Alleged? Even TNT broadcaster Craig Sager chuckled over Harrington's supposed injury during Thursday's telecast, clearly agreeing with the San Francisco Bay Area's talk-radio majority that believes the third-year Warrior hopes sitting out expedites a trade out of Oakland.

The logic seems twisted. The Warriors likely would have a better chance of dealing Harrington if he were healthy and playing well, as he was early in the season, rather than pouting and claiming he's got a back injury.

Harrington admits he has approached the Warriors about a trade on more than one occasion, believing he is under-utilized by Nelson. The power forward wants to be used like a power forward, not stationed 23 feet from the hoop in hopes the other team's big men chase him on the perimeter, opening driving lanes to the hoop.

Complicating matters is the fact Harrington is paid a lot of money (a team-high $9.2 million this year) for someone who made a rather modest contribution (13.6 points, 5.4 rebounds) last season.

The Warriors aren't about to just give him away. Nelson still sees the veteran as an asset, and general manager Chris Mullin has a history of waiting for a good deal rather than dealing a disgruntled player. Just ask Mickael Pietrus.

Most likely, Harrington will play again for the Warriors, and probably finish out the final two years of his contract in Oakland. We'll see how his back responds to that.

PISTONS 107, WARRIORS 102: The Warriors used to use athleticism to battle the brutes from the East, but not this year. Connecting on just one three-pointer all night, the Warriors actually out-rebounded the Pistons, but still lost when Rasheed Wallace buried back-to-back 3s in a late Pistons flurry. The Pistons outscored the Warriors by an 18-3 margin from beyond the arc.