ducks
06-19-2005, 06:42 PM
Best of three
By Steve Kerr, Yahoo! Sports
June 18, 2005
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More Kerr: Finals mailbag
There's an old NBA saying that "a series doesn't start until the home team loses a game."
If that's the case, then we're still waiting for the NBA Finals to begin.
The host team has been dominant for four straight games, and now the San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons will play what comes down to a three-game series to decide the champion.
For San Antonio, it's been a long week in the Motor City. The 2-3-2 format puts the team with home-court advantage on the road for a long stretch in the middle of the series, and losing the first two games of the trip makes the voyage almost unendurable. There's so much stress and anxiety waiting around to play the games, and the Spurs have been forced to wait until Sunday to play Game 5.
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The Pistons suddenly have seized the momentum with two straight blowout wins, and they need to put more pressure on San Antonio by winning again Sunday. They don't want to go back to Texas needing to win two more in a building where the Spurs have lost only five times all season.
Every game is huge in the Finals, but typically Game 5 is the pivotal one when it comes to determining who will win a series. Here are three keys for each team as they try to put themselves on the cusp of an NBA title.
THREE POINTS ON THE SPURS
1. Take care of the basketball.
Turnovers have been the story of the series for San Antonio. In the Spurs' two wins, they committed a total of five more turnovers than Detroit. In their two losses, San Antonio made a combined 21 more miscues. The Pistons turned those mistakes into easy baskets and finally got their offense going.
2. Tim Duncan has to dominate.
He is the best player in the series, but he hasn't played like it the past two games. He has been frustrated by Detroit's team speed and frontcourt depth. The Pistons have rotated Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess onto him, giving him different looks and plenty of length. Duncan must overcome the Detroit defense, score on the block and get to the free-throw line. That will help the Spurs take care of the ball and set up in their half-court defense.
3. Stay even on the boards.
Detroit's offensive rebounding advantage during the series has helped the Pistons attempt 56 more field goals. Those extra possessions are difficult for San Antonio to overcome. If the Spurs can hold their own on the glass – and take care of the ball – they'll be in much better shape.
THREE POINTS ON THE PISTONS
1. Stay in front of Manu Ginobili.
The Pistons formed a wall in front of Manu in Games 3 and 4, and they kept him out of the lane. Negating his penetration has stifled the Spurs' offense and led to steals and fast-break points for Detroit.
2. Share the load.
In Game 4, Detroit had seven players with double-figure field-goal attempts. The Pistons are at their best when they move the ball side to side and get everyone involved. Larry Brown has said many times that when his guards shoot most of the shots his team loses. Chauncey Billups must continue to get his big men the ball.
3. Ben Wallace has to bring the energy.
In Detroit's wins, he's averaging 5.5 offensive rebounds, 13 points and four blocks. In its losses, he averaged 2.5 offensive boards, seven points and two blocks. He is the heart and soul of the Pistons – they feed off of his fury. He must continue to dominate the game with his hustle.
Steve Kerr is Yahoo! Sports' NBA analyst. Send him a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.
By Steve Kerr, Yahoo! Sports
June 18, 2005
Headshot
Logo
More Kerr: Finals mailbag
There's an old NBA saying that "a series doesn't start until the home team loses a game."
If that's the case, then we're still waiting for the NBA Finals to begin.
The host team has been dominant for four straight games, and now the San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons will play what comes down to a three-game series to decide the champion.
For San Antonio, it's been a long week in the Motor City. The 2-3-2 format puts the team with home-court advantage on the road for a long stretch in the middle of the series, and losing the first two games of the trip makes the voyage almost unendurable. There's so much stress and anxiety waiting around to play the games, and the Spurs have been forced to wait until Sunday to play Game 5.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Pistons suddenly have seized the momentum with two straight blowout wins, and they need to put more pressure on San Antonio by winning again Sunday. They don't want to go back to Texas needing to win two more in a building where the Spurs have lost only five times all season.
Every game is huge in the Finals, but typically Game 5 is the pivotal one when it comes to determining who will win a series. Here are three keys for each team as they try to put themselves on the cusp of an NBA title.
THREE POINTS ON THE SPURS
1. Take care of the basketball.
Turnovers have been the story of the series for San Antonio. In the Spurs' two wins, they committed a total of five more turnovers than Detroit. In their two losses, San Antonio made a combined 21 more miscues. The Pistons turned those mistakes into easy baskets and finally got their offense going.
2. Tim Duncan has to dominate.
He is the best player in the series, but he hasn't played like it the past two games. He has been frustrated by Detroit's team speed and frontcourt depth. The Pistons have rotated Ben Wallace, Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess onto him, giving him different looks and plenty of length. Duncan must overcome the Detroit defense, score on the block and get to the free-throw line. That will help the Spurs take care of the ball and set up in their half-court defense.
3. Stay even on the boards.
Detroit's offensive rebounding advantage during the series has helped the Pistons attempt 56 more field goals. Those extra possessions are difficult for San Antonio to overcome. If the Spurs can hold their own on the glass – and take care of the ball – they'll be in much better shape.
THREE POINTS ON THE PISTONS
1. Stay in front of Manu Ginobili.
The Pistons formed a wall in front of Manu in Games 3 and 4, and they kept him out of the lane. Negating his penetration has stifled the Spurs' offense and led to steals and fast-break points for Detroit.
2. Share the load.
In Game 4, Detroit had seven players with double-figure field-goal attempts. The Pistons are at their best when they move the ball side to side and get everyone involved. Larry Brown has said many times that when his guards shoot most of the shots his team loses. Chauncey Billups must continue to get his big men the ball.
3. Ben Wallace has to bring the energy.
In Detroit's wins, he's averaging 5.5 offensive rebounds, 13 points and four blocks. In its losses, he averaged 2.5 offensive boards, seven points and two blocks. He is the heart and soul of the Pistons – they feed off of his fury. He must continue to dominate the game with his hustle.
Steve Kerr is Yahoo! Sports' NBA analyst. Send him a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast.