Pistons vs. Spurs

[The Bartender]

Re: That's why I said game 5 is huge

Originally posted by Bonhomme
... because I'd be most surprised if the Spurs win game 5 and the Pistons take 6 & 7. That's the least likely scenario of all. I'd give about 40-1 odds against that happening.

Nice odds...too bad I wont bet against them because it IS the least likely way of things happening.

 

[supajsilver2]

Pistons have an incredible home court advantage. The Palace is arguably one of the loudest places to play in (I know I'm gonna get a guy to mention how everyone in Detroit is a gangsta thug punk who is an awful fan because the brawl somehow represents everyone) and the Spurs can't take it I don't think. Duncan looked like a depressed little ***** sitting next to Popovich last game. They can't take the heat from Detroit. I'm confident the Pistons will win game 5...but I don't know if they can close on the road.

Yes, I live in Michigan.

 

[The Bartender]

If the Pistons win game 5 at home they will win the championship. They have found the drive and energy to win at least one of road games.

 

[MindOverMatter]

I stand by my prediction. Detroit will win 2/3 games at home.

Someone give me a phd. I knew Spurs would win one game in Detroit. This was the one game Pistons couldn't afford to lose, not because it was a game 5 in a tied series, but because it was a game of willpower.

Spurs have their confidence back now (hopefully Duncan will stop f*cking up now, that didn't need to go into OT), and are going back home. I stand by my earlier prediction, Spurs in 6.

edit - p.s. that game stressed the sh!t out of me lol.

 

[Nocturnal]

Originally posted by MindOverMatter
edit - p.s. that game stressed the sh!t out of me lol.

What a game

 

[Bonhomme]

Pistons flat out blew it

They were crazy to run the clock with 30some seconds left. The Spurs -- who were blazing hot from 3 -- were going to get the ball back. So the only strategy that made sense for the Pistons was to play their offense, and work for the best shot they can get as soon as possible, but be a little more careful about not forcing bad shots than usual.

As it is, they ran out their own 24 second clock, had to take a crap shot, and gave the Spurs the game by not having someone stuck like glue on the man who had the hot hand.

That, and the Pistons were only playing "C" defense for most of the game. They tightened up when they got 9 behind late. They can beat the Spurs consistently if they bring their "A" game on defense -- but perhaps not at San Antonio, where they'll get fouls called for looking at the guys they're guarding.

It was one hell of a game. But the Spurs deserved it, and the Pistons didn't.

 

[Oxide]

Im glad i watched the last 4 minutes! Awesome!

Billups is an idiot for not going 2 for 1. 33 secs and he takes 20 to figure out what to do (granted there could have been a foul there).

Duncan had to literaly tap the ball in. miss.

Hamilton is an idiot. Good elbow and a good shot

 

[The Bartender]

Absolutely retarded to not guard Horry (the best post season 3 point shooter), stupid shot by Billups, stupid shot by Hamilton.

 

[Bonhomme]

Pistons can win at San Antonio

... but they have to do all the right things, and hope there aren't too many breaks that go against them.

Keys to game 6:

Pistons:

1) Bring their "A" game on defense. Keep swatting at the ball, shut out Ginobili and Parker fron the paint, play really physical on Duncan.

2) Just accept the fact they'll get a lot of bad calls. Don't let the fouls get to their heads. Play D, rotate the players as if their personal foul totals don't exist, and assume some will foul out ... hopefully when they're already well ahead, which they should be if they play like that. The last 3 games have shown they can shut down the Spurs when they really attack the ball at all times and bring a physical presence inside, fouls be damned.

3) Move the ball on offense. None of this ineffective static offense with too much individual forcing of shots and drives when they aren't there, like the Pistons did in at the end of game 5.

Spurs:

1) Come out blazing. Play as aggressive on offense as the Pistons play on defense. Attack the basket to draw fouls, and a few questionable calls to get the Pistons out of their heads. Blocking will get called, rather than charging, 90% of the time. Do everything they can to make the Pistons lose their cool to take them out of their defensive game.

2) Hope the Pistons don't bring their "A" defensive game.

 

[Bonhomme]

Pistons haven't brought their "A" defense

It's amazing they're hanging so close playing the Spurs' game.

The only thing the Pistons have been doing in the 1st half they needed to do is to move the ball on offense. But the defensive attack is just not there: way too may uncontested drives and shots -- on both sides really. The Spurs can play better D, too.

They Pistons are just too afraid of fouling. I may just blow off the 2nd half, and do some work I need to get done. If the Pistons don't want it enough, the Spurs flat-out deserve it. But I don't like to watch a capable team give it away....

EDIT: Defense arrived in 2nd half. On to game 7....

 

[Bonhomme]

Should be one hell of a game 7

The game hardly anybody expected to happen.

I think the Pistons are a little better team, overall, when they play their very best, but the Spurs have a very tough building to play in as a visitor.

The real key to game 7 is how well the Spurs will be able to penetrate and score in the paint, and how well they can dish off and get 3s when it isn't there for them.

If the Pistons shut off the paint it will be very hard for the Spurs to win. If the Spurs can get inside, and get in their groove, they could run away with it, especially if the Pistons lose their sh1t about some foul calls.

Should be an interesting game. All bets are off here ...

************

I think the Heat was actually the best team this year. That injury to Wade in game 5 against the Pistons did them in. When Wade was at full strength, nobody could stop him.

But every year Shaq's gonna be slowing down, so this year may have been their best shot. And if Artest hadn't singlehandedly ass-fvcked the Pacers' season, who knows how strong they would be: they gave Detroit a bloody tough series as it was ...

 

[MindOverMatter]

SPURS WIN BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Bonhomme]

Settle down, there, MOM...

Granted, it was a bit unexpected, but what the hell.

Post-mortem, as I see it:

The Spurs did what they had to do. They moved the ball very well, and played solid D. No particular player stood out, though Horry made the biggest shots again. Ginobili's drives put the dagger in the corpse. Props to the Spurs for an excellent effort.

As for the Pistons... they played OK on D. About a "B" defensive game overall. Good enough D to win.

But the biggest factor was Larry Brown's thoroughly unbelievable bonehead susbstitution at the end of the 3d, taking out both Sheed and McDyess (who played a very solid game), and playing 4 guards, who were thoroughly overmatched by the Spurs' offense, which sent the Pistons reeling, and handed the Spurs the momentum for good.

Before that dumbass move, it was the Pistons' kind of game: nothing was coming easy for either team. Something like 52-47 with 3:00 left in the 3d. Playing the 4 guards wore them out, took the Pistons out of their defensive game, and got the Spurs going and had the Pistons playing from behind in a tough building.

And Sheed didn't foul out, and nobody else ended up with more than 4 fouls, when all was said and done. Mc Dyess played every bit as well as Sheed, anyway. I almost wonder if Brown was on the take.

The Pistons played decent offense until the Brown screwup. After that they didn't move the ball, nor exploit Sheed's ability to shoot over Duncan almost at will.

Next year? In the East, look for Indiana to re-emerge if Artest doesn't ass-fvck their season again and they stay healthy. The Heat will have a good shot, with Mourning taking over Shaq's role to some extent. The Pistons... dunno.... their starters are still not too old, and their stock is down a bit, so I doubt any of them will be going anywhere, but something's missing. They should definitely start working Darko, and see what he can do. He's now kinda like their other "castoffs" were before the Pistons got them.

In the West, of course the Spurs will be there, barring significant injuries. I can't see anybody else in the West competing with the Spurs or being able to handle Eatern Conference physicality and D, though there will be a pack of others cometing hard for the chance to get sacrificed to the Spurs.

Interesting final series. All in all, I thought the Pistons were the more capable of the 2 teams, but could not overcome the Spurs' home advantage and their own coach's foul trouble hangup, which borders on psychiatric. And the Heat was the most capable team of all, but could not take out the Pistons with Wade (the true playoff MVP) at about 50-70%.

Still, whatever the case, the Spurs won fair and square. Once again, props to the Spurs for a great team effort, and I expect they'll be here again next year. That's the way basketball's supposed to be played.

 

[SELF-MASTERY]

This was a great series because it was between two teams that understand what team means, both teams are great at moving the ball and defense. No fa*s like kobe or iverson stinking everything up.

 

[Bonhomme]

I object

... top putting Iverson in the same dog house as Kobe. I can't blame Iverson for having a lame supporting cast. He played with uber-class.

But Kobe ... now that's a different story.

Point well taken about the Spurs and Pistons. As much as the press tries to tout the Spurs' "3 stars," this game was a classic team effort.

 

[Oxide]

And the Heat was the most capable team of all, but could not take out the Pistons with Wade (the true playoff MVP)

Amen. Although i love the Heat, i think they would have hard time matching Spurs in the finals. Wade and Shaq are good, but everyone else is a wild card, nobody knows how they will perform.

I hope T-wolves re-emerge as a powerhouse in the west. With Spree going and Cassell HOPEFULLY retiring, we need some new talent. I heard something about Ray Allen not being happy at Seatlle, now that would be just badass to get him

 

[MindOverMatter]

Re: Settle down, there, MOM...

Originally posted by Bonhomme
Granted, it was a bit unexpected, but what the hell.

Post-mortem, as I see it:

The Spurs did what they had to do. They moved the ball very well, and played solid D. No particular player stood out, though Horry made the biggest shots again. Ginobili's drives put the dagger in the corpse. Props to the Spurs for an excellent effort.

As for the Pistons... they played OK on D. About a "B" defensive game overall. Good enough D to win.

But the biggest factor was Larry Brown's thoroughly unbelievable bonehead susbstitution at the end of the 3d, taking out both Sheed and McDyess (who played a very solid game), and playing 4 guards, who were thoroughly overmatched by the Spurs' offense, which sent the Pistons reeling, and handed the Spurs the momentum for good.

Before that dumbass move, it was the Pistons' kind of game: nothing was coming easy for either team. Something like 52-47 with 3:00 left in the 3d. Playing the 4 guards wore them out, took the Pistons out of their defensive game, and got the Spurs going and had the Pistons playing from behind in a tough building.

And Sheed didn't foul out, and nobody else ended up with more than 4 fouls, when all was said and done. Mc Dyess played every bit as well as Sheed, anyway. I almost wonder if Brown was on the take.

The Pistons played decent offense until the Brown screwup. After that they didn't move the ball, nor exploit Sheed's ability to shoot over Duncan almost at will.

Next year? In the East, look for Indiana to re-emerge if Artest doesn't ass-fvck their season again and they stay healthy. The Heat will have a good shot, with Mourning taking over Shaq's role to some extent. The Pistons... dunno.... their starters are still not too old, and their stock is down a bit, so I doubt any of them will be going anywhere, but something's missing. They should definitely start working Darko, and see what he can do. He's now kinda like their other "castoffs" were before the Pistons got them.

In the West, of course the Spurs will be there, barring significant injuries. I can't see anybody else in the West competing with the Spurs or being able to handle Eatern Conference physicality and D, though there will be a pack of others cometing hard for the chance to get sacrificed to the Spurs.

Interesting final series. All in all, I thought the Pistons were the more capable of the 2 teams, but could not overcome the Spurs' home advantage and their own coach's foul trouble hangup, which borders on psychiatric. And the Heat was the most capable team of all, but could not take out the Pistons with Wade (the true playoff MVP) at about 50-70%.

Still, whatever the case, the Spurs won fair and square. Once again, props to the Spurs for a great team effort, and I expect they'll be here again next year. That's the way basketball's supposed to be played.

Haha what can I say, I'm happy. ALL of my friends are Detroit fans and I had to put up with them the entire playoffs.

What won the game:

1.) Duncan finally regaining confidence and starting to dominate. I knew as soon as Duncan started hitting his free throws, he'd start playing well. That's his achilles heel. When he misses free throws, he loses all his confidence and starts playing bad and missing easy shots (like the end of game 5). If he makes them, he dominates.

He played perfectly in the 2nd half in my opinion. Great shots, amazing assists (like when he passed the ball to Ginbili and Bowen, drawing two 3 pters) and LOTS of offensive rebounding.

2.) Taking Burce Bowen off Hamilton and putting him on Billups. This was HUGE. Billups is the one guy in Detroit that can change the flow of the game for them in the later parts of the game. In game 6 he scored 2 threes in 3rd, and that's what won them the game pretty much. Putting Bowen on him totally neutralized his scoring.

3.) Putting Parker on Hamilton. This worked out GREAT. Parker is a very fast guy that will chase Rip off screens and make him struggle to make shots. It was perfect.

4.) Lots of 3 point plays from the Spurs, almost none from the Pistons. Horry, Bowen Ginobili, and Barry scored 7 threes on 11 attempts. Spurs ball movement and Pistons two-maning Duncan / Ginobili provided SA with lots of openings for threes.

On the other hand, Detroit scored 2 threes the whole game, one from Prince, one from Rasheed. Their ball movement didn't create openings for their 3 pt shooters, and Spurs D didn't give them any easy ones.

5.) Brown taking out Rasheed and Mcdyess. They were the ones making Duncan struggle. When he took them out, Duncan started making big plays and regained his confidence. After that, they couldn't do a thing to stop him.