DETROIT -- Even by the Detroit Pistons recent standards, this was an abrupt change. Jay Bouwmeester Jersey . Detroit fired coach Maurice Cheeks on Sunday after less than a year as coach, with the Pistons languishing well below .500 despite off-season moves aimed at putting the struggling franchise back in contention. Detroit is 21-29, and although the Pistons still have a decent chance to make the playoffs in the Eastern Conference, their new roster has performed erratically. "This was a difficult decision for the organization to make but we needed to make a change," team president Joe Dumars said in a statement. "We have great respect for Maurice and appreciate his hard work." A person with knowledge of Detroits plans said assistant John Loyer will take over as interim coach. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced an interim coach yet. The Pistons havent made the playoffs since being swept in the first round in 2009 -- in Michael Currys only season as their coach. Since then, Detroit has gone through two seasons under John Kuester and two under Lawrence Frank. After neither of them could make any real progress, Cheeks was brought in as Detroits ninth coach since the 1999-2000 season. In addition to hiring Cheeks last off-season, Detroit signed forward Josh Smith and traded for point guard Brandon Jennings, trying to bolster a roster that already included young big men Andre Drummond and Greg Monroe. But the mix has been uninspiring for the most part. The Pistons have had problems defensively and have struggled to close out games in the fourth quarter. The poor attendance thats become commonplace at The Palace hasnt really improved -- and Detroits 11-15 home record hasnt helped. "Our record does not reflect our talent and we simply need a change," Pistons owner Tom Gores said Sunday. "We have not made the kind of progress that we should have over the first half of the season. This is a young team and we knew there would be growing pains, but we can be patient only as long as there is progress." Detroit is only a half-game out of the final playoff spot in the East, but thats largely because so many teams in the conference are having similar problems. The Pistons are only three games better than they were after 50 games last season. Cheeks became the first coach to leave or be fired after 50 games or fewer with an NBA team since Bob Weiss, who coached only 30 games for Seattle in 2005-06, according to STATS. That does not include interim coaches. "The responsibility does not fall squarely on any one individual, but right now this change is a necessary step toward turning this thing around," Gores said. "I still have a lot of hope for this season and I expect our players to step up. I respect and appreciate Maurice Cheeks and thank him for his efforts; we just require a different approach." The Pistons have won four of six, including back-to-back blowouts at home against Brooklyn and Denver on Friday and Saturday. They host San Antonio on Monday night, and the team has not made any announcement about who will coach that game. Cheeks previously coached Portland and Philadelphia, a team he won an NBA title with as a point guard. The Pistons gave him his third shot to be an NBA head coach in June. Gores was in attendance at a recent game and said he thought the team was better than its record. "Im not satisfied. Our job is to make sure that our players are at their maximum," Gores said after that Feb. 1 game against Philadelphia. "Im not satisfied with the job Im doing. Im not satisfied with the job anyone is doing." At that point, speculation centred around the upcoming trade deadline and the possibility that Detroit might shake up its roster again. Now, the Pistons are hoping another coaching change can improve the franchises outlook. Detroit made the conference finals six straight years from 2003-08, but the teams fall was swift after that, and rebuilding has been difficult. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Pistons championship in 2004 -- and the atmosphere at The Palace could hardly be more different. "Were focused on how to make our players the best," Gores said earlier this month. "I dont think weve done our best job of making sure they are at their best. They are working at 100 per cent, but these are young men who need a lot of preparation." The Pistons became the third major pro team in Detroit to make a coaching or managerial change in the past six months. Jim Leyland of the Tigers stepped down and was replaced by Brad Ausmus after last season, and the Lions fired Jim Schwartz in late December, eventually replacing him with Jim Caldwell. So Ausmus, who has yet to manage a game, is now the second-longest tenured manager or coach of the citys four major pro teams. Yahoo Sports first reported Cheeks firing. Brett Hull Jersey . It was considered unlikely that Rielly would be loaned to Canada for the tournament, which begins Dec. 26 in Malmo, Sweden, though a stretch of three straight games in the press box made it something of a debate. Wade Megan Jersey . The Big Man finished 3-1 in Week 19, and sits at 53-24 on the season. Now Schultz is ready for more action. http://www.nhlbluesauthority.com/authentic-colton-parayko-blues-jersey/ . Jovanovski, the 2012 champ seeded fifth, will meet surprise Japanese qualifier Misa Eguchi on Friday. Eguchi, ranked 183rd, qualified for her first WTA main draw this week, then beat No.ATLANTA -- Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski insists there has been no talk of big games still to come this week. Convincing evidence came in the way the Blue Devils kept their focus in a win over Georgia Tech. Jabari Parker had 16 points and 14 rebounds, and No. 5 Duke rolled to a 68-51 victory on Tuesday night. Duke started strong, kept up the defensive pressure, and maintained its double-figure lead for the final 28 minutes. "Our guys played a heck of a first half," Krzyzewski said. "I mean we played with amazing energy and focus." Rodney Hood sank four 3-pointers and scored 14 points for Duke, which never trailed. The Blue Devils (21-5, 10-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) have won four straight and nine of 10. "We came out with a sense of urgency," Hood said. "We didnt want to take them lightly. "We wanted to come out and try to dominate from the beginning." Duke is in a hectic run of four games in eight days. The Blue Devils will play at North Carolina on Thursday before facing No. 1 Syracuse on Saturday. The North Carolina game was postponed on Feb. 12 because of a winter storm. The stretch began with a win at Maryland on Saturday. "We havent even talked about those two games, so theres no buildup for us," Krzyzewski said. "We respect the heck out of Georgia Tech." Robert Carter Jr. led Georgia Tech (13-13, 4-9 ACC) with 13 points. Kammeon Holsey had 12, and Chris Bolden added 10. Georgia Tech centre Daniel Miller had nine rebounds but only two points. "He didnt get the ball that much because our perimeter defence was the best it has been all year," Krzyzewski said. Duke scored 16 points off Georgia Techs 13 turnovers, including five by freshman guard Corey Heyward. "I think our defence transitioned to offence," Parker said. "We weere able to get stops and able to score, so we put ourselves in a good situation. Vladimir Tarasenko Jersey. " Duke led 50-30 early in the second half before the Yellow Jackets cut the deficit to 52-40. Hoods 3-pointer, followed by Parkers offensive rebound, basket and free throw for a three-point play, pushed the Blue Devils edge back to 18 points. Georgia Tech couldnt muster another comeback attempt. After making only five of 24 3-pointers in Saturdays 69-67 home win over Maryland, Duke made 10 of 18 3s against the Yellow Jackets. The Blue Devils, who lead the ACC in 3-point shooting, made six of their first eight -- including three by Hood -- and pulled ahead 34-16. Duke, which has lost twice on the road to unranked conference opponents Notre Dame and Clemson, was 3-3 in ACC road games before Tuesday. Parker, who recorded the ninth double-double of his rookie season, and Hood helped make sure the Blue Devils were sharp early. Hood had three 3-pointers in the first six minutes, and the Blue Devils led 38-19. Like most teams, Georgia Tech struggled to match up with Parker (6-8, 235). "Unless you have a strong chest in front of him, you have no chance. No chance," Georgia Tech coach Brian Gregory said. "Theres no question what hes going to do when he gets the ball. "The way he drives, its impossible not to have contact. Its a foul every time." Georgia Tech, which trailed by only one point at halftime of its 79-57 loss at Duke on Jan. 7, trailed 43-27 at the break of the rematch. "Give Duke a ton of credit," Gregory said. "They came very focused and came with great force on the defensive end. They have improved tremendously since the first time we played them." Rasheed Sulaimon had 11 points for Duke. The crowd of 8,600 was Georgia Techs first sellout of the season. Cheap Hawks Jerseys Cheap Celtics Jerseys Cheap Nets Jerseys Cheap Hornets Jerseys Cheap Bulls Jerseys Cheap Cavaliers Jerseys Cheap Mavericks Jerseys Cheap Nuggets Jerseys Cheap Pistons Jerseys Cheap Warriors Jerseys Cheap Rockets Jerseys Cheap Pacers Jerseys Cheap Clippers Jerseys Cheap Lakers Jerseys Cheap Grizzlies Jerseys ' ' '