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I'm glad you posted this. And you are sooooo right. I was watching Billups just dribbling in front of Bowen, and was like, oh man, what a great move. Give it up to Pops for a great in game adjustment.
Awesome, awesome game...
In 1 & 2 I would have said Manu without question. Although he's still getting things done, Horry was the difference in this crucial game. I dunno. Let's see who shines in game 6. This has been such a great all-around team effort I don't think there's a clear choice yet.
The adjustment also created what appeared to be a size mis-match of Rip defended by Tony. It ended up causing the ball to go to where the advantage appeared to be rather than in "Mr. Clutch's" hands. It worked on two fronts.
You knew that play was coming from a mile away.
Mr Clutch comes thru again!
i see MANU having a hellavu game 6! possibly MVP!
BUT we wouldn't be here without TIMAAAAAAY!!!!!
I have that game on tape.Quote:
Originally Posted by baseline bum
nice, very nice. Congrats.
If the Spurs win it all....this place will be crazy! and a lot of fun. :)
June 19, 2005
San Antonio 96, Detroit 95, OT
By CHRIS SHERIDAN, AP Basketball Writer
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- Robert Horry was all set to cut through the lane after inbounding the ball with 9.6 seconds left when a strange thing happened -- extremely strange, actually, considering his postseason history.
Rasheed Wallace suddenly went to double-team Manu Ginobili in the corner, leaving no one within 15 feet of one of the best clutch shooters in NBA postseason history.
Bad idea. Very bad.
``I saw Rasheed bite and said: 'Oh, let me stay out here,''' Horry said after he knocked down a wide-open 3-pointer with 5.8 seconds remaining in overtime Sunday night to give San Antonio a 96-95 victory over Detroit in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
Horry, the veteran dubbed ``Big Shot Bob'' whose clutch postseason 3-pointers have defined his career, gave the Spurs a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. San Antonio bounced back from a pair of lopsided losses to defeat the defending champs in their own building and send the series back to Texas needing just one more victory for a third title in seven years.
``The play was for me to take that shot, but then I saw Rasheed coming,'' Ginobili said ``My first option in those moments was Robert. He's a winner. He's been in that situation so many times. Everyone knows what he does.''
The Pistons had one final chance after Horry's shot, but Richard Hamilton missed a runner from the lane and Bruce Bowen rebounded to end it.
After four blowouts, this was the type of game everyone had been waiting almost two weeks to see -- an intense, closely-fought nail-biter befitting of a championship series. The fourth quarter was close throughout, with clutch shots coming from Chauncey Billups and Hamilton for the Pistons, and Horry and Ginobili of San Antonio.
The player who wasn't hitting the big ones was two-time NBA Finals MVP Tim Duncan, who missed six straight foul shots and a putback at the end of the fourth quarter that would have won it for the Spurs.
``An absolute nightmare, yes,'' Duncan said. ``(Horry) pulled me out of an incredible hole that I put myself in.''
Game 6 will be Tuesday night, and Game 7, if necessary, on Thursday.
The Pistons haven't won in San Antonio since 1997, and the Spurs had the NBA's best regular-season home record.
Horry finished with 21 points, Duncan had 26 points and 19 rebounds, Ginobili scored 15 and Tony Parker 14. Billups led Detroit with 34 points.
``It was the kind of game where you hate to see anybody lose,'' Pistons coach Larry Brown said.
Of the prior 23 times a finals series has been tied 2-2, the Game 5 winner has gone on to win the title 17 times. The most recent time it has happened was 2003, when San Antonio defeated New Jersey. A game 5 loser won following a 2-2 tie most recently in 1994, when the Houston Rockets defeated the New York Knicks in Games 6 and 7.
Duncan also missed San Antonio's first two shots of overtime and lost control of an entry pass with 56 seconds left in the extra period with Detroit ahead 95-93.
An offensive rebound gave Detroit two possessions while running down the final minute of overtime, but Billups missed on a drive with 9.4 seconds remaining. After a timeout, Horry knocked down the 3 that won it.
``You can't go back and say shoulda, woulda, coulda. It was caught in the corner and I just tried to double. Now we have a day and a half. We're cool,'' Wallace said.
The late 3 wasn't the only big shot by Horry, whose offensive poise was a direct contrast to Duncan's troubles.
The Pistons were ahead 87-85 before Horry caught a pass and quickly launched a 3-pointer that dropped through with 1:17 left in regulation, giving him seven straight points for the Spurs. Duncan had a chance to extend the lead after Hamilton missed a jumper, but the career 69 percent foul shooter missed a pair from the line with 1 minute remaining.
Billups scored on another of his crafty drives to give Detroit an 89-88 lead, and the Pistons fouled Duncan when he got the ball down low on the next possession. With the crowd noise at its loudest of the series, Duncan missed the first foul shot -- making him 0-for-6 in the period -- but made the second.
San Antonio's best defender, forward Bruce Bowen, took over guarding Billups on the next possession, and there appeared to be contact as Billups drove the lane and missed. But no foul was called, and San Antonio got the ball back with 16.9 seconds left able to hold for the last shot of regulation.
Ginobili dribbled the clock down and drove on Tayshaun Prince, but missed. Duncan was there for the rebound, grabbed the ball with two hands and had a wide-open chance for an easy putback, but his shot somehow came up short. He walked off with his hands balled into fists covering his mouth.
Coach Gregg Popovich said he spent 90 percent of his preparation time focusing on the mental aspect of what his team needed to do, the other 10 percent on X's and O's. The Spurs were much more aggressive in terms of taking the ball to the basket -- the one things they had done best in the first two games -- and Ginobili was especially effective in the early going.
Billups had a pair of airballs early in the third quarter, one of which hit the supports behind the backboard, but he came back with a long jumper and a three-point play in transition for a personal 6-0 run that tied it at 61-all before Horry ended the quarter with a 3-pointer -- a preview of what was to come.
Notes
Officials Ron Garretson, Steve Javie and Mike Callahan worked Game 5. The Pistons are 0-5 in the playoffs with Garretson on the court. ... Recording star Kid Rock sang ``America the Beautiful'' a capella while wearing a vintage Rick Mahorn warmup jersey. He closed the song with a shout of ``Let's rock!'' before putting his black hat back on and giving a satisfied nod to the crowd, which ate it up.
http://images.sportsline.com/u/photo...img8579431.jpg
A moment before impact...
Congrats to Sheed on giving the Spurs what they wanted with Horry inbounding the rock.
Boo!! The AP writer is not supposed to say stuff like "appeared to be contact".Quote:
San Antonio's best defender, forward Bruce Bowen, took over guarding Billups on the next possession, and there appeared to be contact as Billups drove the lane and missed. But no foul was called, and San Antonio got the ball back with 16.9 seconds left able to hold for the last shot of regulation.
I honestly can't remember any finals game in recent memory that was such a back and forth pressure packed situation.
That and this was the decisive game 5 battle of the past 2 champions.
UN-FREAKING-BELIEVABLE. Can't wait for this one on ESPN classic.
Excerpt below.
Link
The Finals Blog
Welcome to NBA.com's The Finals Blog, the first and last word on The Finals. This is your space to interact with hoopsters and entertainers, as well as get a real feel for what's happening in San Antonio and Detroit.
Also See: Global Fan Forum
Photo Galleries: Game 1 | Game 2 | Game 3 | Game 4
Whew!
Posted by Rob Peterson (NBA.com) on June 19 2005, 12:22 p.m. ET
Shades of John Paxson in Game 6 of the 1993 Finals, Robert Horry hits a wide-open three to help the Spurs win 96-95 in Game 5 of the 2005 Finals.
If the Spurs win the title, and they have two chances at home, Robert Horry will never need to pick up a check again in San Antonio.
Back with more in a bit.
No. 5 in Game 5?
Posted by Rob Peterson (NBA.com) on June 19 2005, 12:14 p.m. ET
If the Spurs win this, do they retire Robert Horry's number?
Question...
Posted by Rob Peterson (NBA.com) on June 19 2005, 12:12 p.m. ET
For the Spurs, can you let Tim Duncan, who's 4 of 11 from the free throw line, touch the ball in this situation?
For the Pistons, do you, one, foul Duncan if he gets it?
One thing you don't do is leave anyone outside of the three-point line.
Oh Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!
Posted by Rob Peterson (NBA.com) on June 19 2005, 12:08 p.m. ET
That's the sound The Palace makes when Robert Horry has the ball behind the three-point line.
Double Your Pleasure
Posted by Rob Peterson (NBA.com) on June 19 2005, 12:04 p.m. ET
With Tayshaun Prince's bucket to give the Pistons a 91-89 lead, every player on the floor as of 2:52 (to go?) in overtime is in double figures.
Burning Down the House
Posted by Rob Peterson (NBA.com) on June 19 2005, 11:52 p.m. ET
I guess that final 59 seconds wasn't long enough to settle Game 5. We asked for more, we got it. I'm just glad I have a good ticker.
This is the first overtime game in The Finals since Game 2 last year when the Lakers topped the Pistons 99-91 in OT.
Here we go... OT
Loud, LouDER, LOUDEST
Posted by Rob Peterson (NBA.com) on June 19 2005, 11:52 p.m. ET
OK, I lied. We're back. Never, ever have I heard The Palace as loud as when Tim Duncan shot those two free throws. And, if possible, when he missed the first, it got LOUDER.
Ridiculous
Posted by Rob Peterson (NBA.com) on June 19 2005, 11:47 p.m. ET
Insane, absolutely insane. Sheed hits a crazy turnaround. Horry follows up with a putback. Billups hits a turnaround. Horry hits a THREE. Pistons fans are beside themselves.
And then after a Hamilton miss, Duncan's fouled and amid the din caused by hands, larynxes and thunder sticks, misses two free throws.
Spurs lead 88-87 with 59 seconds (to go?) in the fourth. We may not blog again until the end of the game.
Sidekicks
Posted by Rob Peterson (NBA.com) on June 19 2005, 11:39 p.m. ET
While they have been playing lights out, Duncan and Billups each have had guys to help them.
For the Spurs, it's been Robert Horry, who just hit a three to tie the game at 79-79. I don't know how many Pistons fans threw their hands up in disgust at The Palace, but for a second it looked as if everyone was being held up.
Then, for the Pistons, there's Tayshaun Prince grabbing every loose ball and offensive rebound to be had.
Yes, people, this is what we've been waiting for: A classic. More please.
Duncan's Fight
Posted by Rob Peterson (NBA.com) on June 19 2005, 11:34 p.m. ET
Did you see Duncan work for that rebound and putback? Did you see when he pumped his fist after getting the bucket and then the foul? (Also, did you see him miss his fourth free throw tonight?)
He knows what's at stake tonight.
Meanwhile, the MVP chant has started for Chauncey Billups, who just hit two freebies to put the Pistons up three.
MVPs
Posted by Rob Peterson (NBA.com) on June 19 2005, 11:29 p.m. ET
As fans know, this Finals is a meeting between the last two Finals champs. That also means the last two Finals MVPs, San Antonio's Tim Duncan in 2003 and Detroit's Chauncey Billups in 2004, are here.
Tonight, they're playing like MVPs. Duncan has 23 points and 13 boards with 6:15 left in the fourth, while Billups has 22 points on 8 for 16 shooting and four assists.
What more could NBA fans want?
Completely Random Celebrity Sightings
Posted by Rob Peterson (NBA.com) on June 19 2005, 11:23 p.m. ET
Kid Rock moves the crowd.
(Allen Einstein/NBAE/Getty Images)
We've wandered around The Palace and caught sight of some celebrities. As you can see above, Kid Rock is here.
We saw Eva Longoria here, albeit with her cap pulled down tight so no one will recognize her. Filmmaker Michael Moore got stuck in traffic, but made it. And then, in the concourse, we saw the "comic" Gallagher. He's more of a watermelon smasher, though. And just as we passed him, someone said: "Did he just throw something on me?"
Old habits are hard to break.
Hustle
Posted by Rob Peterson (NBA.com) on June 19 2005, 11:20 p.m. ET
What hustle by Antonio McDyess! The work whistle is blowing and everyone is standing.
Big Shot Rob, Part II
Posted by Rob Peterson (NBA.com) on June 19 2005, 11:16 p.m. ET
There's that man again, hitting another three to open the fourth.
What did I say about the stars taking this one home? Uh...
Big Shot Rob
Posted by Rob Peterson (NBA.com) on June 19 2005, 11:12 p.m. ET
For 35 minutes of the game, Robert Horry can seemingly have no effect whatsoever on the ebb and flow of the game. And then, he finds himself alone, on the wing, behind the arc, with the clock ticking down Like Santa Clause to Christmas and the Easter Bunny is to, well, Easter, clutch situations are Robert Horry time. His three to give the Spurs a one-point lead heading into the fourth quarter was huge.
The Roof's Off
Posted by Rob Peterson (NBA.com) on June 19 2005, 11:08 p.m. ET
Chauncey Billups' bucket and one to tie the game at 61-61 was like an electric jolt delivered to all 22,000 seats in The Palace. No Piston fan here was sitting after that play.
Yeah, that was a great jam :) I was like damnn in your face, rip!
actually, i loved it.Quote:
``It was the kind of game where you hate to see anybody lose,'' Pistons coach Larry Brown said.
Yeah, the least he could have said along with this was that Parker "appeared to get elbowed into the next time zone" on Hamilton's final attempt :lolQuote:
Originally Posted by Kori Ellis
utah and bulls probably ur best bet
Quote:
Originally Posted by myhc
This game was great and a classic in every sense. As for ESPN Classic? since the Spurs actually won this game they'll pass over it and bury it, had they lost i'm sure it would have been like the Laker .4 game last year, the minute it ended they ran it on Classic. :flipoff Fuck ESPN
I know its goin to be on tommorow on NBA TV again :tu
was the game 6 where jordan hit the jumper over russell back and forth like this one? i can't remember.Quote:
Originally Posted by inagra
OMG! I want a copy of that. The only time I've ever seen it was 17 years ago live on CBS. I'll bring you my HDTV copies of games 1 and 2 Tuesday.Quote:
Originally Posted by slayermin
I forgot the 3OT Phoenix-Boston game, but in my defense I was -3 years old when it was played. I was including the game 6 of 1998. I completely forgot the greatest Finals game ever though... the 3OT Bulls-Suns game where Barkley got the steal and putback to win the game.
I will NOT apologize for him missing LAYUPS! HELLO!
But he finally stuck to his game...
nuff said