DETROIT -- Even by the Detroit Pistons recent standards, this was an abrupt change. 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. Cheap Air Max Outlet . Rockies manager Walt Weiss was unhappy, too. Weiss addressed the issue in a 15-minute meeting with his pitcher and catcher after the Rockies gave up 14 hits and lost 10-1. De La Rosa lasted only 4 1-3 innings and allowed five runs in his first opening-day start. Wholesale Black Air Max Store . -- C.J. Cron hit an RBI single on the first pitch he saw in the major leagues, doubled his second time up and hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the sixth inning to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 5-3 victory over the Texas Rangers on Saturday night. http://www.cheapairmax2018.us/. But qualifying for her first Scotties Tournament of Hearts after years of falling short in tough Manitoba provincial championships is as good as consolation prizes get for the 29-year-old from Winnipegs Fort Rouge Curling Club. Nike Air Max Clearance Online .6 seconds left to give the Toronto Raptors a 92-89 victory over the Boston Celtics in an exhibition game Wednesday night. Air Max 90 Sale Red . Calgarys Bo Levi Mitchell and Montreals Troy Smith will be the starting quarterbacks in a CFL season-opener for the first time in their careers. Both want to reinforce their No. 1 status. You can watch the game live in the first half of a doubleheader on TSN and TSN GO at 3:00pm et/Noon pt.INDIANAPOLIS - C.J. Miles wants to see the same sort of fight that Indiana showed in the third period be a part of its game in every quarter.Miles scored 25 points, George Hill added 20 and the Pacers rallied to beat the Miami Heat 106-95 on Wednesday. Miles and C.J. Watson combined for 10 of Indianas 17 points in a decisive third-quarter spurt.It shouldnt take us to get hit to bounce back, Miles said. Its just about us going out there with a focus from the jump every day.The Pacers (12-21) have been staggered plenty of times over the past few months. From Paul Georges broken right leg to the series of injuries that once left Indiana without any of its five starters from last season, the Pacers have not resembled the team that pushed Miami to the limit each of the past playoffs.This time, they appeared to be on the verge of getting blown out after the Heat took a 56-46 lead less than two minutes into the second half. But Indiana stuck around long enough for its perimeter shooters and defence to get back on track.Miles knocked down two 3-pointers in the key 17-2 spurt, and Watson made four straight free throws to give Indiana its first lead since the first quarter. David West hit a 3-pointer from just beyond the top of the key as time expired in the third quarter.When the buzzer sounded, the Pacers had turned a 68-61 deficit into a 78-70 lead that had Miami (14-19) reeling.Indiana pushed the lead to as much as 85-72 early in the fourth.We didnt close the quarter out good at all, said Heat star Dwyane Wade, who had 20 points, seven assists and three blocks. Thats been our Achilles heel all season, its been the fourth quarter.Chris Bosh had 18 points and eight rebounds for Miami, which has lost three in a row. Luol Deng scored 15 points.Watson finished with 11 points, and Hill ended Miamis comeback plans with two 3s late in the fourth quarter.We just continue to fight and play hard, Miles said. We have 10 guys now that can play and everybody out there on that floor can make a play and can help our team.dddddddddddd___TIP-INSHeat: Danny Granger showed his former team he can still play. In his first game as a visitor at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, the resurgent Granger finished with 14 points. Granger, Indianas first-round draft pick in 2005, had spent his entire career with the Pacers before he was dealt to Philadelphia in February. Strange, it was strange, Granger said. He was given a polite ovation when he first entered the game.Pacers: While Indiana leads the league in scoring defence and clamped down hard when it had to Wednesday, coach Frank Vogel is looking for more consistency. He said before the game that he wants his defence to dominate. That wasnt the case for most of the first three quarters, when Miami made nearly 60 per cent of its shots. But the Pacers allowed just two baskets over a 9-minute, 57-second span that changed the game. Miami wound up shooting 49.4 per cent.UP NEXTHeat: Visit Houston on Saturday.Pacers: Visit Milwaukee on Friday.HOME, SWEET, HOMEThe Pacers enjoyed seeing the Heat in town Wednesday. Indiana has won six straight regular-season home games over Miami and improved to 2-0 against the Heat this season.CHANGING TIMESWithout George or LeBron James around, Wednesdays game had a completely different feel from the fierce rivalries of the past two years. The intensity was lacking at times. And while the game was an announced sellout, there were empty seats. The chants of Beat The Heat didnt emerge until the fourth quarter. Even the players noticed.A couple of guys actually said something about that while we were out there, West said. I guess these three or four games in the regular season throughout the last three years have sort of been big games. But obviously, this doesnt have the one-seed implications we were fighting for the last few years. ' ' '