The Pistons fell behind by 18 points early and despite a fierce 2nd half comeback that allowed them to take the lead, they were not able to hold off the Blazers on Saturday night.  With less than 25 seconds remaining the Pistons missed three three-pointers to potentially tie the game and in the end fell by four to the equally depleted Blazers'.

The real TV entertainment drama of the game came near the end of the 3rd quarter when Rudy Fernandez drove to the hoop and Charlie Villanueva wrapped him up and lightly tossed him.  Fernandez is coming off a back injury, so naturally, the Blazers immediately went to defend him.  Juwan Howard was the first on the scene and shoved Charlie Villanueva.  CV responded by trying to choke Howard out, but the two players were separated before it got 'Malice at the Palace 2'-out-of-hand.  Both were T'd up, but neither was ejected.  I'm sure each will receive a fine and/or suspension from the NBA.

Here's a pic of CV putting his hand on Howard's neck and Howard with his hands on CV:

[via Blazers Edge]

With their 33-point loss to the Bulls on Monday night, the Pistons have now lost 13 straight games (their longest losing streak since the '93-94 season).  They have not won a game in officially a month now (December 12th vs. Golden State).  A lot has happened over the past month and if you're a Pistons fan like me, you've been wallowing in a pool of sorrow, so you've probably missed it all.

So here's a list of sports stories since the Pistons last victory to help you catch up:

• The Colts & Saints were still thinking about a perfect season.  The Colts won their 14th game and then lost their final two games.

• The New England Patriots' mascot was arrested after being caught in a hotel prostitution sting.

• A-Rod dumped Kate Hudson after she was tabbed as his lucky charm throughout his hot streak en route to a Yankees World Series.

• Darko Milicic decides he's had enough sucking in the NBA and will return to Europe to play basketball.

• Bengals WR, Chris Henry, died after falling off the bed of a truck being driven by his fiance.

• Brett Favre gets into an argument with coach Brad Childress regarding Childress' plans to bench Favre.  They have since made up.

The Lakers fans certainly didn't deserve to keep the foam fingers for the way their team played and the way they acted, so they were just giving the Cavs a little extra Christmas present. That's what Fisher said to Mo Williams, too, when he tried to unnecessarily hump him.  For once, I think Lebron's bitching was warranted.

Flying foam fingers occurs around the 3 minute mark. Van Gundy stupidness occurs throughout.   As a Detroit Pistons fan I'm appalled and can't believe fans would do such a thing........

Well looky here, it's a human Q-tip.  Chase Budinger. 

What?  I'm just joking with the guy. Bringing a little sunshine into his life.  (looks back at Budinger) Careful, you'll peel...

..If you didn't see Casper put up a double-double last night against the Pistons, then you're not the only one.  He may have had a nice game and sure, the Pistons lost, but let's just do what we always do here -- make fun of the opposition to divert the attention.

Put on your SPF 70 and make some pale jokes in the comments.

I bet you didn't know that the Pistons best off-season acquisition was not Ben Gordon or Charlie Villanueva, but T.J. Lottie, Richard Hamilton's wife, whom he married in July this past summer. She has a killer jumper.

Okay, maybe she wasn't the best and maybe she didn't lead the PIstons to a victory at all, but she did convince her new hubby to stop being such a baby and to play basketball on Saturday against the Warriors:

"It wasn't feeling right, but I went home and my wife told me to stop feeling sorry for myself and to get out there and play," he said. "I haven't practiced, I haven't run, I haven't done sprints or anything like that, but I decided to go ahead and play."

Hamilton wound up scoring 18 points in the win over the Warriors.  He scored five consecutive points in a key spot with four minutes remaining in the game to put the Pistons up seven and for good.

The win was Detroit's 5th in a row.  Now if we can get the significant others of Will Bynum, Ben Gordon, and Tayshaun Prince to step up and tell their men to play, the Pistons could be one dangerous squad.

Who is the most underrated actor of all time?

Dolph Lundgren.

Who is the most underrated rookie in the NBA?

Jonas Jerebko.

Relation? Uh, they kind of look alike and they both kick serious ass.

Jonas Jerebko scored 17 second half points tonight to help lead the Pistons to their third straight victory, while sending Philly to their 11th straight loss (hahahaha).

Jerebko is averaging nearly 14 points and 8 rebounds over his last six games, which would make him better than Tayshaun's ever been for the Pistons.  And Jerebko is just a rookie, who was a late 2nd round draft pick no less.

J.J. works so hard, I heard he ran 10 miles after the game tonight, before starting a 300-style workout as a way to unwind for the night.   His meals consist of beer and hockey pucks.  He once turned down Tiger Woods' wife because he was busy doing pull ups.  And he was also suspended in kindergarten because he told his teacher, "I must break you" when she tried to tell him it was nap time.

Jonas Jerebko does not nap.  Jonas Jerebko is the boss.

The Pistons lost yet another game last night to the Chicago Bulls 92-85, putting them at an abysmal 6-12 start to the season, good for bottom of the cellar in the Central Division. Something seems to be missing with this team; the chemistry isn't quite there to put a string of consecutive wins together. (C'mon Big Ben, I thought that's what we brought you in for).

This season definitely isn't something that Pistons fans are used to: losing. We have been pretty spoiled the last decade or so; that is has been our right for Detroit to be in the Conference Finals.

But let's not go calling for John Kuester's head just yet. There's a few things we need to keep in mind as this season progresses. The Pistons have played virtually the entire season without  Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince. And as far as the big name free agents brought in (Chuck Villenueva and Ben Gordon), there needs to be an adjustment period for them to get a feel for eachother and their new teammates. Plus, the Pistons are relying heavily on rookies DaJaun Summers, Austin Daye and Jonas Jerebko for significant minutes.

Although the games can be tough to watch sometimes, I do think that Joe D has put the right pieces in place for the official "rebuild" of the Pistons. Rodney Stuckey is on pace to be an absolute stud in this league, we actually have a rookie class for the first time in recent memory,  there was good, young, talented free agent aquisitions in the offseason, all atop of our skilled veterans in Rip and Tayshaun to hold it all together.

This isn't going to be your older brother's Pistons team who played a slow, half-court, grind-it-out style of basketball. The new 'Stones are fast, long and athletic, who will play a much higher tempo of basketball. Just give them some time, they will eventually put it all together.

And besides, things could be worse...Atleast they aren't the Nets.

Ron Artest took part in a rather entertaining interview with Sporting News that was published in part today on their website.  In the interview he speaks frankly about his past, present, and future.

What's creating the most buzz around the interwebz is his confession to drinking Hennessy in the locker room during halftime of games.

Yeah, Maurice Clarette liked to get his "Goose on" before practices and I like to drink beer mid-blog, so what?

What really piqued my interest were his comments about the Malice at the Palace and current feelings toward Ben Wallace, five years after the fight.

"It wasn't my fault. … I don't see anything I could have done different. The only thing I could have done was have God pause time so I could have said, 'Oh, look, you're about to run in some stands, so stop.

I see Ben, I'm on my guard now. I'm always in the mood to fight him. … I'll get suspended 10 games, 15 games (because) I'll just fight him right there. It won't go into the stands."

He could have had Zack Morris call a time out, but would that really have made him think harder about what he was about to do?  Him lying on that table was asking for it and when he got some $8 beer tossed on him, he couldn't control himself and ran into the crowd.  Sounds like it was at least, say, 66% his fault.

And he's ALWAYS in the mood to fight Ben Wallace?!  It's been five years and he's already made nice with the beer tosser.  He talks about how he was immature in the past and he's really straightened himself out, but it's quotes like "I'll get suspended 10 games, 15 games because I'll just fight him right there" that make him out to still be a humungous head case who let's his dogs poop in the house because he gets the carpets replaced once a month.

Wallace was asked about these comments before tonight's game in Chicago:

“Y'all know who that is?" Wallace said. "I'm not worried about that stuff. He's just talkin'.”

Asked whether he was worried, Wallace just shook his head.

Yeah, I'm not the only one who thinks he's a wack job.

[Freep]
[Sporting News]

There are some odd looking dudes in the NBA and none more average and out-of-place looking than the guy with two first names, Steve Blake of the Portland Trail Blazers. This guy looks like someone who would work at Subway or Hot Topic, not be a starting guard in the NBA.

Unfortunately, he bullied the Pistons tonight.  Averaging just seven points per game heading into tonight's contest, the country bumpkin lookin' fellar dropped 17 on the Pistons and hit a three-ball that served as the metaphorical dagger in the Pistons hearts and late-game comeback.

Damn you, Scuba Steve. Damn you!