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Let’s get right to it…

Pistons continue solid play, winning streak
The Pistons slowed Allen Iverson and held him to 23 points as they rolled to a 93-75 win and their 9th out of their last 10. Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton led the way with 20 points each. The Pistons enter the All-Star Break in a tie with Miami as the NBA’s hottest team. I am sure most of the Pistons would love to keep playing and not have a break right now, but the break will let some guys rest and get healthy. The current streak has them looking alot like they did last year. Solid defense, balanced scoring and dominating the boards. Look out Eastern Conference, the defending NBA champs aren’t going down without a fight. Read a Free Press article by Perry A. Farrell.

Spartans top Gophers as Davis joins 1,000 point club
Shannon Brown had 18 points and Maurice Ager 16 to lead the 11th-ranked Spartans past Minnesota 81-62. Paul Davis joined the 1,000 career point club as MSU continued to play solid approaching the end of the season and the start of the Big Ten Tourney. “You have to hand it to our seniors,” said Davis, a junior, who scored 14 points and matched a career high with 12 rebounds. “A lot of people just look at championships, and that is on our mind, but those three guys have done a lot for this program and need to be recognized more.” Read a Free Press article by George Sipple.

Wolverines lost 9th straight
Courtney Sims led Michigan with 16 points and Dion Harris added 15, but it wasn’t enough as the Wolverines losing streak continued. “At the early stages of the game we really struggled to put the ball in the basket,” coach Tommy Amaker said. “We missed close-in shots and dunk opportunities. I thought they got out of the box early, shooting the 3 ball. They really put us on our heels and it really just went downhill from there.” Read a Free Press article by John Eligon.

Guillen recovering, expects to be healthy for start of season
Shortstop Carlos Guillen has been at the Tigers’ spring base for a few weeks. He reported early to continue rehabilitating from surgery on his right knee. Sitting at his clubhouse locker Wednesday, he gave an answer that the Tigers hope doesn’t change. Guillen said he believed he would be 100-percent healthy for the start of the regular season in 1 1/2 months. Read a Free Press article by John Lowe.

and, oh yeah…

NHL/NHLPA pull latest offers off the table
The NHL sunk to a historic low Wednesday, becoming the first North American major professional sports league to cancel an entire season because of a labor dispute. “We are truly sorry,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said as he announced the cancellation at a news conference. “This is a sad, regrettable day that all of us wish could have been avoided.” Read a Free Press article by Nicholas J. Cotsonika.

Curry says NBA in good shape as current CBA nears end
There was some good news for Pistons fans amid the wreckage of the NHL season. The president of the NBA Players’ Association, former Piston and current Pacer Michael Curry, indicated no such devastation would beset the basketball world this summer when its collective bargaining agreement expired. “We’ve been working toward seeing what adjustments we want to make to our deal,” Curry said Wednesday. “We’ve had some very productive meetings. I’m optimistic we will get a deal before July 1. We just have to keep meeting and plugging at it, and come to some compromises. I’m optimistic it will happen.” Read a Free Press article by Helene St. James.