DETROIT -- Maurice Cheeks is getting a third shot to be an NBA head coach. DJ Chark Gear . The Detroit Pistons are desperately hoping he makes the most of the opportunity he was given Monday, when they announced the hiring and did not disclose the length of his deal. Cheeks was 284-286 in the regular season and 5-11 during three postseasons while leading the Portland Trail Blazers and Philadelphia 76ers, a team he helped win an NBA title as a point guard. "After spending some time with Maurice, I was very impressed not only with his basketball knowledge but his communication and leadership skills," Pistons owner Tom Gores said in a statement. "We are very excited to have someone of his experience and talent help take this franchise into the future." Hall of Fame coach Phil Jackson helped his friend, Gores, during the search as a consultant. "The leadership and player development qualities he brings as a former player and coach blends nicely with the roster we are building for the future," Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars said in a statement. "Hes won an NBA championship, coached in two NBA Finals as an assistant coach and mentored some of the top young players in the NBA." Detroit has been looking for a new coach since it fired Lawrence Frank in April, a day after finishing 29-53. Frank was 54-94 in two seasons with the Pistons. Cheeks becomes the franchises fourth coach in six seasons -- following Frank, John Kuester and Michael Curry -- and ninth since the 1999-2000 season. The once-proud Pistons are hoping Cheeks can help them snap a four-season post-season drought. Since Detroit won an NBA title in 2004, it has slipped in the standings and with bodies in seats. The Pistons made their sixth straight Eastern Conference finals appearance in 2008, had a first-round exit the following year against the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers and have lost an average of 50-plus games the last four years. After Flip Saunders was fired in 2008, Michael Curry lasted only one season as coach and John Kuester made it through two years, as did Frank. Gores has stressed the importance of this off-season, which has the potential to push the Pistons in a positive direction. Detroit is building around Andre Drummond, Greg Monroe and Brandon Knight. It plans to build around that nucleus of young talent with the No. 8 pick overall in the NBA draft this month and space under the salary cap that was created by trading away Ben Gordon last off-season and Tayshaun Prince during the regular season. The Pistons are counting on Cheeks to provide stability after he was fired by two franchises following three-plus seasons. Philadelphia let him go early in the 2008-09 season with a 9-14 record and Portland sent him away more than midway through the 2004-05 with a 22-33 record. He was 122-147 with the 76ers and 162-139 with the Trail Blazers over six full seasons and parts of two seasons. The 56-year-old Cheeks spent the past four seasons as an Oklahoma City Thunder assistant coach. The Chicago native was a four-time All-Star over 15 seasons in the NBA, helping the Sixers win a championship in 1983. He started his post-playing career with the Quad City Thunder, helping the team win the CBA title in 1994, and later went on to be a Sixers assistant for John Lucas, Johnny Davis and Larry Brown -- one of Detroits many coaches in recent years. Reggie White Gear . The 26-year-old Ireland striker, who has four goals this season, has signed a three-and-a-half year contract with his new club. Jordan Hicks Gear . Schenn scored the game-winning goal and added two assists to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Tuesday. http://www.nflauthenticcheapjerseys.com/ . -- Ken Appleby made 32 saves for his first shutout of the season to lead the Oshawa Generals to a 2-0 win over the Belleville Bulls on Wednesday in Ontario Hockey League action. HOUSTON -- Collin McHugh pitched considerably better Wednesday night than his previous time out.Still, with Houstons offense still sputtering, the season-high three home runs McHugh surrendered doomed the Astros.Josh Donaldson hit two home runs, and Marco Estrada threw seven solid innings and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Astros 3-1 on Wednesday night.McHugh (7-8) allowed three runs and six hits with 10 strikeouts in six innings.Stuff wise, most of my pitches were there for most of the day, McHugh said. Early on we kind of settled into a little bit of a groove and felt pretty good.The right-hander was coming off his worst outing of the season Friday when he allowed eight runs in 1 2/3 innings of a 14-6 loss to Detroit.He had a rough last game, so I think he came out with the a little bit of an edge, maybe a chip on his shoulder, Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. He had a ton of conviction early in his pitches.Jose Bautista hit his second home run in two nights in the sixth as he and Donaldson went back-to-back.Donaldson led off the fourth with a home run to right field before hitting his 27th home run of the season in the sixth. It was Donaldsons third multi-homer game this season.Home runs are kind of accidents, McHugh said. They could have easily been doubles or singles if its an inch higher or an inch lower. They found barrel on fastballs and it got out of the park.Marwin Gonzalez, who had missed the past four games with a right hand injury, had a double in the sixth. Altuve followed with an RBI double to cut the lead to 3-1.Houston has lost five of its past six games. The Astros have scored 12 runs in those games, with half of them coming in Fridays loss.I see some guys that are carrying a little extra baggage around, Hinch said. Obviously, this is a difficult month and when you start getting behind a little bit you want to do a little bit harder. Chuck Bednarik Gear. Estrada (7-4) won his second straight start, allowing one run and four hits with seven strikeouts. Estrada has allowed four runs or fewer in each of his past 12 starts.Marco hes got a track record, McHugh said. Hes been a good pitcher for a long time. We know hes going to be tough coming in.Joe Biagini escaped a one-out jam in the eighth, inducing a flyout from Jose Altuve and striking out Carlos Correa to strand runners on second and third. Roberto Osuna pitched the ninth for his 23rd save.Altuve was aggressive knowing he was going to get a strike, Hinch said. You know Correas at-bat, their guy did a pretty good job of getting ahead of him and it was a bad time for a miss. Human element of the game sometimes you know hurts you and in that regard it was a borderline pitch that didnt go our way.TRAINING ROOMBlue Jays: SS Troy Tulowitzki (thumb) was out of the lineup for the third straight game Wednesday. Tulowitzki hit off a tee and was expected to take batting practice, manager John Gibbons said.Astros: RHP Lance McCullers was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a mild sprain of the right elbow. RHP Brad Peacock was recalled from Triple-A Fresno to take McCullers roster spot.UP NEXTBlue Jays: LHP J.A. Happ (14-3) will be going for his ninth straight win Thursday. The left-hander has not lost since June 6 and has allowed three runs or fewer in each of his past five starts.Astros: RHP Mike Fiers (7-4) will take the mound in the finale of the four-game series. Fiers is coming off a solid outing Saturday against Detroit where he took a no-decision after allowing one run in 6 1/3 innings. Stitched Jerseys China NFL Jerseys White China NFL Jerseys NFL Jerseys Cheap Discount NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Hoodies Wholesale Authentic Jerseys ' ' '