Detroit Pistons head coach Flip Saunders will coach the Eastern Conference All-Stars for the 2006 NBA All-Star Game, to be played on Sunday, Feb. 19 at the Toyota Center in Houston, TX.

Saunders and the Pistons? (31-5, .861) coaching staff earned the honor to coach the Eastern Conference All-Stars as a result of Detroit?s 117-89 defeat this evening of the Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland?s (20-16, .556) 90-89 loss to the Denver Nuggets, clinching the best possible winning percentage in the Eastern Conference through games of Feb. 5, 2006.

Head coaches for the East and West All-Star teams are based on teams with the best winning percentage in each conference following the Sunday games (Feb. 5) played two weeks prior to the All-Star Game.