Pistons fire coach Michael Curry after 1 season

DETROIT — The Pistons fired Michael Curry on Tuesday after Detroit finished under .500 in his first year as coach and was swept in the first round of the playoffs.

The Pistons 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.

The Pistons went 39-43 and exited the postseason in four lopsided losses to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Joe Dumars, the team's president for basketball operations, said after that series that Curry would return.

"This was a difficult decision to make," Dumars said in a statement Tuesday. "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."

Dumars fired coach Flip Saunders last year after he led the team to the Eastern Conference finals in each of his three seasons. Curry was an assistant under Saunders for one season.

A message left on Curry's cell phone was not immediately returned.