Curry sacked as Pistons coach after one year

DETROIT (Reuters) - Michael Curry was sacked as Detroit Pistons coach on Tuesday after just one season in charge.

"This was a difficult decision to make," said Joe Dumars, Pistons president of basketball operations in a statement on the team's website (www.nba.com/pistons).

"I want to thank Michael for his hard work and dedication to the organization. However, at this time, I have decided to make a change."

Under Curry the Pistons finished with a regular-season record of 39-43 and advanced to the playoffs where they were swept from the first round in four games by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The results fell far short of the high expectations for a team that had reached the conference finals the previous six years.

A former Pistons player, Curry watched the season unravel following an unpopular trade in which popular point guard Chauncey Billups moved to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for Allen Iverson.

While Billups revived the Nuggets, Iverson flopped in Detroit and ended the season on the injury list.

(Writing by Steve Keating in Toronto; Editing by Ed Osmond)