atlfan25
06-13-2005, 04:40 AM
http://www.detnews.com/2005/pistons/0506/13/D01-213788.htm
By Rob Parker / The Detroit News
Rob Parker
SAN ANTONIO -- Never has the distance between 1 and 2 been so large.
Coming into the NBA Finals, the Spurs and Pistons were ranked Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, in regular-season defense.
Hence, many thought this best-of-seven series would be a defensive struggle with tight games going down to the wire.
For sure, the winner of the championship would be the team that executed at the finish.
The Spurs have held up their end of the bargain.
And the Pistons? They have been missing in action on the defensive end.
In embarrassing fashion the Pistons allowed 58 first-half points, the most against them before halftime in any game the past two postseasons, on their way to a 97-76 loss to the Spurs at the SBC Center on Sunday night.
The Spurs shot 59 percent from the field in the first half and put their stamp on the Finals, which they lead, two games to none. They have abused the Pistons' defense in the first two games.
"We didn't play no defense," Ben Wallace said Sunday.
When asked why, he said, "And those are my final thoughts."
We have seen the Pistons struggle on offense, but defense is about effort and desire. They had never allowed an opponent to waltz to the basket for point-blank shots. They also were late to defensive assignments, which cleared the way for the Spurs to get many open looks at the basket.
Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili teamed for 13-of-16 field-goal shooting in the first half alone.
"We tried to help on penetration," Chauncey Billups said. "And they hit those shots tonight on the kick-outs."
No one has made a mockery of the Pistons' defense more than Ginobili, who had a game-high 27 points despite only eight field-goal attempts. He fattened his total by making 11 of 13 free throws.
Ginobili hit nine of his last 10 shots from the field in Game 1, then hit his first six in Game 2 before finally missing in the fourth quarter.
This isn't Pistons basketball. This is Washington Generals basketball against the Harlem Globetrotters. Only the confetti is missing.
"Defensively, we've been real soft," Pistons coach Larry Brown said. "We haven't been able to keep people in front of us, and that's been a key."
This was too big of a game for the Pistons to come out flat defensively. The last thing they wanted to do was fly back to Michigan trailing 2-0, especially since only two teams in Finals history have rallied from this deficit to win a championship.
The Pistons' only saving grace is that defensive weakness is correctable. But you have to want to do it.
You can reach Rob Parker at [email protected].
By Rob Parker / The Detroit News
Rob Parker
SAN ANTONIO -- Never has the distance between 1 and 2 been so large.
Coming into the NBA Finals, the Spurs and Pistons were ranked Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, in regular-season defense.
Hence, many thought this best-of-seven series would be a defensive struggle with tight games going down to the wire.
For sure, the winner of the championship would be the team that executed at the finish.
The Spurs have held up their end of the bargain.
And the Pistons? They have been missing in action on the defensive end.
In embarrassing fashion the Pistons allowed 58 first-half points, the most against them before halftime in any game the past two postseasons, on their way to a 97-76 loss to the Spurs at the SBC Center on Sunday night.
The Spurs shot 59 percent from the field in the first half and put their stamp on the Finals, which they lead, two games to none. They have abused the Pistons' defense in the first two games.
"We didn't play no defense," Ben Wallace said Sunday.
When asked why, he said, "And those are my final thoughts."
We have seen the Pistons struggle on offense, but defense is about effort and desire. They had never allowed an opponent to waltz to the basket for point-blank shots. They also were late to defensive assignments, which cleared the way for the Spurs to get many open looks at the basket.
Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili teamed for 13-of-16 field-goal shooting in the first half alone.
"We tried to help on penetration," Chauncey Billups said. "And they hit those shots tonight on the kick-outs."
No one has made a mockery of the Pistons' defense more than Ginobili, who had a game-high 27 points despite only eight field-goal attempts. He fattened his total by making 11 of 13 free throws.
Ginobili hit nine of his last 10 shots from the field in Game 1, then hit his first six in Game 2 before finally missing in the fourth quarter.
This isn't Pistons basketball. This is Washington Generals basketball against the Harlem Globetrotters. Only the confetti is missing.
"Defensively, we've been real soft," Pistons coach Larry Brown said. "We haven't been able to keep people in front of us, and that's been a key."
This was too big of a game for the Pistons to come out flat defensively. The last thing they wanted to do was fly back to Michigan trailing 2-0, especially since only two teams in Finals history have rallied from this deficit to win a championship.
The Pistons' only saving grace is that defensive weakness is correctable. But you have to want to do it.
You can reach Rob Parker at [email protected].