Tuesday June 30, 2009

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

Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars said Tuesday a change was necessary.

The Pistons were swept in the first round of the playoffs in four lopsided losses to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Dumars said after that series that Curry would return.

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

Dumars fired coach Flip Saunders last year after he led the team to the Eastern Conference finals in each of his three seasons.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)