The front page says "That 70 show."

The weekend edition of the 'Daily Dime.'

You can vote on 'SportsNation', on whether or not the Pistons will win 70 games.

Here's a game by game breakdown, comparing the current Pistons season to the year the Bulls won 70.

Read what ESPN.com's experts have to say about the Pistons possibly winning 70 games. And see their picks on whether or not the Pistons can actually do it.

read theat all 12 changed there mind on who wins the east and all of them picked the pistons, but 8 of the 12 still pick the spurs to win it all. they are entitled to there opinion, but i do think detroit is definantly the best team. i don't really care about winning 70 as long as we get homecourt.

Motown Soundtrack: The same boy you’ve always known

__________________
Momma was queen of the mambo, Poppa was king of the congo, deep down in the jungle, I start banging my first bongo
Every monkey like to be, in my place instead of me, cause I'm the king of bongo baby, I'm the king of bongo bong
-Manu Chao

Pistons overpower Sonics
Strange four-point play leads to 10th straight home victory.
Dana Wakiji / The Detroit News

AUBURN HILLS -- The Pistons have gotten contributions from everyone who has played this season. Friday night, they got a rare assist from the opposing coach.

With the Pistons leading, 83-76, with 4:19 remaining in the game, referee Bob Delaney ruled that new Seattle coach Bob Hill interfered with Rip Hamilton on a three-point attempt. Although Hamilton missed the shot, it was counted as good and Hill also received a technical foul, which Chauncey Billups made to complete a four-point play.


Billups struggles with free throws
He misses three of 11 attempts from charity stripe.
Dana Wakiji / The Detroit News

AUBURN HILLS -- After Friday night's victory over Seattle, the question was, what was more unusual -- Seattle coach Bob Hill getting called for interfering with Rip Hamilton or Chauncey Billups missing three of his 11 free-throw attempts in the game?

"Chauncey missing three free throws," Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. "That's pretty rare for him."


Pistons' challenge: Stay focused through 'dog days'
Brian Mahoney / Associated Press

Before the Detroit Pistons think about winning 70 games, they have to prove they can do something else the Chicago Bulls did: Stay interested.

That might be the biggest challenge for a team that went 24-4 in November and December. The Pistons' first game of 2006 showed how difficult that might be, as they allowed 55 points in the first half and needed a career-high 37 points from Chauncey Billups to beat Orlando 108-99 on Tuesday night.




PISTONS CORNER: Palace's empty days are a distant memory
BY KRISTA LATHAM
FREE PRESS SPORTS WRITER

On Friday night, for the 100th time in a row, 22,076 fans made a Pistons game at the Palace the hottest ticket in town.

The Palace planned to celebrate its 100th straight sellout with an in-game ceremony involving 100 fans.


DETROIT 97, SEATTLE 85: Big Ben super on strange night
Wallace's 21 boards take Pistons to 26-4
BY KRISTA LATHAM

Seinfeld fans would have said it was bizarro night at the Palace on Friday night.

Pistons reserve point guard Carlos Arroyo outrebounded forward Rasheed Wallace. Chauncey Billups missed -- gasp! -- three free throws. And the opposing coach, Seattle's Bob Hill, was called for coaching interference. That's right -- coaching interference.



Detroit 97, Seattle 85
By A. Sherrod Blakely

AUBURN HILLS - It wasn't one of the Detroit Pistons' better games of the season.

But when you're playing as well as they are, even playing less than your best can still net you a win.

Seattle now knows this all too well, as the Pistons made all the necessary plays down the stretch for a 97-85 win.


Saunders knows all about Sonics' nightmare season
By A. Sherrod Blakely

AUBURN HILLS -- Last season, the Seattle Supersonics looked like a team on the rise, shocking many with their unexpected ascension to the Northwest Division title with a 52-30 regular-season record.

Now, less than a year later, Seattle's team harmony has been replaced by a number of headaches throughout the organization, a scenario Pistons head coach Flip Saunders can relate to.

"We went through a little bit of the same situation (in Minnesota)," Saunders said.



Pistons push their way past Sonics
By DANA GAURUDER

AUBURN HILLS - Pass interference? It happens all the time. Catcher's interference? Every once in awhile.

Coach's interference? Now that's something to talk about.

It happened Friday night during the Pistons' latest victory, a 97-85 win over Seattle. The violation, called against new Sonics coach Bob Hill during a Richard Hamilton 3-point attempt, turned into a bizarre four-point play with 4:19 remaining. That gave Detroit, now 26-4, a commanding 87-76 lead.




Jazz-Pistons Preview
GAME: Utah Jazz (16-17) at Detroit Pistons (26-4).

(Also see our Game Thread, located in the January 2006 Forum)


Sonics coach crosses line in loss to Detroit
Hill picks up costly technical for interference
By GARY WASHBURN

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- There was a realistic chance that the Sonics may not have pulled out a physical, back-and-forth, intense game against the Detroit Pistons on Friday night at the Palace.

The Pistons led nearly the entire game and were ahead by seven points when the strangest and one of the most pivotal plays of the season cost the Sonics an opportunity down the stretch. New coach Bob Hill, passionately coaching the Sonics' best performance in weeks, got too involved in the action and was whistled for an extremely rare interference call on Richard Hamilton as he attempted a 3-pointer near the sideline.




Hill's technical for stepping on court helps boost Pistons
By Percy Allen

Sonics coach Bob Hill, right, reacts angrily as he is whistled for a technical foul by official Bob Delaney after Hill stepped on the court during play in the fourth quarter.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — It wasn't exactly Woody Hayes punching Clemson's Charlie Bauman 28 years ago, but Bob Hill admitted he was offside and ventured on the court where he shouldn't have been.

He avoided a collision with Detroit's Richard Hamilton while Hamilton was in the process of lofting a three-pointer, but referee Bob Delaney spotted Hill's dapper loafers on the court and called him for interference.


Give the Pistons Their Props but Let's Not Go Overboard on Them Yet

Detroit is still impressively near the top of the league in scoring with about 99.6 PPG but their winning point differential has dropped to a still heady 7.75. However, this is considerably lower than a double digit point differential that the Spurs had about this time last year and far lower that of the Bulls in their championship season that finished with an incredible 12.2 PPG differential in their 72 win season in 1996-97.



Jazz streak comes to an end
Paul Gasol dominates as the Grizzlies hand the Jazz their first loss after five victories
By Phil Miller

What was far more mystifying, though, was the Jazz's collective yawn toward playing the game. Sloan was begging for effort from the start, and other than Kirilenko, who scored 20 points and made eight of 14 shots, he never really got much. This from a team that had not lost in two weeks and trumpeted its renewed confidence in each other.

"I was definitely surprised," Sloan said. "I thought we would come with a lot more energy. I don't know how you could work to get to .500 like we [did], then come out with this kind of effort."

Main men
Nuggets ride Carmelo; Dumars, Popovich open up

Déja vu? Pistons fall apart vs. Jazz
Detroit blows big lead for second time against Utah, journeyman hits big baskets to seal it.
Chris McCosky

AUBURN HILLS -- Something about the Utah Jazz always brings out the worst in the Pistons.

Remember last season, when the Pistons did not make a single basket in the fourth quarter and still won the game? Remember earlier this season when they blew a 13-point halftime lead and lost in Utah.

The rematch here on Saturday was just as bad.

The Pistons blew a 14-point first half lead. They blew a 12-point fourth quarter lead.


Cuban complains about Pistons, Spurs
Mavericks owner says the most aggressive teams in the league are also the least penalized.
Chris McCosky

AUBURN HILLS -- You hear that noise, kind of shrilly and annoying, coming from the South?

It's another fine whine coming from deep in the heart of Texas.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban thinks the league's officials might be giving the Pistons and Spurs too much leeway during games, perhaps in deference to their reputations as tough, defensive teams.




Jazz top Pistons again
ASSOCIATED PRESS

AUBURN HILLS -- Andrei Kirilenko had 24 points and 11 rebounds, and former Pistons player Mehmet Okur added 13 points and 17 rebounds as the Utah Jazz beat Detroit for the second time this season, 94-90 in overtime Saturday night.

The win gave Utah a season-series sweep of Detroit and almost as many wins against the Pistons (2) as the rest of the NBA combined (3). The 26-5 Pistons, losers for just the second time in 13 games, had their 10-game home winning streak snapped.



Palacio's baskets give Jazz OT win against Pistons
By A. Sherrod Blakely

AUBURN HILLS -- This was not how the Detroit Pistons envisioned their rematch against the Utah Jazz.

The Jazz handed the Pistons a humiliating loss in December that bothered the players for weeks.

The Pistons (26-5) played better Saturday night against Utah than in that December loss, but it wasn't enough as the Jazz rallied for a 94-90 overtime win.



Jazz 94, Pistons 90: Reserve power
Palacio, Ostertag key overtime win, season sweep of Detroit
By Phil Miller

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - File this away for June: The Pistons absolutely do not want to face the Jazz in the Finals.

Little too strong, perhaps? Little too out-of-the-ozone? Definitely. But while we're on the topic of absurdity and Twilight-Zone storylines, try to fathom this one: Milt Palacio and Greg Ostertag, all but flotsam on the Jazz's bench lately, step forward late in a game against the NBA's best team, on the road, one night after a dispiriting loss, and somehow pull out an overtime victory.



Jazz post another win over Pistons
Billups' misfire in regulation sends game into overtime
By Tim Buckley
Deseret Morning News

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — The Jazz won Saturday night, and they were still at a loss. A bit uncertain. Just not sure.

All right — downright clueless as to how, after rallying to beat Detroit 94-90 in overtime at The Palace of Auburn Hills, they can now lay claim to having come out on top against the top-shelf Pistons not once but twice this season.

"That's the best team in the league right now. Best in the NBA," said rookie point guard Deron Williams, who sat out when the Jazz shocked the Pistons with a 92-78 victory back on Dec. 12 at the Delta Center. "It feels good to beat them."

But how were they able to do it?



Cuban critical of Pistons, Spurs
By DANA GAURUDER

AUBURN HILLS - Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban thinks the league's officials have a cozy relationship with the Pistons. The always-opinionated Cuban believes the Pistons and San Antonio Spurs get away with physical play.

"What I don't understand is how the two most aggressive defensive teams in the league are Detroit and San Antonio, yet they've had the fewest fouls called against them," he said. "How does that happen? I don't understand it."


Jazz jolt Pistons
Utah sweeps season series from NBA's best
By DANA GAURUDER

AUBURN HILLS - If Pat Riley and Rick Carlisle want some tips on how to frustrate the Pistons, they ought to call Utah coach Jerry Sloan. The Jazz always find a way to junk up the game and make the Pistons look rather ordinary.

Last season, the Pistons somehow beat the Jazz at home without scoring a fourth-quarter fi eld goal. Earlier this season, Utah outrebounded Detroit, 55-27, in a 14-point Jazz victory. More ugliness ensued Saturday night at The Palace.

Pistons: Notebook
Loss to Jazz part of bumpy stretch
One remedy to end the lull will be to get increased production out of Rasheed Wallace.
By Chris McCosky

Games like the Pistons' overtime loss to the Jazz on Saturday show the futility of trying to project or prorate victory totals over an 82-game schedule.

Statements like, The Pistons are on pace to win 70 games, don't account for heavy legs, low energy, individual performance lulls or an energy burst from an opponent. But all those things are facts of life in the NBA, and they were all on display Saturday.

"It was just one of them nights," Ben Wallace said.

Actually, the Pistons are fighting through one of those stretches. Since losing at Cleveland on New Year's Eve, Detroit hasn't exactly been firing on all cylinders.

Feedback
Billups can't be only late option

From: L.A. Piston
City: Pasadena, Calif.

The last three minutes we are becoming too much Chauncey Billups. We tend to go back to one on one when we get in trouble. The ball needs to move and we need to screen in the fourth quarter even more than the first. Yes, Chauncey can take it once in a while. The last play of regulation was not smart. Sheed was wide open as Kirilenko left him. Chauncey wasn't even looking.


Midwinter roadwork lies ahead
By Krista Latham

Time to dust off the suitcases, break out the road jerseys and return to typical NBA life.

The Pistons will say bye-bye to Michigan's gray skies this week with games Tuesday in Oklahoma City against New Orleans and Thursday in San Antonio.

The NBA leaders were home for most of the past three weeks, playing eight of nine games at the Palace. Their only away game during the holiday season was a quick jaunt to Cleveland, Detroit's closest opponent, geographically.

After losing to the Utah Jazz on Saturday night, point guard Chauncey Billups said it's not a bad time to go on the road.

"We love the road," Billups said. "We love playing in opposing buildings. We've been like that for years." Still, no one is doing cartwheels about leaving Michigan for the week.


Faring well after losses, Pistons take aim at Hornets
By A. Sherrod Blakely

The Detroit Pistons' 94-90 overtime loss to the Utah Jazz on Saturday was the kind that players can't easily wash away.

The only way to fully cleanse themselves of that defeat is to do the only thing they know how to do when a winning streak, even a modest two-game streak, ends -- start another one.

The Pistons have been one of the best in the NBA this season at bouncing back from a loss -- they have won each of the four previous games following a defeat by an average of 13.5 points per game.

However, only one of Detroit's four previous losses was followed by a road game.

Inside the Pistons
By A. Sherrod Blakely

A look at the Pistons heading into this week:

Who's hot: The MVP-buzz surrounding Chauncey Billups has died down, in part because of the recent play of teammate Ben Wallace. In three games last week, Wallace shot 52.2 percent from the field while averaging 9.3 points, 15.3 rebounds and 1.7 blocked shots per game.

Who's not: Rasheed Wallace continues to be a defensive presence, but his shooting was woeful last week -- he made just 36.7 of his shots from the field and averaged only nine points per game.

Ben's beginnings
Alma mater in Virginia becomes his haven
By Joanne C. Gerstner

AUBURN HILLS --There's a special place Ben Wallace goes to be a normal guy.

No screaming fans, no demands on his time, or the other things that are involved with being a very recognizable Piston and NBA All-Star.

Virginia Union, a small, private Division II university in Richmond, is Wallace's alma mater and his retreat. He kicks back, enjoys life and becomes just a guy named Ben who hangs around the gym for summer league games.


Burning questions
Billups is often set up for last shot
By Chris McCosky

Q . I know they call him Mr. Big Shot, but why does Chauncey Billups always have to take the final shot?

A . He doesn't always have to, but most of the time, the ball will be in his hands and it will be up to him to make the final decision. In the loss to Utah on Saturday, the final play of regulation was designed to go to Rasheed Wallace. Billups, though, got knocked off the play, stumbled and fumbled and had to throw up a circus shot.



They're OK now
Hurricane Katrina left the New Orleans Hornets without a home, but Oklahoma City has embraced the team.
BY SHAWN WINDSOR

OKLAHOMA CITY -- It was a sunny morning, play-by-play radio announcer Sean Kelley recalled. And cold.

Especially for late November. Especially in Oklahoma City.


PISTONS CORNER: Hunter's return could shuffle bench
BY CHRIS SILVA

The Pistons' bench is still a work in progress.

And with guard Lindsey Hunter expected to return soon, coach Flip Saunders said he's considering a timed rotation, meaning reserves will come off the bench at specific points during a game.



Because of new suspension rule, Wallace's technicals a concern
By A. Sherrod Blakely

AUBURN HILLS -- It's unlikely the Detroit Pistons would ask Rasheed Wallace to temper his emotions, but the number of technical fouls he has picked up lately is reason to be concerned.

In Saturday's loss to Utah, Wallace received his fourth technical in the last seven games. A new NBA rule this season regarding technical fouls includes the possibility of suspensions. If a player picks up his 16th technical of the season, he will be suspended for a game. After that, for every other technical (18, 20, 22, etc.), that player would be suspended for a game.


Faring well after losses, Pistons take aim at Hornets
By A. Sherrod Blakely

AUBURN HILLS -- The Detroit Pistons' 94-90 overtime loss to the Utah Jazz on Saturday was the kind that players can't easily wash away.

The only way to fully cleanse themselves of that defeat is to do the only thing they know how to do when a winning streak, even a modest two-game streak, ends -- start another one.

The Pistons have been one of the best in the NBA this season at bouncing back from a loss -- they have won each of the four previous games following a defeat by an average of 13.5 points per game.

__________________
Momma was queen of the mambo, Poppa was king of the congo, deep down in the jungle, I start banging my first bongo
Every monkey like to be, in my place instead of me, cause I'm the king of bongo baby, I'm the king of bongo bong
-Manu Chao

Darko needs to get regular playing time
By Pat Caputo

They are talented. They are together. They are the best team in the NBA.

The Pistons, however, are not perfect. You have to look no further than the end of their bench to see why.

There, night after night, sits Darko Milicic. He was the second overall pick in the NBA draft in 2003, you know. The Pistons passed on Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to select him, remember? And they are paying Milicic more than $3 million per year.

For what? He hasn't played the last five games nor in eight of the last 10. He hasn't played more than a minute in any game since Dec. 17.

It makes no sense whatsoever.

Poise earns Pistons victory
With game up for grabs in a hostile environment, a clutch 12-0 run takes sting out of the Hornets.
By Chris McCosky

It was like playing a pro game at Cameron Indoor Stadium or the Breslin Center.

But playing the young, spunky Hornets was nothing like playing a college team.

The fans stand and stomp and scream for just about the entire game.
They don't sit at all until the home team scores its first basket.

San Antonio, Miami and three other division leaders wilted in this atmosphere. The Pistonsflexed not only their defensive muscle, but also their championship poise. With the Hornets trailing by a point, the Pistons scored 12 straight and held the Hornets without a basket for more than six minutes down the stretch to improve their record to 27-5 (13-3 on the road).

Pistons already have midseason acquisition: Hunter
By Rob Parker

In 13 NBA seasons, Lindsey Hunter has learned the value of patience.
Hunter wants nothing more than to get back on the court and join the Pistons on their magical victory tour. Five years ago, Hunter, recovering from surgery on his left ankle, probably would have been back already.

But Hunter knows it would be silly to rush back and possibly re-injure himself. Hunter knows his value, as do the Pistons. It's in the postseason that the team needs a defensive spark off the bench.

"It's a lot easier to accept now," said Hunter, who hasn't played this season. "Being in the league as many years as I have been in and understanding what goes on and how our team is put together, I'm cool.

"When I was younger, I would have been eager to try to rush myself and probably go before I'm ready."

Saunders OK with his choices
Coach had chances to coach Oklahoma City's CBA team, but better jobs soon came along.
By Chris McCosky

Sometimes a person will look back on his life, at a certain choice he made, and wonder how things might have turned out differently had he gone in another direction.

Pistons coach Flip Saunders was experiencing a little bit of that here before the game.

"Yeah, you never know," he said.

Thing is, Saunders knows he made the right call back in 1991, when he walked away from the chance to be the head coach of the CBA franchise in Oklahoma City. It seems like a no-brainer now, as Saunders, in his 11th NBA season, is coaching the NBA's best team.

Detroit's top sports moments will be recognized
Festivities will take place during the week of Super Bowl at black-tie event at Fox Theatre.
By Mike O'Hara

A galaxy of stars representing a cross section of great athletes and performances spanning more than a century will be toasted and honored in the opening ceremonies for Super Bowl XL.

The top 40 moments in Detroit sports will be presented at "A Salute to Detroit" on Jan. 30 at the Fox Theatre.

They range from the 1901 University of Michigan point-a-minute football team to the Pistons' team that won the 2004 NBA championship.

"These moments are not only part of Detroit, but defining moments throughout the world of sports," Super Bowl XL Host Committee chairman Roger Penske said in a statement announcing the top 40 moments in Detroit's sports history.

The athletes or representatives of those involved in the top 40 events will be honored at a black-tie dinner at the Fox. Sportscaster Mike Tirico of ESPN and ABC will emcee the event.

Top 40 moments in Detroit sports history



Pistons hold off pesky Hornets, run record to 27-5
By Krista Latham

Five other one-time division leaders had entered the Ford Center and left losers.
San Antonio. Miami. Minnesota. Philadelphia. L.A. Clippers.

The Hornets almost added the Pistons to that list. Detroit lagged through the first half, rallied in the third quarter, then nearly lost in the fourth quarter to the New Orleans Hornets on Tuesday night.

That's when the Pistons' resolve and savvy -- not to mention big buckets from all the usual suspects -- quieted a capacity crowd of 19,260 straight out of March Madness central casting and halted the Hornets' rally.

Instead, the team with the NBA's best record won, 96-86, and is 27-5 heading into the final regular-season showdown with the Spurs, Thursday night in San Antonio.

PISTONS MIDSEASON GRADES: Easy A
The only F's on this team are for 'Fros
By Krista Latham

Before each game, regardless of the opponent or the city, the same scene unfolds in the locker room.

Center Ben Wallace plugs in the team's stereo. And as the Pistons pull on socks and shoes, they glance at the big-screen TV in the corner and bop to hip-hop music. They laugh and joke and stay loose.

Closer to game time, the coaching staff enters. Head coach Flip Saunders tells Wallace he's ready to go, and he doesn't have to ask twice. Wallace flicks off the music.

Saunders gives his final thoughts about the upcoming game, and the players sit and listen.

He doesn't have to ask them to focus. They just do.

Then, as they leave the locker room, shooting guard Richard Hamilton says, "Let's get on them early." And Wallace replies, "Let's take care of business."

Every game. Just like clockwork.

Starters slump, but wins keep coming
By Krista Latham

Here's a luxury the Pistons have that few other NBA teams can claim:

One or two starters can have total off nights -- nights in which their shooting stinks like morning breath and their legs are filled with paperweights -- and usually, the team still wins.

You'd think that on a team built around the idea that it excels as a unit, not as individual stats, that a bad night for any starter might throw everything out of whack.

One night, a player might carry the load, then rely on someone else the next game.

Or Tayshaun Prince will help out in one way, then do something different to contribute another night.

Forget 400 thread-count sheets. Versatility and margin for error, that's luxury.

Now watch Piston games on your PC
By Mark Francescutti

Missed the Pistons' game last night? Forgot to set your VCR or TiVo? No problem.

Google and the NBA are now offering games for $3.95 each at video.google.com/nba.html. It's fairly easy to use the service. Just set up a free Google account (which gives you a free 1GB e-mail box) and download the video player. Within five minutes, everything is set up.

A Darko Christmas
By Chris Silva

Pistons reserve Darko Milicic didn't celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25, nor did he exchange presents. Instead, Milicic, a Serbia-Montenegro native, celebrated the Serbian Orthodox Christian Christmas with his family on Jan. 7. And, judging by what happened, this should be a very good year for the third-year player. How he spent his holiday:

Saunders wants to mix old, young
By Krista Latham

Pistons coach Flip Saunders clarified his plans for reworking bench rotations before Tuesday night's 96-86 victory over the Hornets, saying he wants to make sure he mixes his less experienced reserves with starters and vice versa.

That means he'll get Chauncey Billups more time with young wings like Carlos Delfino and Maurice Evans, and backup guard Carlos Arroyo additional court time with veterans like Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince.

Saunders hopes that encourages consistent production throughout the game and takes pressure off the bench.

Pistons planner

Soundoff

NBA Ticker



Pistons hold off hornet's
By Dana Gauruder

The league's top rookie showed his grit. The league's newest city showed its enthusiasm. In the end, the league's most successful team showed its veteran poise.

Leading by only one halfway through the fourth quarter, the Pistons scored 12 unanswered points to silence a raucous capacity crowd and outlast the youthful New Orleans/ Oklahoma City Hornets on Tuesday night, 96-86.

Detroit was playing for the fi rst time in Ford Center, the Hornets' temporary home while the New Orleans Arena is repaired. The Hornets fed off the crowd energy, and their slippery point guards fouled out both Chauncey Billups and Carlos Arroyo. But there was no substitute for experience, as the Hornets couldn't score for nearly three minutes while the Pistons pulled away.

Saunders knows OK city well
By Dana Gauruder

Most of the Pistons players found themselves in unfamiliar territory Tuesday, unlike their head coach. Flip Saunders has passed through this city many times during his coaching career - and once came very close to unpacking his bags for an extended stay.

Oklahoma City had a Continental Basketball Association team from 1990 until 1997, when the franchise folded. Prior to the team's second season, Oklahoma City Cavalry president Chip Land courted Saunders to become the team's head coach. Land felt he had a handshake agreement with Saunders, but the coach opted to stay in the Midwest and remain the coach of the CBA's La Crosse (Wis.) Catbirds.

The Cavalry made another pitch to Saunders prior to the 1994 season, but Saunders chose to coach in Sioux Falls. A year later, Saunders' former college teammate, Kevin McHale, gave him a front-office position with the Minnesota Timberwolves and, 20 games into that season, Saunders was named head coach.



Hamilton carries offense in Pistons 96-86 win over Hornets
By A. Sherrod Blakely

Scorer. Rebounder. Hey, how about playing point guard, too?

Richard Hamilton did a little bit of everything in helping the Detroit Pistons pull away in the second half for a 96-86 win against the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets on Tuesday.

Hamilton had a game-high 30 points and five rebounds as Detroit (27-5) improved its road record to 13-3 this season.

After point guards Chauncey Billups and Carlos Arroyo each fouled out in the fourth quarter, the Pistons finished the game with the 6-foot-7 Hamilton as the primary ball-handler.

Arroyo produces when called upon
By A. Sherrod Blakely

Sooner or later, Carlos Arroyo was going to get an opportunity to play more.

The only issue was whether it would be for the Detroit Pistons or another NBA team.

Arroyo, who has been the subject of trade talks throughout the league, showed why he may be a player coveted by other teams.

With starting point guard Chauncey Billups in foul trouble, Arroyo made the most of the extra playing time in the Pistons' 96-86 win against the New Orleans Hornets.




Detroit Pistons center Ben Wallace and Palace Sports & Entertainment President and CEO Tom Wilson helped unveil a new “RAC Room” at the Fauver-Martin Boys and Girls Club on January 5, 2006. The grand opening of the newly remodeled room was the first in a series of three in the Pistons RAC Room program.

"I'm am happy to be part of this grand opening at the Boys and Girls Club," said Wallace. "This RAC room will give kids an even better reason to use the club and gives them a place where they can spend their free time in a positive way."

The Pistons RAC Room at the Fauver-Martin Boys and Girls Club will be used daily by more than 200 children, before and after school, giving them a fun and safe place to gather. The Pistons-themed refurbishment will include new sofas, a big-screen television, stereo, video game consoles, computers, and more – all furnished by Rent-A-Center – in addition to Pistons memorabilia.



Chris Paul returns to lineup, but Pistons throttle Hornets

By Benjamin Hochman

Seventy minutes before every Hornets' home game, four team statisticians meet with Coach Byron Scott. Then, as protocol goes, one will ask Scott for the Hornets' official starting lineup.

Knowing guard Chris Paul had a torn thumb ligament, and Speedy Claxton was chosen the starter for Tuesday night's game against Detroit, one statistician flippantly asked Scott: "Any changes to the lineup?"

Scott, trying to hold back his smile, said, "C.P. for Speedy." One guy even high-fived Scott.

Tuesday's surprising news that Paul was cleared to play energized Hornets fans, and the rookie, in turn, energized the Hornets, despite their 96-86 loss to the NBA's top team. Once expected to be out for two weeks to a month, Paul, who tore a ligament in his right thumb against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night, returned to the starting lineup four days later and scored 13 points in 32 minutes to go along with his team-high five assists

'Birdman' starting to take off
By Benjamin Hochman

Lately, there hadn't been much to flap about for Hornets backup center Chris "Birdman" Andersen. But on Tuesday against the Detroit Pistons, the Birdman found himself in a refreshing situation -- doing his bird-wing hand symbol, which customarily follows a slam dunk.

In the second quarter at the Ford Center, Andersen received a pass from Speedy Claxton and threw down a slam -- which, of course, led to the hand symbol. On the Hornets' next possession, Andersen made another dunk to give the Hornets a 34-30 lead.

January has been kind to Andersen, who came off a lackluster December. After being benched against Charlotte on Jan. 2, he played 20, 21, and 10 minutes in the next three games. He entered the game against the Pistons averaging 17.7 minutes, 5.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.

He finished Tuesday night's game with four points and three rebounds.