Detroit News Articles

[ZStomp]

http://www.detnews.com/2005/pistons/0506/10/H01-211470.htm

SAN ANTONIO -- The Pistons probably knew it before, but they sure know it now.

When playing the San Antonio Spurs, especially at the SBC Center, there is very little margin for error.

There is no room, for example, for 13 turnovers, which the Spurs turned into a fast 15 points. Getting outrebounded by 14 and giving up 18 second-chance points also can't happen.

Shooting 37.7 percent is not good. Getting four turnovers, seven fouls and only two baskets from the bench until the final minute is simply insufficient.

The Spurs sputtered early, found their balance, then steamrolled the Pistons, 84-69, Thursday night in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

It is only the second time in two years the Pistons have lost Game 1 of a playoff series. The 69 points are their lowest output in a Finals game.

"They had a lot to do with that," Pistons coach Larry Brown said of the Spurs' defense. "I thought they defended us as well as any team has all year."

Manu Ginobili, who was limited to four points in the first half, scored 15 in the fourth quarter and finished with 26 points and nine rebounds.

"It was a great defensive battle for a long time, then Manu Ginobili did what you saw him do," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "That was the difference."

"We didn't do anything to separate ourselves, really. Manu just played an unbelievable half ... he was something else."

Tim Duncan won round one against Rasheed Wallace. While Wallace got into foul trouble and managed six points on six shots, Duncan produced 24 points and 17 rebounds.

Wallace did have six blocks and eight rebounds.

The only individual competition the Pistons won was at point guard. Chauncey Billups had 25 points, but only six assists.

The Spurs' Tony Parker had 15 points, missing 10 of 17 shots.

Richard Hamilton was held to 14 points on 7-for-21 shooting.

But Hamilton and Billups took 37 of the Pistons' 77 shots. The Pistons can't live with that imbalance. Tayshaun Prince had 11 points on 12 shots, but Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess were a combined 6-for-19 shooting and weren't allowed to make much of an impact.

"They didn't do nothing to stop Rasheed," Prince said. "We didn't get him the ball. We kind of went away from Rasheed. They didn't do nothing."

The Spurs' backcourt also outrebounded the Pistons', 13-5, including Ginobili's nine.

"We have to get in there and help," Billups said. "Their guards got in there and did a good job digging out balls. We have to help our big guys."

Ginobili scored eight points in a 19-6 run to start the fourth quarter, putting the Spurs 74-57 with just over five minutes left.

Ginobili's burst was triggered by what the Pistons felt was a bad call against Ben Wallace. The Pistons trailed by just two when Ginobili crashed into Wallace, who was stationary and standing outside the circle. Wallace was called for the foul and earned a technical for arguing the decision.

It ended up being a three-point possession for the Spurs.

"That was the turning point, right there," Hamilton said.

The Pistons made one last rush. Billups and Hamilton each scored four points in a 10-0 run to cut the Spurs' lead to seven with 3:19 left.

But after another offensive rebound, Ginobili drove unimpeded to the basket and dunked. On the next possession, he drained a three-pointer.

Lights out.

"Other than the first six or seven minutes of the game, we never matched their energy," Brown said. "Their effort was phenomenal. They made most of the hustle plays, they kept balls alive, they got to most of the loose balls."

Billups didn't see it that way.

"It wasn't like they outworked us," Billups said. "They outplayed us. When you are in the Finals and you have two great teams like this, execution becomes the key. They outexecuted us tonight."

[ZStomp]

http://www.detnews.com/2005/pistons/0506/10/A01-211511.htm

SPURRED

San Antonio outhustles Detroit to prevail in opener

By Bob Wojnowski / The Detroit News
Bob Wojnowski
Image
Daniel Mears / The Detroit News

Manu Ginobili of the Spurs, who led all scorers Thursday with 26 points, drives past Piston Ben Wallace. The game lived up to the series' billing as a slugfest between the NBA's defensive giants.

Game 1 problem

What was the biggest problem for the Pistons in their Game 1 loss to the Spurs?
Lack of bench contribution
Rasheed Wallace had a bad game
The Spurs' defense

Daniel Mears / The Detroit News

SAN ANTONIO -- The Pistons pride themselves on their toughness, and uniqueness, and defense. But when the NBA Finals began Thursday night, they were instantly reminded of the daunting task ahead.

San Antonio excels at the exact same things.

Whatever the Pistons did, the Spurs did better. Whatever the Pistons tried, the Spurs tried harder. You throw together the NBA's two best defenses, toss up the ball and tell them basketball's biggest prize is at stake and, well, someone's going to get dirty.

San Antonio drew first blood, and first mud.

The Spurs pounded the defending champs 84-69 to grab a 1-0 lead in the NBA Finals, with Game 2 here Sunday night.

The biggest spectacle in basketball has a few stains on it today, after these two combatants slugged it out all night, to see who could stand and shoot. For the Pistons, it was uglier than it needed to be. We know this was just the opener, but the only question either team will face this series is this: Who can score?

The Spurs came up with two answers, Tim Duncan (24 points) and Manu Ginobili (26). The Pistons settled for one, Chauncey Billups (25). That's not nearly enough.

"They defended us better than any team all year," Pistons coach Larry Brown said. "I think most of it came because of their effort. Their effort was phenomenal the whole game."

What this game lacked in, ahem, elegance, San Antonio made up for with persistence. After the Pistons roared to a 17-4 lead, they were picked apart, then fell apart and scrambled to recover.

The Pistons caved a bit to frustration, again, but this time it was more understandable. It didn't help that Ben Wallace was called for a questionable foul trying to guard Ginobili early in the fourth quarter, with the Spurs up by only two. Wallace ripped off his headband and threw it, and was slapped with a technical. From there, San Antonio took off, and Detroit deflated.

Heck, every time the Pistons looked across the floor, they saw a team doing what they do, pushed by a rowdy home crowd, inspired by Ginobili, who seemed to get faster as the game got later. Every time Rip Hamilton looked up, he saw the Spurs' Bruce Bowen in his face.

"We missed so many easy shots, a lot of layups, a lot of 5-foot jump shots," Hamilton said. "We've just got to relax a little bit, take our time and run our offense."

There was little time or space in this one, and that doesn't figure to change as the series unfolds. Before it even began, there was the typical national hand-wringing about the Pistons' and Spurs' defensive styles. It's as if some observers worry the Pistons' muddy handprints will ruin the NBA's showcase event. What they decline to note is, the muddy handprints are what set Detroit and San Antonio apart from the rest of the league.

Here's a thought. Maybe if other teams -- hello Miami, hello Phoenix -- relied less on flash and more on mash, they'd show up in these events more often. It's funny because almost every other sport celebrates defense, but in the NBA, it's a nasty word.

The flash came before the game, when actor Will Smith took the floor for a singing, dancing show. Oh, there was some flash during the game, like when Billups dribbled toward the hoop, faked a behind-the-back pass to freeze defender Robert Horry, then swept in for the layup. That was an ohh-ahh moment, a classic big-game play by Billups, the reigning Finals MVP who tried desperately to keep the Pistons in the game.

Most of the moments from both teams were more eww-ahh, unless you crave blocked shots and missed shots. The low score couldn't have pleased viewers who prefer their basketball as some sort of athletic ballet. This definitely was not ballet. This was more like square-dancing, in clogs.

But no matter how bright the spotlight, the game still comes down to the little things, the rebounds, the layups, the free throws. The Pistons did everything -- big and little -- early. They raced to that 17-4 lead, and the Spurs looked like they couldn't believe the defense they were seeing.

Rasheed Wallace was trying mightily to bother Duncan but the Big Spur was still everywhere, and inexplicably, the Pistons stopped going to Wallace. That can't happen again because Wallace is too valuable in Detroit's offense to be ignored.

The Spurs can do that to a team, though, make a guy just disappear. Before the Pistons were the defensive scourge of the NBA, it was San Antonio's role, winning the title in 1999 and 2003.

"I don't know whether (the Pistons) got tired or not," Duncan said, asked about Detroit's fourth-quarter malaise. "But what we wanted to do was keep the pressure on them and keep pushing it back at them."

Pushing forward, pushing back. Get used to this, America. These teams are all arms and attitude, swatting at everything, from basketballs to perceptions. It might not get any prettier, but it probably will get tighter.

The Pistons are too much like the Spurs to stay down for too long. San Antonio got the first swats in, and now the Pistons know exactly how it feels when they do it to others.

The champs recognized their opponent Thursday night, all too well. What they do, the Spurs do. What they did, the Spurs did quicker. What the Pistons do now, they'll have to do considerably better.

You can reach Bob Wojnowski at [email protected].

[ZStomp]

http://www.detnews.com/2005/pistons/0506/10/H01-211486.htm

SAN ANTONIO -- The road to the NBA title is, well, on the road.

Before Thursday night, the Pistons knew if they wanted to repeat as champions, they would have to win one, maybe even two games, against San Antonio at the SBC Center.

But they blew a golden opportunity to win Game 1 of the NBA Finals. They went through one of their infamous dry spells in the third quarter en route to an 84-69 loss.

"We missed a lot of easy shots tonight," said Rip Hamilton, who made 7 of 21 field-goal attempts for 14 points. "You just have to relax a little bit. We have to take our time and run our offense."

Worse than the Pistons' offensive struggles was their not playing solid defense in the second half. Manu Ginobili, who had four first-half points, ran wild. He hit 9 of 10 shots in the last two quarters and finished with 26 points.

And just like that, the Pistons, who had a chance to steal the home court from the Spurs, are in a 1-0 hole. Game 2 is Sunday night.

Winning Game 1 on the road is the equivalent of knocking on someone's front door. When that person answers, you punch him in the face as hard as you can. Not only do you get his attention, you also make him scared, defensive.

The Pistons didn't waste any time making themselves at home, jumping to a 13-point first-quarter lead.

At the start of the fourth, the Pistons trailed, 55-51. They were in position to steal Game 1. They simply didn't get the job done in the second half.

"We didn't play as well as we could have liked to play, but we were right there," Lindsey Hunter said.

Added Chauncey Billups: "We got a good lead but forgot how we got it."

And how.

The Pistons, who shot 38 percent from the field, can't feel good. The team that has won Game 1 of the Finals has gone on to win 42 of the 58 series.

"I thought we had some energy, but we failed to execute like we should have," Billups said. "In the Finals like this, with two good teams, execution is key. They out-executed us in a few key stretches, and it hurt us."

The Pistons could have set a tone, put the Spurs on their heels. The Spurs would have had the pressure of having to win Game 2. Instead, it's the Pistons that can ill afford to fall behind 2-0.

But in order to win away from home, you must play flawlessly late in games, not panic in the face of pressure, execute at crunch time and get stops.

The Pistons didn't do those things. So they missed a good chance to win, just as a lot of their shots missed in the second half.

You can reach Rob Parker at [email protected].

[ZStomp]

http://www.detnews.com/2005/pistons/0506/10/H01-211488.htm

SAN ANTONIO -- The Pistons needed something, anything, to spark them back to life in the second half of Thursday's Game 1 in the NBA Finals.

Colletively, the bench shot 4-for-17, with only eight points. Only one free throw was attempted, and that was missed by forward Antonio McDyess.

Pistons coach Larry Brown first turned to Lindsey Hunter, but he got into quick foul trouble and had to sit.

Hunter only had two points with two turnovers in 16 minutes.

Hunter's frustration was apparent, especially with being called for an offensive charge after trying to push off close-playing Spurs guard Manu Ginobili in the second quarter.

"You have to give the Spurs credit, I think we played even with them," Hunter said. "Although they out-rebounded us and had a lot of hustle plays.

"Hey, it's just the first game."

The rest of the bench didn't fare any better than Hunter.

McDyess rimmed out shot after shot, unable to find his patented jumper from the side. He ended up with a 1-for-8 night and two points in 23 minutes.

And then Brown even turned to guard Carlos Arroyo, in wake of Hunter's foul situation. Arroyo couldn't make anything happen, with a turnover and two points in 13 minutes.

The Spurs' bench had just nine points and 10 rebounds.

But the Pistons needed the spark more than the Spurs, and the bench couldn't come through.

[ZStomp]

http://www.detnews.com/2005/pistons/0506/10/H01-211493.htm

SAN ANTONIO -- Spurs guard Manu Ginobili needed a little time to find his bearings in Thursday's Game 1 of the NBA Finals. But when Ginobili got in the swing of things, the Pistons were in serious trouble.

He dominated the second half, singlehandedly burying the Pistons in a hail of circus shots, aggressive drives, and shots that had the shooter's roll.

Ginobili was bottled up by the Pistons in the first half, shooting 1-for-6 with only four points and two assists.

"I was angry with how I played, I wanted to change," Ginobili said. "I don't know if I was nervous or rusty of what, I was not playing well. I was not seeing that was going wrong, going and finishing. They have a good defense. When you go past the first line, you need to kick it over to an open teammate.

"I was angry at halftime, but I calmed myself down. I decided to play slower, and things started to go better."

Ginobili went after the heart of the Pistons' defense, scoring 22 of his 26 points in the second half. He had 15 in the fourth quarter. He also had nine rebounds.

At the start of the final quarter, Ginobili drove hard into Ben Wallace. He drew the foul on Wallace, who was so angered by the call that he was hit with a technical.

The next play, Ginobili drove again, going again at Wallace.

Ginobili struck again a few possessions later, as he drew contact and threw up a prayer jumper. The shot bounced around on the rim, getting the lucky shooter's roll. And, Ginobili got the foul too. "He was unbelievable, he was great," Spurs forward Tim Duncan said. "We just stood around and kind of looked at him while he made great shots. "

[ZStomp]

http://www.detnews.com/2005/pistons/0506/10/H02-211454.htm

SAN ANTONIO -- Larry Brown almost went two full days without having to answer questions about his future, and for that he can thank Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.

For two days, reporters from around the world have been somewhat obsessed about the long-time friendship between Brown and Popovich and the odd dynamic of two people who are that close being on opposing sides in the NBA Finals.

But Brown was brought back to the Cleveland Cavaliers issue by Bob Costas, with whom Brown conducted an interview on Wednesday.

"The first 10 questions were about Cleveland," Brown said, shaking his head. "I told him I didn't know what else there was to say about that."

Everything is as it was two weeks ago. Brown will visit the Mayo Clinic once the season is over.

If he is cleared to coach, he wants to coach, and he wants to coach the Pistons.

If he isn't medically fit to coach, he would entertain other options, one of which, apparently, is taking a job as president of basketball operations for the Cavaliers.

The Cavs, meanwhile, apparently are protecting themselves in case Brown decides to stay in coaching or go elsewhere. They have had informal talks with Denver Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe.

"(Costas) told me that he was hearing that even if I wanted to come back, that the Pistons weren't going to bring me back," Brown said.

"I said, 'I don't think they are going to fire me.'"

No, team president Joe Dumars confirmed Thursday that the Pistons are not planning to fire Brown. "Of course we would want him back," Dumars said. "Larry knows that."

Dumars said, as he has repeatedly, that the plan is to wait for the medical report. and then to proceed from there.

Brown, on radio station WDFN 1130, said Tuesday he hoped Dumars would speak up and help stop all the talk.

"I wish Joe would jump up and just tell them what we've talked about every single day since January," Brown said.

That's not going to happen. Dumars has purposely stayed out of it from the start.

His attitude, apparently, is that he didn't initiate all the talk with the Knicks, or the Lakers, or the Nuggets, or the Cavaliers and so it isn't really his job to make it go away.

And, try as he might, Brown can't make it completely go away either. Although, having Popovich on the opposite bench has helped.

[ZStomp]

http://www.detnews.com/2005/pistons/0506/10/H02-211452.htm

SAN ANTONIO -- Richard Hamilton outscored Bruce Bowen 14-0 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night -- score the victory for Bowen.

"Bowen was phenomenal," Pistons coach Larry Brown said. "He really made it tough on Rip."

Hamilton missed 14 of 21 shots. He only had one assist with two turnovers. He was held to seven points under his playoff average.

But Hamilton chafed at the suggestion that Bowen bothered him.

"He played well," Hamilton said. "He tried to make me go to my second and third options. But the good thing is, I got every shot I wanted. Every shot I took I was comfortable with, I just didn't make them."

Twelve of Hamilton's misses were inside 14 feet, including six layups.

"We missed so many easy shots," Hamilton said. "We just need to relax a little bit. We were tied in the fourth quarter and usually we are good in those situations. We need to relax and just run our offense."

Hamilton was determined not to let Bowen pester him and the results were inconclusive. He did get good shots, but Bowen definitely made him work.

"You can't let him get into your head," Hamilton said.

The fact that Hamilton scored seven under his playoff average has been par for the course for Bowen in the postseason.

He has hounded Carmelo Anthony, Ray Allen and Shawn Marion thus far and held all three under their season scoring averages. He completely shut down Marion in the Western Conference finals, holding him to 7.8 points in five games.

"He's going to bring what he always brings," Tim Duncan said of Bowen. "It's just that focus, that intensity on defense where he locks in on someone, whether it be Rip or someone else. It doesn't really matter."

Bowen has been characterized by several players, most loudly by Allen, as playing dirty. Hamilton won't take it that far, but he acknowledges that Bowen will use every trick available.

"He's a guy that really takes pride in his defense," Hamilton said. "He's not worried about offense at all. He's a guy that really comes out and tries to use every part of his body. He's not a guy that will reach and try to get steals. He'll try to bump you with his hips, his legs, his knees, everything else."

He has had some success against Hamilton earlier this season -- holding him to 9.5 points and 8-for-26 shooting in two games. But that is a bit deceiving since the Spurs deployed a zone defense for much of the second game.

"I am just going to try to keep moving," Hamilton said. "I am going to run him off screens, stay in constant movement and try to use my quickness."

Bowen did his usual clutching and grabbing, but Hamilton was at times to quick to corral.

"Everybody tries to grab and do all of that (physical) stuff," he said. "You can't feed into that. Once you feed into that, he's got you."

Not in tune

Hall of Famer Julius Erving, speaking recently in a league-wide teleconference, said he saw some disturbing signs with the Pistons.

"I noticed during the series with Miami that Detroit suffered a little bit in terms of veteran players actually tuning out some of what was being said on the sideline," he said. "I think Detroit suffered for that.

"That series was probably extended because there were many times when I could actually read Larry's (coach Larry Brown's) lips and he was saying some very simple stuff like, 'Make the extra pass' or 'You guys gotta share the ball,' and they'd come out of the huddle and somebody would put their head down and drive to the basket, get in trouble, make a turnover, take a bad shot, whatever. Because they'd tuned him out. They'd tuned him out."

Well, that's not entirely true. What Dr. J might not realize is, Brown has yelled those messages over and over throughout the last two seasons. It's not that they tune him out; it's embedded in their psyche. They try to do too much individually at times, but not to spite Brown. It's more of a competitive reaction.

"They can ill afford to do that against a team like San Antonio," Erving said.

"The only way they can overcome what I think is the advantage the Spurs have is to be 'one for all and all for one' and for the coach and the players to be in total sync every minute of every game."

In a zone

The Pistons had to spend extra time during a shoot-around Thursday dusting off their zone offense.

They hadn't had to play against zone defenses much in the postseason, but they expect the Spurs to use it in order to contain Chauncey Billups and protect Tim Duncan.

"They will zone on out-of-bounds plays with 14 seconds or less on the shot clock," Brown said. "They will zone when they think they have the right matchups on the floor, like when we go to our bench and maybe have two nonscorers out there."

Philadelphia and Miami didn't play zone at all. Indiana used it for only a couple of possessions.

The Spurs went to the zone almost the entire game against the Pistons in March after Duncan was injured.

"I can't remember the last time we played against a zone," Brown said. "We had to kind of go over a lot of that stuff again today."

Wildcats for life

Flash back to last summer. Tayshaun Prince, fresh off of winning an NBA title, was desperate to take his game to another level. Nazr Mohammed, fresh off another season of not making the playoffs, desperately wanted to establish himself as a legitimate starting NBA center.

The two young players -- former teammates at the University of Kentucky -- decided to get together and push each other toward their goals.

"We put in the hard work after last season," Mohammed told reporters Wednesday. "We really committed ourselves to improving this year. We both had steps we wanted to take in our careers, and I think we did it."

They ended up on opposing teams in the NBA Finals -- not too shabby.

"We didn't know if we were going to be able to get back to the Finals, either of us," Prince said. "To make it back at the same time, just one year later, that just makes it that much more sweet, to go up against your friend."

[ZStomp]

http://www.detnews.com/2005/pistons/0506/10/H03-211494.htm

SAN ANTONIO -- Bruce Bowen knows he won't be starring in those nightly NBA highlight compilations on TV.

What he does best is play defense, and well, that doesn't seem to make the cut for being cool, sexy, or must-see TV.

But Bowen doesn't care. His life, much like Ben Wallace's, is about the pride of shutting down the opponent.

"I take my defense very seriously," Bowen said. "It's a dedication to hard work, doing the little things that won't get you the glory.

"But in the end, if you do things right on the defensive end, the reward does come. There are no shortcuts."

Bowen has been on the all-defensive team for the last four of his nine seasons in the NBA. He is known for intense, in-your-face defense that can result in turnovers or offensive frustration.

But the frustration belonged more to Bowen for his quiet Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Two early fouls were enough to put him on the bench.

He wasn't much of a factor, going scoreless with two rebounds and two assists.

Bowen isn't normally that meek after averaging a career high in points (8.2) and rebounds (3.5) during the regular season.

But he did enough to disrupt Pistons guard Rip Hamilton, who scored only 14 and made 7 of 21 shots.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Bowen's art might not be appreciated by the masses, but those in the know in the NBA are well aware of him.

"That's why the coaches put him on the all-defensive team," Popovich said.

"There's a place for that, there's a need for that on your team. Having somebody like that helps the overall group set a tone.

"There are not very many like him (dedicated to defense)."

Becoming a defensive force doesn't happen overnight. Bowen explained it's an evolution combining skill, strategy and mental toughness.

"(I've grown) a whole lot over the past five years," he said.

"I look forward to getting better, you know, in different aspects of the game, and knowing better where my guy is and maybe I can help out someone else, so be it.

"But at the same time I think it's just I'm committed to doing what I have to do to stay on the court and if that's what helps our team win, then so be it."

Bowen's matchup with Hamilton presents an interesting contrast of physical play against shifty speed.

"I think that you know what he's capable of," Bowen said, "so with a guy that's capable of knocking down the shots he knocks down, you don't want him to get anything wide open.

"I think that's just leading him to a big night when you allow him to get shots that's wide open.

"My thing is I try to make sure that I get a hand up or contest as many shots as I can, so I don't want him taking wide-open shots.

"If he takes a wide-open shot and he missed two before, that's enough for him to put him into his rhythm."

You can reach Joanne C. Gerstner at [email protected] or (313) 223-4644.

[ZStomp]

http://www.detnews.com/2005/pistons/0506/10/H03-211492.htm

Duncan is rested, healthy

His right ankle is not 100 percent, but he has 24 points, 17 rebounds in Game 1 victory.

By Joanne C. Gerstner / The Detroit News

SAN ANTONIO -- Spurs forward Tim Duncan feels great.

Which could be bad news for the Pistons.

Duncan badly twisted his right ankle March 20 during a game at The Palace. He went up for a rebound, landed awkwardly and rolled the ankle all the way over.

It was painful to watch, and even more painful for Duncan to live through. He left the game immediately, and speculation turned to how effective he would be in the playoffs.

Fast forward a little more than two months. Duncan isn't still 100 percent healed, but good enough to put 24 points and 17 rebounds on the Pistons in Thursday's Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

"I struggled too starting out, I missed a dunk, I think things were not going my way," Duncan said. "But I had the opportunity to hit glass, got a putback or two, got some easy baskets and got myself rolling."

Duncan started roughly in Game 1, with two turnovers and seven points in the first quarter. He struggled initially against Rasheed Wallace's defense, much like the rest of his team did against the Pistons.

But Wallace's defensive presence fell away in a flurry of foul trouble.

Duncan finished the first half with 13 points and 13 rebounds.

Coming into the Finals, Duncan was averaging 24.9 points, 11.7 rebounds and three assists in the playoffs. He said he realized that day in Detroit could have been very different, even career-altering.

"I don't know what to say about that (recalling how he was injured), just trying not to think about it as much as possible," he said. "It happened, kind of a freak thing, and hopefully it will never happen again."

Plan B

Little-used Spurs reserve Glenn Robinson found himself front-and-center in Game 1, playing six minutes. He had two points and three rebounds, with three blocked shots.

He provided some good lift to the Spurs, using his big body to clog up the paint.

"He did a great job, considering he's been sitting around," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "He played some pretty good defense, got some boards.

"He had few minutes on (Tayshaun) Prince. He gave us good minutes he really helped us."

They said it ...

Popovich was asked to explain the oft-repeated Larry Brown mantra of "playing the right way." Since Popovich and Brown are close, it was thought that Popovich could shed some light into the theory.

"I think it's a bunch of baloney," Popovich said, laughing. "You'll have to ask him. What's the right way? I don't know. If it was me playing, give me the ball, I want to shoot. That's all I know. The rest of it is a bunch of baloney."

They said it, part II

Popovich on calling two early timeouts to get the Spurs back on track in the first quarter.

"I asked them if it wasn't too much trouble, if I wasn't being too pushy, if they could execute what we were trying to do," he said. "And if it didn't make them too angry, if they also wanted to play some defense on the other end, that would be great."

Quick shots

... The Spurs out-rebounded the Pistons 49-35.

... Rapper / actor Will Smith did a pregame show, performing his song "Switch" with a cadre of dancers and trick-shot basketball players.

... Alanis Morissette sang the national anthem.

Lite FM staple and Canadian rocker Bryant Adams performed live at halftime.

...The pro-Spurs crowd booed the loudest Pistons forward Rasheed Wallace during introductions.

... The Spurs were 1-for-7 from three-point range in the first half, with Robert Horry making the only one.

You can reach Joanne C. Gerstner at [email protected] or (313) 223-4644.

[ZStomp]

http://www.detnews.com/2005/pistons/0506/10/H04-211469.htm

Pistons' matchup vs. Spurs has value

Neither team has an exciting star, but games will draw fans because they'll be competitive.

Q. Will the Pistons-Spurs matchup make this an exciting NBA Finals?

A: Yes. Sure, there won't be the flash and excitement you might have gotten if the Suns or Heat were involved. Still, defense can be compelling. The Pistons and Spurs, the two best defensive teams in the league, are so much alike that fans could be drawn in as these two dig in against one another. You just can't imagine that there will be many, if any, blowouts. These games should be close until the end.

Q: Outside of Detroit and San Antonio, will NBA America watch this series on TV?

A: Not in the numbers you bet the NBA would like if it had a couple of the league's one-named stars such as Shaq or Kobe. Still, it's basketball. And as long as there aren't any lopsided games early in the series and it's not clear that one team is simply too good for the other, it'll do just fine. Especially if the best-of-seven series goes six games or the distance.

Q: Just like last year's Finals, the Pistons are the underdog. Is that correct?

A: Yes. On paper, opponents always seem to look better than the Pistons, especially when the Spurs are anchored by Tim Duncan, arguably the best all-around player in the league. The Pistons win as a team. That's not always something people feel comfortable about. They'd rather know a team has a superstar who can carry his team when things aren't going right.

Q: Why isn't Duncan a bigger star in the NBA?

A: It's his personality and his game. Neither is flashy or exciting. People want a little spice mixed into their food. Duncan, who is fundamentally sound and does everything well, is bland. People know he already has won two MVPs and two championships. Still, few talk about him because he's boring.

Q: If the Pistons' win the title, who would most likely be MVP of the Finals?

A: There are actually a couple of guys, starting with Rip Hamilton. He really has played well the last week or so. He has to continue it against a tough defender in Bruce Bowen. If Hamilton can get going, he'll have a great shot. Then, of course, there's Chauncey Billups, who won it last year when he torched the Lakers' Gary Payton. Last. but not least, Rasheed Wallace. Coming into Game 1, the Pistons were 8-0 in the playoffs when Wallace scored at least points. A big series from Wallace could win it for the Pistons.

Then again, Tayshaun Prince and Ben Wallace could play their way to the MVP trophy, too.

Q: Do the Spurs have a huge advantage because they have the home-court edge?

A: Huge might not be the right word. It will definitely help their cause, but the Pistons are a great road team. They have won a road games in each of their last seven playoff series. They are not scared of the SBC Center.

Q: Will Pistons coach Larry Brown go soft on his close friend, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich?

A: No way. Brown loves Pop, the best man at his wedding. But don't let all the kind words fool you. Brown, who is very competitive, wants to win. He lives for this moment, a chance to win another title.

[SilverPlayer]

Q: Why isn't Duncan a bigger star in the NBA?

A: It's his personality and his game. Neither is flashy or exciting. People want a little spice mixed into their food. Duncan, who is fundamentally sound and does everything well, is bland. People know he already has won two MVPs and two championships. Still, few talk about him because he's boring.

This after just defneding the Pistons lack of me first superstar attitude. C'mon, give me a break with the boring crap. You're the marketing department for your franchise at least talk up your own team and your opponents a little bit.

/good articles over all though

[GINNNNNNNNNNNNOBILI]

I'm annoyed at how the national media is claiming non-charge call as the turning point in the game. I think it was a bad call, but bad calls are part of the game, just because the pistons are hot-heads that lose their cool on 1 bad call. The spurs had a few bad calls go against us, but we didn't let them affect us.

[ZappaFan]

I'm annoyed at how the national media is claiming non-charge call as the turning point in the game. I think it was a bad call, but bad calls are part of the game, just because the pistons are hot-heads that lose their cool on 1 bad call. The spurs had a few bad calls go against us, but we didn't let them affect us.

I think it was a turning point. It shouldn't have been for the reasons you're pointing out, but it clearly was a turning point. It's wrong to blame the refs for it, even tho it was a bad call. You can focus on bad calls at various points in the game for either side.

Ben didn't lose his cool over one call, tho. There was a charge that got called against the Pistons just before that where the guy was clearly inside the arc under the basket. I think the combination was what did it.

Spurs outplayed the Pistons, period. I think the Spurs got a little home cooking with the refs, but that's what playing at home brings you. It wasn't something that turned the game.

My #1 grip with the Pistons is they way they react to officiating. Ben used to be one of the best on the team about just shutting up and playing. But this year he's been one of the worst on the team.

[boutons]

"he's been one of the worst on the team."

I think his confirmed, undisputed success, as individual and as World Champion, has gone to his head. A lot of people have trouble handling success. I think Ben will learn to handle it better later. Or maybe he really is just another me-first-and-only balla drawing bad attention to himself and good attention away from the game.

[ambchang]

I'm annoyed at how the national media is claiming non-charge call as the turning point in the game. I think it was a bad call, but bad calls are part of the game, just because the pistons are hot-heads that lose their cool on 1 bad call. The spurs had a few bad calls go against us, but we didn't let them affect us.

That may be the key to the series. The Spurs play through bad calls (see Game 5 vs. Phoenix), while the Pistons seem to implode on them (see Game 5 vs. Miami). I am not sure how much that has to do with the Pistons constantly telling themselves that they do not get the respect they deserve, and whenever a bad call happens, it accumulates onto their memories of being slighted, and amplify the effects. But on the other hand, it gives them that us vs. the world attitude that the team seems to feed off at.
The articles are great, writers giving props to their own team, while still praising the effects of the Spurs. Glad I don't have to read the Denver crap anymore.

[ZappaFan]

Or maybe he really is just another me-first-and-only balla drawing bad attention to himself and good attention away from the game.

That's one thing it definitely isn't. It started right after his oldest brother died this year. Not sure that has anything to do with it, but that was a major loss for him.

[Rematch+Repeat=Revenge]

Thank god for holding the presses until the game was over. I didn't get to watch the second half of the game. I'll admit I fell asleep. Hey, it's hot and humid here and I had a couple of beers!
I don't mind losing, but damn, we got stomped after coming out so strong in the first half. I know the first game is always getting to know the team and how the ref's are going to call the game, but to lose so badly! I'm kind of glad I didn't see it.

GO PISTONS!!!!

[WayDowntownBang]

I think that the Ginobili / Wallace charging call was definitely the turning point of the game. I don't want to type it out again, but I made the same point on another messageboard this morning, so I'll cut/paste it here:

==========

The part of the game that was the momenteum switch with the charge call on Ben Wallace against Ginobili. The call could have went either way, and it went to the Spurs. The problem wasn't the foul, but Ben's reaction.

Ben's supposed to be our leader, and with a 2 point lead for SA, that foul wasn't a shooting foul, and that would given our defense another shot to stop them. Instead, Ben throws his headband, gets the T, they go up three and take the ball back, and proceed to go up 5, and didn't turn back after that.

A lot of the focus has been on Rasheed's technical fouls lately and his temper, but if ANYTHING, I think Rasheed was too passive this game, and REALLY needs to step it up. Ben has been playing like he's a non-factor much of this game (and let's not even talk about the Miami series), and seems to be getting technical fouls at the WORST possible time.

Last night was a great game. San Antonio showed that they won the West for a reason, and put it to the champs in Game 1. Usually in these close games, I've become used to watching the Pistons pull the close ones out, but again, concentration and your LEADER taking a stupid Tech was the downfall.

I thought we'd split the first two games in San Antonio. No one really thought we'd take both of the two games in SA did they? Game 2's a big one.

==================

Ben's our leader. He needs to act like it. People say that Tim Duncan is too 'boring', but I don't remember the 'entertainment value' of your leader being the issue that helps your team win. On the other hand, your leader losing your cool *CAN* hurt the team, and it did last night.

The Pistons are supposed to "Go To Work" EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. If I lost my cool at my job, I'd be fired.

The Pistons are my team, and I still think they'll take the series. No reason to run around the city screaming that the sky is falling. But, take note Piston fans. These are NOT the Lakers of last year. Everything you love about your Pistons.. the defense, the teamwork, the pure ability and desire... they have it here in San Antonio too.

[ZStomp]

I remember when the Gino/Ben incident happened and Ben got T'd up, I said- Damn, that's gonna fire up the Pistons and the T is gonna help them.


Guess not. :lol

[hendrix]

Bowen has been characterized by several players, most loudly by Allen, as playing dirty. Hamilton won't take it that far, but he acknowledges that Bowen will use every trick available.

"He's a guy that really takes pride in his defense," Hamilton said. "He's not worried about offense at all. He's a guy that really comes out and tries to use every part of his body. He's not a guy that will reach and try to get steals. He'll try to bump you with his hips, his legs, his knees, everything else."


I think somebody felt little bowen...

[Guru of Nothing]

They said it, part II

Popovich on calling two early timeouts to get the Spurs back on track in the first quarter.

"I asked them if it wasn't too much trouble, if I wasn't being too pushy, if they could execute what we were trying to do," he said. "And if it didn't make them too angry, if they also wanted to play some defense on the other end, that would be great."



Yep, that's Coach Popovich

[Bandit2981]

(10:23) [DET] B. Wallace Foul: Technical (3 PF)
the technical foul was not a turning point in the game...it came with 10:23 left to play in the 4th, and the pistons went on a 10-0 run afterwards...besides, what kind of "championship" team cant come from 5 points behind with more than 10 minutes left??

[bdubya]

the technical foul was not a turning point in the game...it came with 10:23 left to play in the 4th, and the pistons went on a 10-0 run afterwards...

That's a really excellent point, but I've got a couple minor quibbles with it; mainly, that the scoring run was actually like 12-2. Oh, and also that the guys in white and black are actually the Spurs. Aside from that, though, you're right on.

[rr2418]

I think the turning point in the game was that the Spurs just started to "click" in their offense. Whether it was Pop tweaking the O or something that he saw, maybe a weakness in the Pistons D. I think the Spurs just started to play their game.

[bdubya]

I don't think there was really a "turning point" at all; it looked to me like the game was driven by rust and rest. Spurs came out rusty, but shook it off plenty quick. In the 4th, though, the Pistons lost about a quarter-step, so they were not _quite_ quick enough to maintain the D and get their own points. If the Pistons' defense had been just a hair quicker late in the game, I don't think G. would have been able to go off like that. I guess we'll see come Sunday....