The 23-42 Pistons are in Atlanta on a second game of a back to back to take on the 41-23 Hawks tonight. Unfortunately this game will not be televised locally, so the only way you are going to catch it is with NBA League pass or by watching online.

Can Will “Thrill” us again tonight? I’m sure he can, Bynum had one of his best shooting performances this season in the last game against the Hawks, scoring 19 points off the bench while making 8 of 13 attempts.

As for Ben Wallace, he’s still listed as day to day and as we know Rodney has no timetable on his return.

The Scouting Report via Pistons.com

Tip is at 7:00 pm EST with the radio broadcast over at 950 AM WWJ or follow the action online over at NBA.com.

NEED4SHEED GAME CHAT

Key Points:

• Coach Kuester shook up the starting lineup Sunday afternoon starting Chucky Atkins (PG), Rodney Stuckey, Jonas Jerebko, Jason Maxiell and Ben Wallace.
• The lineup change was a gutsy move from Kuester who’s basically doing whatever he can with what he’s got available. I said it a few games back, it’s not just like having three of your best scorers out, it’s like having four when you can’t count on steady production from Charlie Villlanueva. Maybe the temporary move to the bench is just what Villlanueva needed to get himself back in gear, it’s not like we know he can’t score.
• The change also helped Rodney Stuckey. Having Chucky Atkins running the floor let Rodney play the position he’s best at.

“We talk about the leadership that we get from Ben, Tayshaun and Rip, but we need to add Chucky to that discussion,” Kuester said. “He’s been huge for our young guards. He’s going to be a coach in this league, and he’s doing a lot of that for us.” Via NBA.com

• Atkins hadn’t started an NBA game since 2007, and hadn’t started for Detroit since Nov. 30, 2002.
• The points in the paint stat was huge for the Pistons with 60 for the game. Detroit started taking it inside early.
• Detroit’s biggest lead was 12, Atlanta’s 2.
• Ben Camey Wallace has brought back the “Going to Work” style of Basketball to Detroit again, right where it belongs. Ben put up a double-double with 18 boards, 10 points and 2 steals. The Pistons may not have a stellar record, but if it weren’t for Ben Wallace they wouldn’t have a chance to win night in and night out.

Photo/Getty Images

• How about holding Joe Johnson to 5-for-19 shooting.
• Charlie Villanueva broke his nose when he was fouled by the Hawks’ Zaza Pachulia and smashed face first into Wallace’s side. Villanueva, gushing blood,with a tissue to stop the bleeding,  hit both free throws before heading to the Pistons’ locker room not return.

• Another “Masked Man” for Detroit. Get well soon Charlie, you showed some guts coming back on court and sinking the free throws.
• Josh Smith makes dunking pretty.
• Does Will Bynum have some kind of fourth quarter energy drink he’s hoarding from the rest of the team?  The Thrill is money in the final quarter.
• Kuester made mention about 5 times in the Post Game Presser…”everyone is being held accountable.”   Was that a hint about why the lineup changed?
• Rodney Stuckey Circus shot!

Video Courtesy of The NBA, FSN and The Detroit Pistons

• Mr. Stuckey played well, leading Detroit with 23 points on 10-for-23 shooting with 8 assists a steal and 2 boards.  He looks good at the two, doesn’t he?  Not only has he been stepping up his game lately, his jumpshot looks better and he seems to be making better decisions when driving the lane.

Photo/Getty Images

• I’m ecstatic to finally make the ball glow again…the losing streak was brutal.
• Jason Maxiell stepping up in the starting spot was more than refreshing.   His numbers may not be eye-popping, but he made some great plays down the stretch. Jason finished with 7 points, 6 boards and 2 steals.  I’m always surprised for some reason when he hits 15 footers with ease.  I love it, but I just picture him wreaking havoc with a emphatic dunk.
• Some great moves from Will Bynum who finished with 19 points on 8-for-13 shooting and was key in the fourth quarter.
• Chris Wilcox DNP.
• Kwame Brown stepped up big time in the first half. Brown scored 8 with 5 boards in 15 minutes of play.
• Sweeeeeeeeede! Need4Swede?

Photo/Getty Images

• Jonas Jerebko, with his own Fan Club on hand, had another great game. He may as well just tattoo Hard Work Pays Off on his arm because he’s the poster child for it. Jonas with a double-double, 10 points, 11 boards and a key play that may have sealed the win for Detroit.

• So that’s what happened to Mo Evans.
• Austin Daye, just 11 minutes with 2 points and 4 rebounds. I am a bit surprised he didn’t get more time and DaJuan Summers was a DNP.   But hey, whatever works.   Kue stopped the bleeding…well maybe not for Charlie, but for the Pistons’ record.
• How about Charlie V with a nice block and then he knocks down a three.  I love it when things come together.
• Fun game to watch, love the we can get it done with the “no matter what” type attitude.  Battered, bruised and always battling should be a new motto.
• Forget Chucky Atkins’ 1-for-7 shooting, he was running the point well for Detroit.
• Game Highlights via NBA.com

• With two days off, let’s hope Detroit can at least get Ben Gordon back so he can play in Chicago against his old team on Wednesday.
• The hits just keep on coming…Charlie Villanueva needs surgery. It’s great to follow the @Cv31 on Twitter, you get the news as it happens.

“Surgery tomorrow, wish me luck, I will send a tweet during surgery, lol, the mask is on its way, lets go”

The 5-11 Pistons face the 12-4 Atlanta Hawks to try to end their seven game slide.

Rip and Tayshaun have not played this month and neither is expected back Sunday. The same can be said of Ben Gordon who is still listed as day to day.

“Our confidence doesn’t go anywhere. We are professionals so we have to stay with that mindset,” said guard Will Bynum, who was 4 of 17 from the field Friday. “The best thing about the NBA is that we have another game on Sunday. We got to regroup and try to get our stuff together and get a win on Sunday.” Via NBA.com

The Scouting Report via Pistons.com

Tip is at 1:00 pm EST and will be televised on Fox Sports Detroit. For the radio broadcast tune into 97.1 The Ticket or follow the action on NBA.com.

If you’re headed out to the Palace for the game please try to give a hand (literally) by donating gloves or mittens for The Pistons Good Hands, Warm Hands Mitten Drive.

NEED4SHEED GAME CHAT

Rodney Stuckey also had his own buzzer beating jumper to take a 49-46 lead at the half finishing the game with 20 points. Knock it down and send him flying.

Rip Hamilton dropped 15 in another foul laden game thanks to the replacement referees.   The teams combined to commit 57 fouls, leading to 59 free throws.

Those Pistons fans who where out at the game were treated to a little Chucky Atkins in Sunday nights win. Atkins, who played seven minutes scored three points for Detroit.

The Pistons third pre-season game tips at 6 PM at the Palace of Auburn Hills.  The 2 and 0 Pistons take on the 1-0 Atlanta Hawks.  No television broadcast, but you can listen to the broadcast on the radio at 97.1  The Ticket or trough your computer over at NBA.com.

The Piston we are all waiting to see (Charlie Villanueva) is expected to miss his third consecutive preseason game because of hamstring injury.

Things are looking up in Motown

“It’s a good time for us to make a run now,” Hamilton said. “We pretty much know we can’t get the one, two or three seed, we’re so far behind. But we can definitely shoot for the fourth.” Via NBA.com

Not so much in Hotlanta.

“Guys aren’t serious about what’s at hand,” said coach Mike Woodson, who saw his team’s lead over fifth-place Miami shrink to a half-game. “And what’s at hand is us winning this fourth spot and holding it down. So we’ve got to go home now and see what we’re made of.” Via NBA.com

We may not even see Josh Smith tonight after he had a heated incident with his coach on court.

Josh Smith didn’t play in the second half Friday after he got into a heated exchange with Woodson at halftime that could be heard in the hallway outside the locker room. Smith, who had 13 points in the first two quarters, spent the second half sitting in the middle of the bench with a towel draped over his back.

“I don’t want to talk about that right now,” Smith said when asked about the benching.

Woodson wouldn’t say whether the team’s third-leading scorer would play Saturday.

“We’ll determine that tomorrow,” he said. Via NBA.com

Sad really, as good as Smith is, I think his immaturity has plagued him his entire (though short) career.

Tip off is at 7:00 PM and will be locally broadcast on FSN PLUS. If you can’t catch the broadcast you can tune into 1130 AM WDFN. If you can’t do either, follow the game live or listen to the stream over at NBA.com.

Leave them in the Comments.

And remember Daddy Rich in your thoughts and prayers.

Key Points:

• When Flip Murray is the game maker and burns you over and over again is it time to give up?  Seriously, Flip Murry lit the Pistons up for 23 points on 10-18 shooting off the bench for the Hawks.  Still a little funny to me that Flip took more shots for the Hawks than Joe Johnson did. Johnson led the Hawks with 27 on 10-for-16 shooting.
• Has Sheed given up? I was at the game and I was bitching (to myself) that we were going small down the stretch, again, and wondering why Sheed wasn’t in the game. On the ride home I heard Curry explain that he said that when he asked to return to the game Rasheed said he wasn’t able.  An old injury re-aggravated or is there something we don’t know? Maybe he just wanted to rush home to catch the rest of the North Carolina – Duke game.
• Allen Iverson led all scorers with 28 points on 11-for-20 shooting. Great performance from AI who missed Tuesday’s game against the Bulls with Flu like symptoms. He added 3 steals and just one turnover, but the one he did give up was a critical possession late in the game that could have made a big difference in the outcome of the game.

Photo/Getty Images

• AI highlights complete with the diving assist to Rip.
• If the playoffs started Wednesday, the Pistons and Hawks would face each other. And Detroit would NOT have home court advantage.
• The Pistons actually won the war of the boards 40-35.
• They even had 45 points in the paint.
• They really have no defensive identity.  Oh how we miss the Wallace x2 days.
• Rodney Stuckey struggled a bit after suffering a slight ankle sprain in Tuesday’s game with the Bulls.  Rodney scored 12 on 5-for-11 shooting in 30 minutes on the floor.  A complaint by many Pistons fans is that our point guard doesn’t distribute the ball…and his one assist last night is a shining example.
• Feel bad…some Jason Maxiell Highlights will make you feel good. At least it did for me when I was putting the video together. Dunk you very much Jason for easing our misery just a little with your hustle and heart.

Video Courtesy of The NBA, The Detroit Pistons and FSN

• Jason finished with 6 points, 4 boards, 2 blocked shots and a steal in 17 minutes. You can ask yourself all you want why he didn’t get more time when he was a difference maker when he was on court and when Sheed couldn’t return.  Should Need4Sheed have a “mail bag” of questions for Michael Curry to answer?  I think we would keep him pretty busy.
• Tayshaun Prince 12 points on 4-10 shooting, with 8 assists, 5 boards, and a steal.  Thank goodness someone is racking up assists.
• 17 lead changes with the game tied 8 times.
• Double-double for Antonio McDyess with 10 points and 10 boards.
• FSN Highlights by the Quarter.
• Jason Maxiell likes to block shots, and we like to watch him do it.  Al Horford……..not so much.

Video Courtesy of The NBA, The Detroit Pistons and FSN

• “For some reason, when we come home, we have a lull,” Curry said. “When we’re on the road, we’re all together and you have to fight, that’s all you got. (At home) everyone is finding reasons why we’re losing.” Via The Detroit News. Dear Mr. Curry, just so you know, in case you haven’t paid attention, IT’S NOT JUST AT HOME!
• Richard Hamilton 14 points on 6-for-16 shooting with 5 assists, 4 boards and zero turnovers.
• It may be every bit of reality that the Pistons don’t even make the playoffs. There, I said it. Just look at the standings and see for yourself.  They have the same record as Miami and Philly and the only team below them in the hunt are The Bucks.
• Did you know that Antonio McDyess hit the Bulls Derrick Rose so hard that he was in tears?  I knew he was hurt when watcing the game but apparently the Bulls think action should be taken against Dyess.
• Anyone have the feeling Joe Dumars is just some kind of Evil Genius and something just might happen?  I am thinking if something does go down it will be after the All Star break.  For all we know a deal is already put in place, but the NBA wants All Star weekend to take precedence.  Just me thinking to help stop the madness in my head.  But I could be right.

On their second game of a back to back the Pistons host the (better than they are) Atlanta Hawks. The 30-21 Hawks have lost seven straight at the Palace, but like most of us know stats like that mean nothing to this Detroit Pistons team, who struggles with just about every team that they play. And this Hawks team is nothing like the Atlanta teams of old.

Good New/Bad News and More:

• Last game for Detroit before a MUCH needed All-Star Break.
• Lost to the Hawks in their first meeting but won a season high seven straight after that. They are 6-12 since that seven game miracle.
• Atlanta has won 3 of their last 4 games.
• The Pistons are guaranteed their fewest wins at the All-Star break since 2001-02, when they were 26-21.
• Chuck Daly thinks this talented Pistons team needs more time.  But do they have it is the question.
• I had nothing to do with this… FireCurry.com
• No news yet on Stuckey, who tweaked his ankle in the closing minutes of the Pistons loss to the Bulls.
• Allen Iverson will be reevaluated today after missing yesterday’s game with Flu like symptoms.

Tip off is at 7:30 P.M. and will be locally televised on FSN. If you can’t watch the broadcast, tune into 1130 AM WDFN The Fan.  Can’t do either? Follow the game on NBA.com.

Comments and  Chat.

Key Points:

• Mike Bibby, whom I had forgotten was even on the Hawks roster, torched the Pistons from behind the long line. Bibby had 27 on the night including 5 three’s in the second quarter alone. Now after he made three it would have been nice if someone locked on him defensively.
• How bout this Pistons fans, The Atlanta Hawks are 4th seed right now in the East and have a better record than Detroit (5).
• With small ball comes second chance shots for the opposing team and rebounding problems. War of the boards lost again 39-45.
• DNP Jason Maxiell…..and Kwame and Walter Herrmann. Amir Johnson got eight minutes of floor time but I would love it if someone can explain Curry’s rotation schemes. At what point do you just play the best guys you have rather than trying to match up (unsuccessfully it seems) with every lineup you face?
• Rip, a technical foul late in the game when the game was on the line after a Bibby elbow to his head. When he finally got up and went to the bench during a timeout his remarks to the refs after a no call got him tossed. They showed the replay a few times and it didn’t look intentional and wasn’t that obvious, the camera barely caught it. Not that I don’t deny that fact that it probably would have knocked me out but Rip has got to control himself, we needed him.

Photo/Getty Images

• “I don’t deserve to get kicked out of the game for that,” Hamilton said. “There’s a lot worse stuff being said out on the floor. I was in the wrong for saying what I said, but not by any means do you get kicked out of the game for that.” Via NBA.com
• Rip scored 16 with an assist, a steal and a rebound on the night before getting tossed in the fourth quarter.
• Tayshaun 1-for-8 for 2 points on the night and the ball was in his hands for a desperation three with the score at 78-83 and 13 seconds on the clock.
• Did anyone else wonder why Detroit didn’t foul Atlanta late in the game and stop the clock?
• Stuckey is proving himself to be the biggest asset the Pistons have right now. He was a rebound away from another double-double, scoring 20 points with 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and just one turnover. It was Rodney who gave Detroit a chance to win the game in the fourth quarter.
• Rodney Stuckey Highlights of the game.
• Yes the Pistons tend to NOT get their fair shake in the foul department, but are we really going to blame all Detroit’s losses on the officiating? Talk of conspiracy theory in the comments. They are losing because they aren’t playing well…come on Pistons fans.
• Rasheed put up 20 for Detroit with 2 blocks, 5 boards and one heck of an assist to Allen Iverson.

Photo/Getty Images

• I really was never anti-Michael Curry but sometimes his decisions make me wonder, which usually leads to anger after the outcome.
• The Pistons fell to 0-6 on Sunday.
• The Pistons were down by as much as 18 until they started to pick things up late in the second quarter.
• Isn’t it alarming when Rodney Stuckey is the team’s leading rebounder?
• FSN Highlights of the game by quarter.
• 18 Pistons bench points.
• AI just 4-for-11 for 10 points.
• Detroit shoots 46.7 % on the night and loses to a team that shoots 41.9% and 68% from the line.
• I thought it was just me, but I wasn’t the only one to notice Iverson was upset he wasn’t in the game late in the fourth quarter when the game was on the line. In fact, maybe that was the reason he didn’t attempt the last second shot, choosing to dish it to Tayshaun. Is trouble brewing already?
• Look it could be worse, William Clay Ford wants to keep things the same for the Lions next season.
• I thought I was the only one who thought Jack Nies had it in for Detroit. (link via Detroit Bad Boys)
• Comment away, I’m enjoying what all of you have to say.

Pistons take on the Hawks in the ATL for and early afternoon Sunday game today. This could mean trouble for Detroit who have yet to record a W on Sunday thus far this season.

Detroit looks like they have finally started to click, especially after their double OT loss to the Jazz at Palace Friday night. But don’t look for the Hawks of old, this Atlanta team is 16-10 on the season and knows how to shut teams down. Don’t forget our old friend Flip Murray is averaging 10 points in 20 minutes for the Hawks this season.

Tip off is at 2:00 P.M. on FSN. If you can’t watch the FSN broadcast, tune into 1130 AM The Fan can’t do either, follow the game on NBA.com.

Sorry for the lack of posting, the snow storms took out my internet service. Thank goodness for Starbucks right now.

Chat, comments and Contest!