Is that a B? Only obsessive-compulsive disorder makes me include anything of Gerstner's.]

Pistons' three stars
Chauncey Billups, Pistons: He's the picture of consistency, staying calm and collected when the Bradley Center was a den of screaming fans. He had a game-high 34 points and was 16-for-16 from the free-throw line.

T.J. Ford, Bucks: He was everywhere in the second and third quarters, leading the Bucks back from a 15-point deficit. He had 16 of his 21 points in the third quarter. Ford is undersized but played with tons of speed and heart.

Antonio McDyess, Pistons: He worked very hard to give the Pistons second chances, nabbing gritty rebounds. He had 11 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks.

Pistons Report
Rasheed Wallace was called for fouling Andrew Bogut at 6:01 in the first. Rasheed (surprise) didn't agree with the call, talking to the referees about the infraction.

Bogut missed the first free throw, and Rasheed celebrated by yelling "Ball Don't Lie!" Bogut missed the next free throw, and Rasheed celebrated by pumping his fist and yelling "Yeah!"

Mentor Hunter is schooled
MILWAUKEE -- Lindsey Hunter had seen that show before, going back to when he was in high school in Jackson, Miss. There was this runty little kid who hung around with his younger brother, Tommy, who could really shoot the ball. Once he started making shots, it seemed like he couldn't stop.

Flash ahead to Game 3 on Saturday, and there was that little kid again, all grown up and still raining jump shots all over the floor. Bucks reserve guard Mo Williams knocked down 9 of his 10 shots and scored 20 points -- most of them in the face of Hunter's defensive pressure.

Fine baffles Hamilton
Richard Hamilton was as surprised as anyone when he heard the news that he had been fined $15,000 and awarded a flagrant 2 foul for elbowing Michael Redd in Game 3.

"I have never gotten a flagrant 2 my whole career," Hamilton said. "To have them fine me $15,000, I don't think that's fair."

NBA's disciplinarians should back off on alleged flagrant fouls
Denver's Reggie Evans grabs Chris Kaman of the Clippers in what we can only describe as a most sensitive area of the body and gets a $10,000 fine from the league.

Richard Hamilton tries to disentangle himself from Michael Redd in Game 3, inadvertently grazes Redd with his elbow and gets a $15,000 fine?

[Detroit Bad Boys]

Pistons poach Bucks
We've all lamented repeatedly about this team's tendency to hover around the perimeter despite physical advantages down low. Rasheed Wallace has been particularly criticized this season for said transgressions while firing up an unbelieveable 434 threes. But tonight, the team reapeatedly took the ball into the post. Chauncey Billups, Sheed, and Tayshaun Prince each exploited mismatches against the Bucks defense, and the steady stream of good shots resulted in a number of opportunities close in.

[Bucks Diary]

Live Blog: Game 4
When the Pistons bench is playing this well, no one on Earth will beat them... Tony Delk is killing us? Oh my God... What's up with that guy's arms?... He's the strangest looking dude in the Association... Wallace may have gotten a T, but he definetely got in the refs heads with his whining... I love this Pistons G Maurice Evans, when is he going to be on the market?... Bogut can guard Ben Wallace, he cannot guard Rasheed Wallace or McDyess... Kukoc has made a difference, but tonight it looks like it won't be enough... The Pistons can make shots like no other team I've seen in the play-offs... Ford is off his game, he already has too many turnovers... If the Bucks don't play better defense, this thing is over in a big way... The Bucks should consider staying with their men rather than collapsing on the penetrators... The refs basically put the kibosh on the Bucks run at the end of the half... If this thing gets out of control there will be no third quarter live blog. [And there wasn't.]

Pistons' Lowe reinterested in N.C. State
Associated Press

RALEIGH, N.C. -- Detroit Pistons assistant coach Sidney Lowe, one of the stars of North Carolina State's 1983 national championship team, says he's interested in returning to coach the Wolfpack.

"Yeah, one day," Lowe told The News & Observer of Raleigh. "I'd definitely have interest in it one day. It's something I would hope would happen."

HALLWAY COACH! HIDE THE DONUTS!





State of the Cap: Detroit Pistons
By Josh Redetzke

2006/07 Detroit Pistons Payroll: $47.5 million
2006/07 Estimated NBA Salary Cap: $52 million
Roughly: $4.5 million under cap

The Good, the Bad and the Future...




Man Accused Of Starting Pistons-Pacers Brawl Sentenced

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. -- The man accused of throwing the cup that sparked a 2004 brawl at The Palace of Auburn Hills was sentenced Monday to 30 days in jail.

John Green, 41, of Oakland County's West Bloomfield Township, was also sentenced to two years of probation.

The brawl between Indiana Pacers players and Detroit Pistons fans occurred when Ron Artest was hit with a beverage.

The man single handedly responsible for the Spurs first round elimination in 2006. A fan can dream can't he?

McDyess is a monster

With all due respect to "The Catalyst" (who has played quite well), the Most Valuable Player thus far in the Pistons' first round series against the Bucks has been PF Antonio McDyess. He gets it done every night. The Bucks simply have no answer for him.



Prince Makes the Difference in Game Four

If you watch NBA basketball enough, you will notice that in every close fought game, as last night's Game Four of the Pistons-Bucks series was, there comes a tipping point. A point, usually late in the fourth quarter, at which one team gains the subtle advantage and the other team is left to play the rest of the game uphill. Last night the tipping point came at the free throw line when Bucks FC Andrew Bogut bricked two free throws. The Pistons hit back-to-back 3 pointers, with yet another Buck turnover sandwiched in between, and it was good night, Milwaukee.

[Associated Press]

Pistons Know How to Close Out a Series
When the Pistons have had a chance to end a series since the 2003 playoffs, they have won nine of their last 10 games - with the only loss coming last year at San Antonio in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

"We know we can't let teams back in series and that closeout games are the most important games," reserve guard Lindsey Hunter said.

[CBS Sportline]

Series: Pistons vs. Bucks
The Pistons survived a major scare in Game 4, out-lasting a game Milwaukee squad to keep the series comfortably in their favor. The Bucks must win in Auburn Hills to extend the series, and are confident they can do so after playing right with Detroit in consecutive games.

[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]

Defiant Bucks vow to keep on fighting
Bell drew a contrast to what has happened in a couple of the other series.

"We're not going to lay down," he said. "We're going to make it a game. If you look at some of these other teams . . . with Denver getting blown out and Memphis getting blown out, kind of laying down because the series is kind of over. We're not going to lay down. We're a young, hungry team and we've got a lot to prove and we're going to go out there and give it all we've got."

Billups gets Bell's ringing endorsement
"Kobe's great, but they're the best team out there," Bell said of the Pistons. "He's the leader of that team.

"It's usually a guy on the winning team that gets the MVP, and they've been winning all season long. He's the MVP to me. Probably what hurts Chauncey is their team is so good. You look at those five guys, or the first six or seven guys. Take Chauncey away, and they'd still be a good team, where if you take some of these players off these other teams, they won't be as good."

[Racine Journal Times]

GERY WOEFEL: NBA's newest superstar: Michael Redd
"For a guy to be the focal point of their offense and still put up the numbers he did was incredible,'' Hunter said. "I consider him to be a superstar. I mean, what more can you ask the guy to do?'' What Redd desperately wants to do is take the Bucks to the promised land, the NBA championship. Realistically, that's not going to happen this year or anytime soon. But that hasn't quelled his passion to bring out the best in the Bucks like he did Saturday night.