http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/1817/cbkingsoz4.jpg


Sacramento's Ron Artest made peace with Ben Wallace last week. Now, he'll get the chance to bury the hatchet with the Detroit Pistons.

For the first time since being involved in an infamous brawl in Detroit, Artest will face the Pistons Wednesday when they visit the Kings.

Artest entered the stands and began hitting a fan on Nov. 19, 2004 at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Several teammates joined him in the stands and also clashed with fans on the court, and the incident resulted in nine players from both teams being suspended - including Artest, who was forced to sit out the remainder of the season.

The brawl was sparked when Artest fouled Wallace with 45.9 seconds left, and Wallace responded with a two-handed shove to the chin. Wallace was suspended for six games for his role in the brawl.

Artest was traded to the was traded to Sacramento last season and did not play against the Pistons. However, he and Wallace - who signed with Chicago in the offseason - hugged following the Kings' 89-88 win Friday over the Bulls, and then huddled with the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

``I always wanted to talk to him,'' Artest said. ``When you take a hit like that and are not playing in the NBA for a whole year, you get kind of frustrated. It was good I had a chance to talk to him.''

Artest is averaging 16.8 points and a team-best 8.8 rebounds this season, and had 22 points and eight boards in the Kings' 93-81 win Monday over Minnesota - the NBA's last home opener. Sacramento (2-2) never trailed as new coach Eric Musselman made his debut in front of the home fans.

The Kings play eight of their next 10 games at Arco Arena.

``You've got to give the home people something to cheer about,'' said Musselman, who replaced Rick Adelman after eight straight winning seasons and playoff appearances. ``That's with energy and pushing the ball and playing defense. We tried ... to get the crowd involved. We didn't want them sitting on their hands.''

Before the game, the Kings learned that three-time All-Star center Brad Miller will miss at least a month while recovering from a torn muscle in his left foot. Shareef Abdur-Rahim started in his place and had 13 points and seven rebounds.

The Pistons (2-2) are coming off Monday's 103-101 loss to the Utah Jazz in the opener of a four-game road trip. Richard Hamilton had a chance at a game-winning layup, but its was blocked by Mehmet Okur.

Rasheed Wallace finished with 25 points and 12 rebounds, but also got his fourth technical foul of the season. Wallace accumulated 16 technicals last season and broke his own league record with 41 during the 2000-01 season while playing for Portland.

The Pistons have won three straight against the Kings after dropping 11 of the previous 12 matchups.
http://www.nba.com/games/20061108/DETSAC/preview.html

Fuck a 10:30pm

Fuck a 10:30pm


I agree with Glenndizzle

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v63/GlennDanzig/ron.jpg vs. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v63/GlennDanzig/alpaca.jpg

Yes, they made the road trip.

Just put 50 on the pistons money line +105 so I am banking on a win here. Also put 50 on NY +10and 1/2 at denver. Parlayed Pheo +6 at SA with over 203. I like my bets though, last night i bet atlanta and that sure did pan out, I took the points though(10) wish i would have bet the money line.

I'm just hoping dipshit Saunders starts limiting his starters minutes real soon. Tay and Rip are already playing more than last year. The only reason Chauncey is playing less is because his second half fade from last year is carrying over into this season.

Rasheed's only playing less because he managed to get himself kicked out of game one otherwise he's averaging more MPG than 05/06.

It's going to be a long, defensively-challenged season for the pistons with a coach that really doesn't have a clue.

YAY I finally get to watch a game this year. Alpacas vs Mini-me, I like our chances.

105-87

http://losangeles.dodgers.mlb.com/la/photo/wallpaper/y2004/limatime_800x600.jpg

I'm just hoping dipshit Saunders starts limiting his starters minutes real soon. Tay and Rip are already playing more than last year. The only reason Chauncey is playing less is because his second half fade from last year is carrying over into this season.

Rasheed's only playing less because he managed to get himself kicked out of game one otherwise he's averaging more MPG than 05/06.

It's going to be a long, defensively-challenged season for the pistons with a coach that really doesn't have a clue.

problem with that is we still have to win games. in case you havent noticed, we're playing our starters more and we're still looking mediocre. last year we could have rested our starters nad still have easilly won 50+ games. not true this year. which means we're going to have struggle, wear down, and deal with injuries this year just to get a good playoff spot. but atleast we gave away 3 million dollars to dale davis to do nothing, but refused to give ben an extra 3 million that would have kept us in a championship hunt.

*crawls back into hole*

after reading that and if we lose tonight I am going to be all worked up

http://img307.imageshack.us/img307/3964/wtfdetroitmola1py7.gif
http://img368.imageshack.us/img368/7751/pg011118792regfi1.jpg

absolutely ridiculous. mohammed and billups get techs for 'slamming' the ball down after a call.

neither was particularly emphatic and neither come close to deserving a tech call.

the nba is trying to take all emotion out of the game. this is beyond ridiculous. i wouldn't expect to see techs called for that at the HIGHSCHOOL level.

i hate stern and i hate all nba refs. the players apparently are supposed to be emotionless robots out there.

call goes against you, smile and run to the other end. or better yet- congratulate the ref for a good call. yeah right!

i don't agree with guys throwing tantrums and going over the top. but to give a tech right away when a player shows the slightest bit of emotion or disagreement with a call......it's ludicrous.

what a joke

We're only down 4...make it 6, just stay close and steal it at the end.

down 3

Mad Max and finally the other team gets a T LOL

NBA players can't do shit anymore. Fukin ridiculous

The ref just showed a HUGE amount of emotion calling that foul, why didn't the other refs T him up for showing too much emotion?

the NBA needs to get the refs to just make the call without emotion too.

yeah i know the new points of emphasis the refs have been told to uphold. but it's a complete joke. they're just WAITING to call technical fouls.

that is not the point of a tech. the point of a tech is when things are getting totally out of hand, THEN you give a tech. with pros you need to give a bit more leeway.

but it's now the exact opposite; you can get away with so much more, and you're allowed to actually PLAY on all other levels except at the nba level.

you can't play defense, you can't show emotion of any sort, and you can't look at a ref the wrong way in the nba.

stern is the dumbest commish ever.

j-max is outstanding for sure. i hope to see him get more and more minutes as we go forward.

I am completely disgusted with this game in every way. First off, I am totally wrong with my previous posts that the Pistons wouldnt fall off that much after losing Ben. I felt like I was watching just another team struggling for a win tonight. Just the look and feel of the team, was so far off from the Pistons Ive recently known I dont even know how to describe it. Second, Ill say again the new T rule is bullshit. Two Ts for just slamming the ball real quick to yourself? Bullshit again. 18-4 in the first Q is sad, but I didnt feel much better for the rest of the game even when the Pistons had the short-lived leads. Sheed 0-fer in the game? WTF!? After missing the first few mins of the game due to Spurs/Suns OT, I didnt knowingly see Nazr at all. C'mon already guys. Nobody did anything out there. Jmax looked nice at times but got fouls too. Im not at all inspired after watching my first TV experience with the team, and if theres not a big turnaround... from what I saw they will be happy just to make the playoffs and lose to a top seed. I am a Pistons fan that is now totally dejected by of all things, the record and the Kings. Ouch.

yeah u summed it up pretty good we suck

i think its alittle early to be jumping to conclusions. i'd give this team more than 5 games before i changed my opinion of them...

but then again, i've pretty much been saying what you just said for a while now.

theres still hope, though. i think rip/tay/chauncy are good enough to carry any team to a decent amount of success. as soon as tay gets going, things will get better. tay's just going to have to realize that playoffs come early this year (like january).

Yeah I agree with you in that Im bein quick to jump, but this was a shite game. I wonder about the new ball too. Sheed couldnt make a few shots that were money last year, real close baseline shots. Rip and Chaunceys free throws were bouncing around the rim. It just really didnt look good at all. Im concerned.

problem with that is we still have to win games. in case you havent noticed, we're playing our starters more and we're still looking mediocre. last year we could have rested our starters nad still have easilly won 50+ games. not true this year. which means we're going to have struggle, wear down, and deal with injuries this year just to get a good playoff spot. but atleast we gave away 3 million dollars to dale davis to do nothing, but refused to give ben an extra 3 million that would have kept us in a championship hunt.

*crawls back into hole*
Well that's because the "main 5" (Starters - Nazr + Dice) have played like garbage outside of Rip. On the other hand you've got Maxiell, Delfino, Flip, and Nazr playing well. Yet they all play limited minutes? Not sure I get it. Flip needs to use the "play well or sit and watch" method with EVERYONE. Not just his select group off the bench.

I'm not ready to panic yet, these west coast swings have always been brutal.

I do think they're still taking way too many 3's and not getting enough points in the paint. The rebounding definitely needs to improve, and I think it will.

I'm not convinced that any of this is Ben being gone, this looks like the same team that sputtered in the playoffs and then limped out of the ECF. If it continues for an extended period of time, it will really be obvious that this is really a Flip Saunders problem.

On another note, we got Corlissowned.

http://arkansasbusiness.com/images/photos/corliss.jpg

Memo

Corliss

and oh, look who is next on the schedule...

http://boss.streamos.com/wmedia/nba/nbacom/recaps/recap_68_detsac.asx

Memo

Corliss

and oh, look who is next on the schedule...

Smush?
http://img95.imageshack.us/img95/4968/sparker6bh.jpg

absolutely ridiculous. mohammed and billups get techs for 'slamming' the ball down after a call.

Especially annoying since I had just seen Tim Duncan do the exact same thing and not get T'd up for it.

I don't think there is a team I hate watching more than the Spurs. The refs absolutely stole that game from PHX (moot point if Raja makes the 2nd free throw).

Bowen grabbing Barbosa's hands as he drove to the basket and no call was just unreal.

I wonder why the league loves the Spurs so much, being a small market and all.

Smush?

lol, good call

http://wtfdetroit.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7288

I don't think there is a team I hate watching more than the Spurs.

I'm starting to agree with this.

That T on Sacramento was worse than the two on the Pistons I think. Kenny Thomas threw the ball off the base of the basket back to himself and he gets a T for it.

We got out hustled all night which is the reason we lost this game but downsizing our team to match Sacramento's scrubs was a joke. I hate Flip Saunders.

slamming the ball and getting a tech is absurd. i completely understand Stern's intentions, and i actually would like to see less whining (esp from the pistons), but come on....

if emotional outburts like that are offenses.....Flexo should be ejected every game. hulk hogan-like posing is something we could all do without.

highlight of the night?

http://img463.imageshack.us/img463/6175/fullgetty71797343jj001cml3.jpg

"Tonight we struggled. We played uninspired the second half, that was the thing I was disappointed with. We played with no sense of urgency and that was disappointing. You know what happens a lot when you start a game is how you’re going to finish a lot of times. We started the game poorly and didn’t really execute. Right now, it’s like a repeat. Our guys we’re bringing off the bench are saving our ass. They are making it competitive for us. Basically we’re starting games and putting too much pressure. I feel bad about Nazi because we’re not being able to utilize him. We got work to do there’s no question. Right now, we’re not playing in a very good rhythm. We didn’t play with any emotion."

“Right now we just have to play good basketball. We have a long way to go. There are too many breakdowns, the teams just having it way to easy now. Good thing it’s a long season because we have a lot of things to work on. We started a little too slow the first quarter. (The bench) They’re doing a great job. I think we need to start days off with that urgency. Until we get to that point, we’re just going to have a lot of games like this. I think when you play with that kind of intensity out there it helps us going a lot better. ”

“Chauncey and Rip did well, myself, not, and Dyess. It’s kind of hard for them to get their buckets. But, it was hard for me also. It was just one of those games, there not too much you can do about it. Just keep playing and keep shooting, you can’t stop shooting. It’s not a matter of meeting games together; it’s part of it. You can’t shoot well every night; you’re going to make some. It’s just part of the game. ”
http://www.nba.com/pistons/news/DETSAC_061108.html

that's it, i'm done. Watching the Pistons is like watching all those middling teams I used to mock the last few years. The ones that play shitty defense and sometimes good offense. No matter what happened, I never feared them because I knew their style of garbage basketball would never take them anywhere significant.

We're the washington wizards. or a slightly better Philly 76ers.

Calm down, everybody. We're not a championship contender anymore. That ended with Ben Wallace leaving.

This season's a work in progress. Chauncey, Rip, Tayshaun, and Sheed are still getting used to playing without Ben Wallace. That's going to take time. Developing the bench may cost us some games (although it hasn't yet).

But these are necessary adjustments that need to be made. I think that if the Pistons can be playing their best basketball in March and April going into the playoffs, then they have a chance in the East.

Calm down, everybody. We're not a championship contender anymore. That ended with Ben Wallace leaving.
but we are still an elite team and should be doing better than we are. Flip has no ben wallace and his offense looks exactly the same honestly. no real new dynamic on his part like he swore. on nazr's part he's added a mild amount of post game, but defensively he's not a great primary shotblocker, better as a secondary shotblocker like he was in SA.

I didn't think they played that bad (admittingly I fell asleep at the break between the 3rd and 4th quarters). It was basically anyone over 6'6" could not shoot. Sheed had good looks, they just didn't fall.

Their transistion D was terrible though. I've seen that a lot this year. The need to fix their transition D badly. Their give and go coverage was awful as well.

i almost was to see Maxiell start with sheed at Center.. we need some athletic play out there and Nazr is cool, but maxiell can score in the post just as well, get fouled more, and take PF defenders off the dribble

but we are still an elite team and should be doing better than we are. Flip has no ben wallace and his offense looks exactly the same honestly. no real new dynamic on his part like he swore. on nazr's part he's added a mild amount of post game, but defensively he's not a great primary shotblocker, better as a secondary shotblocker like he was in SA.

I guess my perspective is slightly different. I think that with the loss of Ben Wallace, we have to prove we're an elite team, we just can't say we're one.

I think the Pistons have the potential to be an elite team, but we're not their yet.

i'd agree with that we didn't have five other guys who've been together for a good while and another championship vet with them. ben wallace hurts our odds being gone, but doesnt bump us out of the elite group. what does hurt us is the lack of defensive intesity and possibly no one around to tell flip to improve it.

ben wallace hurts our odds being gone, but doesnt bump us out of the elite group.
I disagree with that. Ben is/was a special player. Every great team needs a player with that uniqueness. Tay and Sheed have intangibles but they are too inconsistent to qualify.

Picking up Nazr is simply about having a live body. He has nothing about him that stands out.


what does hurt us is the lack of defensive intesity and possibly no one around to tell flip to improve it.
All of the things that Ben brought.

I'm not pining for Ben, but without a "special" player we're not going to do very much.

ahhh, so the other 5 arent special? I think we're getting bad coaching. but i dont think we are not elite anymore. but we'll find out in december with plenty of peachy games on the schedule.

ahhh, so the other 5 arent special?
You got it.

Rip and Chauncey scoring 20+ and getting owned by Bibby and Kevin Martin?
Ugh. Maybe it's just as well I was tired as hell and didn't watch this.

It's going to be a long season, make that a couple of seasons. That Darko pick is KILLING us now.