OGT: Chicago Bulls @ Detroit Pistons

[SportsFromA2]

6PM, FSD, @ the Palace.

Detroit Pistons vs. Chicago Bulls

When: 6 p.m.

Where: The Palace of Auburn Hills

Records: Pistons 22-37 (fourth in Central); Bulls 45-14 (first in Central).

Last game: The Pistons ran into early trouble against the athletic Milwaukee Bucks and played disappointingly in their return home from a four-game home stand during Friday's 113-97 loss. The Bulls got a 3-pointer from C.J. Watson late in regulation Thursday to force overtime in a marquee home game against the Miami Heat, which they went on to win, 96-86.

Pistons probable starters: Tayshaun Prince, 6-9, 215 (Kentucky); Jason Maxiell, 6-7, 260 (Cincinnati); Greg Monroe, 6-11, 250 (Georgetown); Rodney Stuckey, 6-5, 205 (Eastern Washington); Brandon Knight, 6-3, 189 (Kentucky).

Bulls probable starters: Luol Deng, 6-9, 220 (Duke); Carlos Boozer, 6-9, 266 (Duke); Joakim Noah, 6-11, 232 (Florida); Richard Hamilton, 6-7, 193 (Connecticut); Derrick Rose, 6-3 190 (Memphis).

Fast facts: The Bulls are 2 ½ games ahead of the San Antonio Spurs, and three ahead of the Miami Heat, in the race for the NBA's best regular-season record. … The Bulls have the league's best road record at 21-8. … Rose, who was benched late against Miami after going minus-27 for the game – and seen cheering his teammates harder than anyone as the Bulls won by double-digits anyway – has missed 23 games with injuries this season. … Rose averages 22.4 points per game but his activity level doesn't qualify him among the league leaders. … Three of the 18 most accurate 3-point shooters in the NBA are Chicago's Kyle Korver (seventh, 44.3 percent), Detroit's Ben Gordon (17th, 41.3) and Chicago's Watson (18th, 40.9). … Overlooked, among the Bulls' many strengths, is that Omer Asik and Taj Gibson offer top-shelf post defense off the bench.

Frank-ly speaking: “Outstanding defensively, great rebounding team, extremely unselfish offensively, guys pull for each other, and you can tell they're all invested because their big picture is to try to win a championship. There's a lot to be impressed with. Now, with that being said, if everyone on our part does our job, we'll put ourselves in position to win the game.”

TV: Fox Sports Detroit

http://www.mlive.com/pistons/index.s...s_vs_ch_3.html

[General283]

Derrick Rose is becoming a complete whiner

http://espn.go.com/chicago/nba/story...ly-rough-fouls

Anyone who saw that foul knows it shouldn't have been a flagrant

AUBURN HILLS, MICH. -- Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose is fed up with the way some players in the league are trying to defend him.

Rose, who scored 24 points in the Bulls' 100-94 overtime win over the Detroit Pistons on Sunday night, was frustrated that he had a bloody dent on the bridge of his nose thanks to Pistons' forward Charlie Villanueva.

With 4:31 left to play in regulation, Rose drove to the rim and was hammered by Villanueva. The veteran swingman was called for a flagrant foul on Rose, held up after a video review by officials, and then was given a technical foul for arguing.

After the game, Rose was still upset with the way the play went down. He argued with Villanueva for a moment before going to the sidelines for treatment from Bulls athletic trainer Fred Tedeschi.

Rose, who has a well-documented fear of needles and said he would not be getting stitches, wore a band-aid over his nose for the rest of the game.

"I was mad," Rose said. "I'm sick and tired of people trying to take cheap shots at me. You got to say something."

Rose was fined $25,000 last month for making comments toward officials after a March 12 game against the New York Knicks.

"I've gotta be the only superstar in the league that's going through what I'm going through right now," Rose said at the time, referring to a lack of foul calls in his favor. "But I can't say too much about it."

This time, he took matters into his own hands. He felt it was time to stand up for himself against Villanueva.

"You got to," Rose said. "He didn't even aim for the ball. At least go for the ball. I felt like he didn't and that's the reason why I got mad a little bit."

Rose isn't sure why he feels like some players go after him.

"I really don't know," he said. "Probably because I don't say anything or whatever, but I'm a man, where in situations like that you have to say something."

For his part, Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau was satisfied with the explanation he got regarding the hard foul.

"Look, these guys are great officials," Thibodeau said. "So (the official) said 'it appeared to be worse than it actually was.' That's what he said to me. Usually when they say that, they know they've gotten a pretty good look at it, so I dropped (the complaining) right there."

Rose, who has missed 23 games this year because of various injuries, is averaging 22 points a game this season.

Also, how are these guys with tattoos all over their freaking bodies afraid of needles?

[det2orl]

Eh, CV wasn't making any play on the ball.

But the "I'm the only superstar that goes through this" foolishness is hilarious.

[General283]

Eh, CV wasn't making any play on the ball.

But the "I'm the only superstar that goes through this" foolishness is hilarious.

What the hell? Watch the recap in the video right here: http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=320415008

He nearly gets all ball. It's a good, hard but clean foul.

[det2orl]

What the hell? Watch the recap in the video right here: http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=320415008

He nearly gets all ball. It's a good, hard but clean foul.

A tomahawk chop across the arms with a detour across the face is all ball?

[General283]

A tomahawk chop across the arms with a detour across the face is all ball?

It's not nearly as bad as you're making it out to be. Look at the 21 second mark of the video. CV is clearly going for the ball, it's a hard fould but clean. The contact with Rose's nose is pretty incidental. No way that's a flagrant foul

[JB61973]

I read that the Pistons sent a message to the bulls. "We're coming".

Goodwill is such a shill.

[pGekko]

"Goodshill" ...

[det2orl]

I read that the Pistons sent a message to the bulls. "We're coming".

Goodwill is such a shill.

For what? The fishing?

[General283]

I read that the Pistons sent a message to the bulls. "We're coming".

Goodwill is such a shill.

Goodwill didn't write the headline. His article was actually pretty decent

[SportsFromA2]

Reigning MVP Derrick Rose uncharacteristically got involved in trash talk after blood streamed down his face, courtesy of a flagrant foul that was mild compared to some we've seen in this storied rivalry.

Later, Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey caught an inadvertent elbow to the chops that left him on the Palace floor.

Tempers flared, harsh words were exchanged and afterward, Rose believed he was the target of some dirty play after his team escaped from Motown with a 100-94 overtime win.

It wasn't dirty; It was beautiful. For the first time this season, the Pistons playing the Bulls wasn't about Richard Hamilton playing his former mates; the game was the main attraction.

We're a long way from Rick Mahorn shedding Bulls coach Doug Collins aside like a rag doll after a hard foul on Michael Jordan in 1988, the true genesis of this 20-plus year rivalry, but the seeds are usually planted well before teams begin vying against one another for a title.

How glorious would it be to see intensity like this over seven games in May?

For the better part of 53 minutes, the Pistons became a mirror image of the Bulls, and although no one would confuse one team with the other, the Pistons showed some fight that was missing earlier in the season — and the Bulls showed them exactly how hard they have to play to get to the next level.

"It's the standard of competing. Chicago competes like this every night. That's the difference of teams in this league," said Pistons coach Lawrence Frank, who was exasperated as if it was a playoff loss, not like a game that could help them in next month's draft lottery.

"That's why we're not a playoff team. It's got to be the standard. The lesson is look at what we're capable of. It's hard to do this every single night."

The Pistons forced the Bulls to play under the same amount of duress the Bulls put everyone else under as the league's best defense, two years running. Frank said the Pistons made "winning plays" and he was right, despite ultimately coming up short in "winning time."

They made life uncomfortable for Rose, who might've felt like he was at home given the throng of Bulls fans who made the trek up I-94.

What did the Pistons prove? Ultimately, nothing if this isn't followed up with taking the next step and ending a three-year playoff drought.

Counting Sunday, they've either beaten or had close losses to each of the title contenders with the exception of Oklahoma City. They beat the Celtics twice, their lone meeting with the Lakers while coming close against the Spurs and Heat.

Rodney Stuckey, who will probably take the blame for the Pistons' loss with his two missed free throws in the last 1:48 of regulation, showed he can get to the basket at will, even against one of the league's best defenders (Luol Deng) and the league's best defense.

Thirty-two points and 18 free-throw attempts is proof of that.

"We fought tonight, we have to take this game and know we can compete against anyone," he said. "It was competitive. Chicago's not gonna back down and we did a good job of not backing down."

It wasn't just chippy on the floor, either. Frank, who's usually even-keeled couldn't help but throw a Phil Jackson-style thinly-veiled shot at the officiating, in reference to the flagrant foul and Joakim Noah's ability to get 13 offensive rebounds.

"He got the benefit of some nudges," Frank said. "It's cause and effect, Rose puts so much pressure on a defense. Sometimes we get knocked out of the way. Sometimes it's a foul."

If we didn't know already, we found out Pistons rookie Brandon Knight (13 points, seven assists, five rebounds) is a fierce competitor who won't shy away from taking the challenge of going against the league's best point men. Two straight jumpers with Rose guarding him in the fourth quarter is your evidence.

"I'm happy with the way Brandon has been playing all year, Greg (Monroe) has been growing as well," Stuckey said. "Every game is a learning stone for them, and myself as well. Everyone makes mistakes; Everything isn't going to be perfect but you try to get better at it."

The Pistons will regroup this summer, presumably in the draft and free agency. Stuckey said the Pistons need a "couple more pieces" to truly compete with the Bulls but when asked if his team was going to win the game or the fight, he smiled.

"We're gonna win the fight," he said.

Although the Bulls will likely march onto May and possibly June, barring a showdown with Miami in the conference finals, the Pistons sent their rivals smarting and with a message:

"We're coming."

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/2...e-We-re-coming