ducks
06-06-2005, 11:30 PM
Pistons survive to face Spurs in NBA Finals
By LARRY LAGE, AP Sports Writer
June 6, 2005
MIAMI (AP) -- The past two champions will meet in the NBA Finals.
The defending champion Detroit Pistons beat the Miami Heat 88-82 Monday night in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals, advancing to face the San Antonio Spurs.
San Antonio, which won the title in 1999 and 2003, has been resting and practicing since eliminating Phoenix in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals on June 1.
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Game 1 is Thursday night in San Antonio and Game 2 is there Sunday before the series shifts to suburban Detroit for Games 3 and 4, and if necessary, 5. The best-of-seven series would wrap up back in San Antonio with two more games.
The Pistons and Spurs split their season series, each winning at home.
San Antonio beat Detroit 80-77 on Dec. 3, behind Tony Parker's 20 points and Tim Duncan's 18 points and 18 rebounds. The Pistons rallied from a 21-point deficit and got within one of the Spurs, before they held on for the victory.
When they met March 20, some billed the game as an NBA Finals preview, but both teams played the angle down because they said too many things could happen over the next three months.
Duncan left the game after turning his right ankle early in the game, but the Spurs put together a gritty performance before Detroit pulled away and won 110-101. Chauncey Billups scored 25 points, including five straight to blunt a late rally by San Antonio. Pistons coach Larry Brown was not on the bench, missing his fourth straight game after having surgery related to a November hip operation.
Both San Antonio and Detroit needed just five games to advance in the first round and were pushed to a Game 6 in the conference semifinals.
The Spurs got past Denver after losing their postseason opener while the Pistons eliminated Philadelphia.
Peppered by unwanted questions about the infamous brawl with Indiana and its fans, Detroit fell behind the Pacers 2-1 before Rasheed Wallace guaranteed the Pistons would win Game 4, which they did, and followed that with two more victories to advance to their third straight conference finals.
The Spurs were also tied 2-2 in their second-round series with Seattle before winning two straight.
San Antonio knocked off the top-seeded Phoenix Suns with stunning ease, 4-1, while the Pistons had to rally from a 3-2 deficit to beat the Heat, including picking up a rare road win in a Game 7 :rolleyes
By LARRY LAGE, AP Sports Writer
June 6, 2005
MIAMI (AP) -- The past two champions will meet in the NBA Finals.
The defending champion Detroit Pistons beat the Miami Heat 88-82 Monday night in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals, advancing to face the San Antonio Spurs.
San Antonio, which won the title in 1999 and 2003, has been resting and practicing since eliminating Phoenix in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals on June 1.
ADVERTISEMENT
Game 1 is Thursday night in San Antonio and Game 2 is there Sunday before the series shifts to suburban Detroit for Games 3 and 4, and if necessary, 5. The best-of-seven series would wrap up back in San Antonio with two more games.
The Pistons and Spurs split their season series, each winning at home.
San Antonio beat Detroit 80-77 on Dec. 3, behind Tony Parker's 20 points and Tim Duncan's 18 points and 18 rebounds. The Pistons rallied from a 21-point deficit and got within one of the Spurs, before they held on for the victory.
When they met March 20, some billed the game as an NBA Finals preview, but both teams played the angle down because they said too many things could happen over the next three months.
Duncan left the game after turning his right ankle early in the game, but the Spurs put together a gritty performance before Detroit pulled away and won 110-101. Chauncey Billups scored 25 points, including five straight to blunt a late rally by San Antonio. Pistons coach Larry Brown was not on the bench, missing his fourth straight game after having surgery related to a November hip operation.
Both San Antonio and Detroit needed just five games to advance in the first round and were pushed to a Game 6 in the conference semifinals.
The Spurs got past Denver after losing their postseason opener while the Pistons eliminated Philadelphia.
Peppered by unwanted questions about the infamous brawl with Indiana and its fans, Detroit fell behind the Pacers 2-1 before Rasheed Wallace guaranteed the Pistons would win Game 4, which they did, and followed that with two more victories to advance to their third straight conference finals.
The Spurs were also tied 2-2 in their second-round series with Seattle before winning two straight.
San Antonio knocked off the top-seeded Phoenix Suns with stunning ease, 4-1, while the Pistons had to rally from a 3-2 deficit to beat the Heat, including picking up a rare road win in a Game 7 :rolleyes