AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- The Detroit Pistons assigned forwards Stanley Johnson and Henry Ellenson and guard Michael Gbinije to the teams D-League affiliate in Grand Rapids.The moves came before Grand Rapids hosted Delaware on Saturday night. The Pistons were off Saturday. Detroit hosts the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night.Johnson, a first-round draft pick in 2015, has averaged only 3.3 points in 21 games this season after showing potential as a rookie. Ellenson, who was drafted in the first round this year, has appeared in only six games this season.Jalen Brunson Mavericks Jersey . There are surprises among the Vezina candidates, but most of the others are standard top-tier performers, even if the two Hart Trophy runners-ups have never been quite as good as they have been through the first half of the season. Dirk Nowitzki Jersey . Perez, 35, posted a 1-2 record with a 3.69 earned-run average in 19 relief appearances last season. His season ended Aug. 9 due to a torn ligament in his left elbow. Perez joins infielder Andy LaRoche and catcher Mike Nickeas with minor-league agreements for 2014 that include invitations to attend spring training. http://www.mavericksteamofficial.info/customized/ . A forerunning sled crashed into the worker Thursday at the Sanki Sliding Center. The unidentified worker broke both legs and was airlifted to a nearby hospital. Jose Juan Barea Jersey . It was the kind of score that might make everyone else wonder which course he was playing. Except that Graeme McDowell saw the whole thing. Crouched behind the 10th green at Sheshan International, McDowell looked over at the powerful American and said, "Ive probably seen 18 of the best drives Ive seen all year in the last two days. Dirk Nowitzki Mavericks Jersey . As he recorded his 23rd and 24th points of the evening, a segment of the sellout Air Canada Centre crowd expressed their appreciation for the Raptors point guard with a smattering of MVP chants.MINNEAPOLIS -- Richard Pitino wants to make sure his players arent reading too much into their 6-0 record.After impressive wins against St. Johns and Arkansas, some Minnesota players said they expected an easier time against mid-major Southern Illinois.You cant overlook anybody; we cant do that, Pitino said Saturday night after his Gophers beat Southern Illinois 57-45. We should be a no-ego program. We have not earned the right to have an ego.Amir Coffey had 13 points, Nate Mason and Dupree McBrayer each scored 11 against the scrappy Salukis, who never led in the second half but always seemed within striking distance.With upcoming games against Florida State and Vanderbilt in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge next week, the Gophers acknowledged they may have gotten ahead of themselves.Came out flat, thinking it was going to be an easy game, McBrayer said. So weve just got to have the mindset that every game is going to be like a Big Ten game, or a Big Ten feel.The Gophers (6-0) won despite missing starting center Reggie Lynch, who sat with an ankle injury. Even without the 6-foot-10 Lynch -- whos averaging nine points and 3.6 blocks per game -- the Gophers size advantage ground down a Salukis team that entered the game averaging 81 points per game.Minnesotas much taller backcourt held Mike Rodriguez -- SIUs leading scorer -- to seven points, half his season average. Thik Bol led The Salukis (3-3) with 15 points, but no other Southern Illinois player had more than seven.This game tonight was two ends of the spectrum, Salukis coach Barry Hinson said. We played phenomenal defense and then we played, I wouldnt say bad offense, but we just didnt produce when the shots were there.Southern Illinois led by four in the first half before hitting an eight--minute scoring drought.dddddddddddd The Gophers took advantage, ripping off a 12-0 run that put them in front for good.BIG PICTURESouthern Illinois: The Salukis, who didnt lose their third game last season until Jan. 9 against Wichita State, had their three-game winning streak snapped and are 0-2 against major-conference teams this season. They lost to Arkansas by 25 earlier this month, and will have at least one more chance to beat a major team this year at Louisville on Dec. 7.Minnesota: The Gophers are 6-0 for the first time since the 2011-12 season. All six games, though, have come at home; it marks the first time since 1999 that Minnesota has opened with six straight home games. They went 6-0 that year, too.FREE-THROW WOESMinnesota made a season-low 12 free throws on 22 attempts, which played a big part in allowing Southern Illinois to hang around.You know what happens, you miss a couple and then all of a sudden everybody gets a little tight, Pitino said.SILVER DEFENSIVE LININGSHinson called the game Southern Illinois best defensive performance of the young season. We just held a Big Ten team to 18 percent from the 3 and 38 percent for the game and we are the first team to do that in their six games. We are the first team to hold them under 80 points, Hinson said.UP NEXTSouthern Illinois will host Murray State next Tuesday; the Racers will try to snap a two-game skid Saturday against Alabama A&M.Minnesota travels for the first time this season to face Florida State in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. It gets a lot tougher now going on the road, so well see how we look with more adversity I guess, Pitino said. ' ' '