So, how’s that Allen Iverson-Chauncey Billups trade looking now?  Not too bad at all, says the lazy pundit who only works in broad strokes.

After a few games of growing pains, the Iverson Experiment has taken off in Motown.  The Pistons delivered the Lakers their first loss on Friday, and last night they cooled off the red-hot Cavs, snapping Cleveland’s eight-game winning streak with a 96-89 win in Auburn Hills.  Iverson (23 points) and Rasheed Wallace (21/15) carried Detroit through the key fourth-quarter surge.

Meanwhile, the Nuggets improved to 5-1 since the addition of Billups to their lineup with a 91-81 victory over the Spurs.  Billups led Denver’s balanced attack with 22 points, while Team Floppy Bitchass fell to 5-6 on the season and is still missing Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.  Hooray!

Elsewhere: The TrailBlazers broke out the whoopass for Greg Oden’s home debut.  Portland blew out the Bulls 116-74, and Oden had 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 blocks in 17 minutes of PT… Dwyane Wade went off for 40 points, 11 assists, and 5 blocks, but the Heat still fell to the Raptors.  You’ll live to regret this, Canada!

Allen Iverson famously railed against practice when he was a 76er, and at his first press conference as a Detroit Piston, he was able to laugh at himself when team president Joe Dumars teased him about it.

I don’t know why AI got such a bad rap and was labeled a thug — I think he always comes off as good-natured in the interviews I see him do.  Maybe it’s because he has cornrows.  And lots of tattoos.  And a criminal record.  Okay, but STILL.  He seems so nice.

[FanHaus]

The big news in the NBA today is that Allen Iverson has been traded to Detroit for Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess, and young center Cheikh Samb.

Not that I pretend to know dick about the NBA, but it looks like the Nuggets wanted a purer point guard to feed Carmelo Anthony and J.R. Smith, which they’ll get in Denver native Billups.  The Pistons, meanwhile, get the roster shake-up that team president Joe Dumars promised after last season’s playoff loss, plus the added benefit of $20M in cap space when Iverson’s contract ends in the spring.

See, this is why I hate talking about breaking news like trades and coaches getting fired (or stepping down like Phil Fulmer).  I end up talking about actual sports instead of calling people gay or gossiping about arrest records.  However, in a related story, the name “Chauncey” is pretty gay.

(Photo: Getty Images)

NL - The Cubs are the first NL team to solve the paunchy mystery that is C.C. Sabathia. Chicago chased the Brewers' second most prized fatty after Prince Fielder with two runs in the 7th in jumping to a 4-3 lead. Milwaukee let C.C. off the hook for the loss by tying it in the bottom of the inning. In the 9th, Derrek Lee sparked a two-run rally with a one-out RBI double to score Alfonso Soriano and added another for a 6-4 win in the opener of the four-game set… Because no one's really all that interested in winning the NL East, the Mets gave up five runs in the 8th to fall to the Marlins, who in third only trail first place New York by a game, which would be really dramatic and shit if it weren't still July… With Cubs anf the Brewers duking it out for first, the Cards found their bats again for a night, hammering the Braves for 12 runs. Albert Pujols drove in three runs and Joe Mather went 3-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs. Pirates' starter Ian Snells wins for the second time in 18 starts and decides not to jinx his impending winning streak by talking to reporters. Over ever pitching again. It's nice to go out on top.

AL - It's a big AL East stumble to the stretch run with the Rays, Red Sox and Yankees all losers last night. Looks to be gearing up for a fascinating and exhaustively covered denouement. Oh yeah, and somewhere in there was K-Rod's 44th save of the season. Or the week. I dunno. Is it possible he gets multiple saves per game somehow? If I cared, I'd look into this…In other contested races, the Twins drew within a gamke and a half of the Pale Hosers by blanking them 7-0. Denard Span hit his first career homer to get the scoring started.

Misc. - Adonis-bodied bust Kwame Brown signs a two-year deal with the Pistons. Because Detroit has all sorts of good luck with the Kwames. Nenad Kristic jumps on the Cornstein Express to sign with Triumph Moscow. In players that aren't jumping nations, the Warriors re-sign Andris Biedrins for $62 million over six years…And the NFL won't provide further punishment to Marshawn Lynch for his hit-and-run incident, citing continued play in Buffalo is castigation enough.

NBA - It's so nice of Ray Allen to be a productive member of The Big Three for once. He put in 29 points capped by a last-minute jumper to hold off a Pistons rally en route to a 106-102 Game 5 win. There being a little more volatility in this series with each team's ability to win on the road, Game 6 is no given for the Pistons back in Detroit. Should be interesting what insulated chamber they use to transport Mr. Glass, Rip Hamilton, who managed to get hurt eighteen different ways last night. Poked in the eyes when you have a face mash? That's just good aim.

NHL - Wellie, wellie, well, those Penguins looked a little shaky during most of the 1st period, but rallied hard to get up 2-0 through the early part of the 2nd period, thanks to two Sid Crosby goals. The 3-2 win moved the Penguins to 9-0 this postseason at home, which is a great stat for a team that needs at least one road win. The Red Wings definitely didn't look anywhere near as cowed as the Pens looked on the road, so the series hasn't quite swung yet, but, hey!, Pittsburgh scored.

MLB - So many other otherwise interminable sports being in a constant state of playoffs only further plunges early-season baseball into a state of irrelevancy. At we know this much: Chase Utley doing okay…Erik Bedard not usually this good…Yankees seemed to celebrate a lot of broken sweeps these days…Soriano is quixotic… The Royals are not.

NBA - Hey, a hometeam finally managed to win another game. Seemed like that was never gonna happen in these playoffs. The Pistons led the entire game powered by Antonio McDyess (really? Maybe Keith Van Horn is still worth something!) The Big Three were a big fat 11-for-38 as the storyline of "Celtics suck when they don't have a lead" squeaks past "Detroit thrives on being down". Thursday's proposed storyline of "Boston gets an anonymous letter from its real father, unearthing painful buried feelings and memories" should prove to be a smash.

NHL - The Penguins are doing some excellent bed-shitting, as the Red Wings have jumped to a 2-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Finals, shutting out the high power Pens attack in the process. Yeah, yeah, Detroit had a decent sports day. Shame it was the 2,723rd horrid regular life day in a row in the Motor City.

MLB - Way to spoil the Detroit sweep, Tigers. 12 innings of scoreless ball with the Angels ends in a walkoff walk surrendered by Bobby Seay…The Mets didn't fire somebody and they still had the nerve to lose a game! Worst. Decision. Ever*…Jamie Moyer somehow manages to get a victory despite the 20 runs of support the Phillies gave him. Moyer said he hadn't seen offense like that since the Hoover administration…Brandon Webb loses two in a row after starting the season 9-0! He's been exposed, says the man of hair-trigger judgment. It's true. Once started, streaks go on forever. Enjoy 9-18, Brandon.

VROOM VROOM CAR GO FAST - Kiwi driver Scott Dixon gets the milk shower following his victory in the Indy 500. Danica Patrick gets the bukkake shower from the sick forest demons of 22nd place.

*Unless they win tomorrow.