New York, NY -- Flip Saunders to coach Eastern Conference All-Stars

Detroit Pistons head man Flip Saunders was named the coach of the Eastern Conference All-Stars on Thursday.

Saunders and his staff earned that right after Detroit defeated the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday. The win combined with the Cleveland Cavaliers' loss to Denver Nuggets clinched the best possible winning percentage in the conference for the Pistons through February 5.

Saunders, who coached the Western Conference in 2004, becomes just the sixth coach in NBA history to lead both the Eastern Conference and Western Conference All-Stars. He joins Larry Brown, Alex Hannum, Phil Jackson, Pat Riley and Lenny Wilkens as the only men to accomplish that feat.

The NBA All-Star game will be held on Sunday, February 19 at the Toyota Center in Houston. Starters for the game will be announced on February 2, while the reserves will be named on February 9.

In his first season as head coach in Detroit, Saunders and the Pistons have compiled a 31-5 record, the best mark in the conference.

Saunders was fired by the Minnesota Timberwolves in February after 9 1/2 years of service. Saunders went 411-326 with the T-Wolves, but besides his club's success during the regular season, his teams got past the first round of the playoffs only once, prompting his departure.