Detroit Pistons fire head coach Michael Curry

By Curry out as Pistons coach

Detoit, MI – AUBURN HILLS, MI (AP) - The Detroit Pistons have fired Michael Curry after he went 39-43 in his first year as a head coach.

Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars said in a statement Tuesday that while it was a difficult decision, he has "decided to make a change."

The Pistons opened the season with high hopes but couldn't recover from the loss of All-Star point guard Chauncey Billups in a November trade to Denver for Allen Iverson.

The Pistons plummeted to the last spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs and were swept in four lopsided games by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Dumars said after that playoff series that Curry would return.