A Trip Down Memory Lane: The 2005 Finals

[duncan228]

2005 NBA Finals



Team Coach Wins
San Antonio Spurs: Gregg Popovich 4
Detroit Pistons: Larry Brown 3

Dates: June 9 - June 23
MVP: Tim Duncan
(San Antonio Spurs)
Television: ABC (U.S.)
Announcers: Al Michaels and Hubie Brown
Radio network: NBA on ESPN Radio
Referees:
Game 1: Mike Callahan, Ron Garretson, Steve Javie
Game 2: Dan Crawford, Bernie Fryer, Jack Nies
Game 3: Joe Crawford, Bob Delaney, Bennett Salvatore
Game 4: Bavetta, Joe DeRosa, Eddie F. Rush
Game 5: Mike Callahan, Ron Garretson, Steve Javie
Game 6: Dan Crawford, Bernie Fryer, Bennett Salvatore
Game 7: Bavetta, Joe Crawford, Eddie F. Rush

Hall of Famers: Coaches
Larry Brown (2002)
Eastern Finals: Detroit defeats Miami, 4–3
Western Finals: San Antonio defeats Phoenix, 4–2

The 2005 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2004-05 National Basketball Association season. The San Antonio Spurs of the Western Conference took on the Detroit Pistons of the Eastern Conference for the le, with the Spurs holding home court advantage. The series was played under a best-of-seven format.

The Spurs won the series 4 games to 3 in the first NBA Finals to go to a Game 7 since 1994. The games were broadcast on ABC, with Al Michaels and Hubie Brown commentating.

Background
Both teams competing were considered to be defensively-oriented. The San Antonio Spurs and Detroit Pistons ranked first and second, respectively, in the fewest points allowed during the regular season. Although the Spurs are also considered to be capable of high-scoring games, the Pistons recorded few high-scoring games during the regular season.

This series was the first Finals to feature the previous two champions since the 1987 Finals. In that series, the Larry Bird/Magic Johnson rivalry was in full swing, and the Celtics and Lakers were able to come to a rubber match after each having won one Finals series from the other in 1984 and 1985.

Going into the 2005 Finals, the Spurs had won two championships (1999 and 2003), while Detroit had three (1989, 1990, and 2004). The 2004 Championship was often ascribed to a fluke by sportswriters, because the Lakers were at the time considered one of the league’s most offensive-minded and elite teams, but were crumbling as a result of internal quabbles and selfish play. Others have countered that Detroit’s defense outplayed the Lakers’ offense, thereby vindicating the Detroit franchise. Further, the Detroit team-oriented offense often dominated a Lakers team ridden with selfish play and the well-publicized tension between superstars Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.

The Spurs finished five games ahead of the Pistons during the regular season. Historically, NBA teams in this position have posted a 19-8 record. Both teams, though, were ranked number two in their respective conferences, with the Phoenix Suns ranked number one in the West and the Miami Heat ranked number one in the East.

Sportswriters all across the country generally considered this one of the few too-close-to-call series to occur. Most picked the series to go to six or seven games.

The Spurs breezed through the playoffs with relative ease, compared to the Pistons. They defeated the Nuggets 4-1 to open the playoffs. In that series, after trailing 1-0 after a home upset, they won four straight. The SuperSonics were then dispatched in six games. Phoenix was expected by many to put up a challenge, and many NBA legends of the past predicted them to take the Western Conference le. Contrary to this, the Spurs went up 3-0, and after the Suns staved off elimination one game, even with all the fans in Phoenix in Game 5 wanting a repeat of the Boston Red Sox comeback, the Spurs rose to bring the inevitable to pass.

The Pistons had to overcome more adversity. The opening round was fairly easy, a five-game victory over Philadelphia. Next, the Pistons faced the Indiana Pacers, one of the NBA’s most resilient teams. Indiana was expected by most experts to falter and miss the playoffs after the Palace melee; however, the team, led by soon-to-retire Reggie Miller, still made the playoffs, defeating the Atlantic Division champion Boston Celtics. The Pacers, despite all their obstacles, put up a tough challenge, but in Game 6, it became apparent that Miller’s storied career was over. A standing ovation came from the Conseco Fieldhouse crowd. Detroit next had to defeat division winner and #1 seed Miami and star player Shaquille O’Neal. After winning Game 1, they fell behind 2-1 after three games and 3-2 after five games, but rebounded in Game 6 on their home court. In game seven, Detroit overcame the odds and beat the Heat at AmericanAirlines Arena and thus advanced to the NBA Finals for the second straight year.

Series scoring summary
The following scoring summary is written in a line score format, except that the quarter numbers are replaced by game numbers.

Team Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 Game 4 Game 5* Game 6 Game 7 Wins
San Antonio (West) 84 97 79 71 96 86 81 4
Detroit (East) 69 76 96 102 95 95 74 3

Schedule
All dates and times are given in local time. Note that the games were held three times a week (on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays) and were always at 9:00 Eastern Time (01:00 UTC).

Game 1 June 9, Thursday @San Antonio 8:00 CDT San Antonio 84, Detroit 69: San Antonio leads series 1-0
Game 2 June 12, Sunday @San Antonio 8:00 CDT San Antonio 97, Detroit 76: San Antonio leads series 2-0
Game 3 June 14, Tuesday @Detroit 9:00 EDT Detroit 96, San Antonio 79: San Antonio leads series 2-1
Game 4 June 16, Thursday @Detroit 9:00 EDT Detroit 102, San Antonio 71: Series tied 2-2
Game 5 June 19, Sunday @Detroit 9:00 EDT San Antonio 96, Detroit 95 (OT): San Antonio leads series 3-2
Game 6 June 21, Tuesday @San Antonio 8:00 CDT Detroit 95, San Antonio 86: Series tied 3-3
Game 7 June 23, Thursday @San Antonio 8:00 CDT San Antonio 81, Detroit 74: San Antonio wins series 4-3

Before every game, pre-game ceremonies were held. These ceremonies (usually singing, performances, etc) take up some time, so the actual tip-off usually does not take place until approximately 20 minutes after the scheduled start time.

The Finals were played using a 2-3-2 site format, where the first two and last two games are held at the team with home court advantage. The NBA, after experimenting in the early years, restored this original format for the Finals in 1985. As of yet, the other playoff series are still running on a 2-2-1-1-1 site format.

Features
The NBA, as has been done with every other NBA Finals, heavily advertised the series. In addition, the league attempted to qualify this series as the best ever. The teams were already deemed quality, so all that remained was quality in the other aspects of the game. Many fans discussed the NBA Finals on the NBA forums, and the league also sent many reporters and other officers to return the favour.

The NBA decided to track the noise levels at the arena. After two games, the highest noise level recorded was 114 decibels, when Tim Duncan was introduced in Game 2, six away from the alleged maximum marking on the meter. Various Pistons fans made claims, in response, that during the three-game stretch at the Palace they would be so loud that they would blow the needle off the meter, in other words, getting the noise level past the fatal 120 mark.

The NBA also reported numerous Pistons fans who went into the SBC Center in games one and two. Spurs fans, in return, promised to remain loyal to their team in the three middle games in Detroit. Such “battleline-crossing” fans often receive abuse everywhere they travel, especially if they can be identified by team uniforms or other gear. Magic Johnson once stated, at the height of the Lakers-Celtics Rivalry, that upon landing in Boston he was immediately surrounded by zealous fans that hated him. He also reports that Bird received similar attention in Los Angeles. However, he said, when the teams were landing at home, a different type of mob surrounded them: those that were in support of them. The noise levels were expectedly very loud.

Rosters
“*”=starter

Detroit Pistons roster
Richard Hamilton* | Chauncey Billups* | Tayshaun Prince* | Rasheed Wallace* | Ben Wallace* | Antonio McDyess | Carlos Arroyo | Carlos Delfino | Elden Campbell | Lindsey Hunter | Ronald Dupree | Smush Parker | Horace Jenkins | Anthony Goldwire | Darko Milicic | Derrick Coleman | Darvin Ham

San Antonio Spurs roster
Tim Duncan* | Manu Ginobili* | Tony Parker* | Bruce Bowen* | Nazr Mohammed* | Robert Horry | Glenn Robinson | Brent Barry | Radoslav Nesterovic | Devin Brown | Beno Udrih | Sean Marks | Tony Massenburg | Mike Wilks | Linton Johnson

Game One
June 9, 2005
8:00 p.m. EST Recap Detroit Pistons 69, San Antonio Spurs 84 SBC Center San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,797
Referees: Mike Callahan; Ron Garretson; Steve Javie ABC
Pts: Billups 25; Hamilton 14; Prince 11
Rebs: B. Wallace 8; R. Wallace 7; McDyess 7
Assts: Billups 6; Prince 4
Blocks: R. Wallace 6 Pts: Ginobili 26; Duncan 24; Parker 15
Rebs: Duncan 17; Ginobili 9; Mohammed 7
Assts: Parker 3; Horry 3; Bowen 2
Spurs lead series 1-0

Manu Ginobili was widely considered the star of the night, scoring in a virtuoso performance near the end of the game to lead the Spurs to victory. The Pistons were then left ‘in the dust’, the NBA website reported. Ginobili scored 15 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter to complement a huge game by Tim Duncan.

Ginobili, a famous Argentine All-Star, already with championship rings from the NBA and Euroleague and an Olympic gold medal (the only player in history with all three), got to work on his second NBA le by taking over in the final period. He scored eight points in a decisive 12-2 surge that gave the Spurs a 67-55 lead, then throttled a push by the Pistons with a swooping dunk, 3-pointer and running hook for an 81-67 advantage with less than two minutes to go.

Having been idle for a week, the Spurs looked weak. With their defense, however, they were able to overcome adversity. Tim Duncan, who had 24 points and 17 rebounds, also contributed. Although the Pistons tend to suddenly come alive in the fourth quarter, the converse was true this game as San Antonio put together a big quarter to take a commanding lead in the game.

Team 1 2 3 4 Tot.
Detroit 20 17 14 18 69
San Antonio 17 18 20 29 84

Game Two
June 12, 2005
8:00 p.m. EST Recap Detroit Pistons 76, San Antonio Spurs 97 SBC Center San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,797
Referees: Dan Crawford, Bernie Fryer, Jack Nies ABC
Pts: McDyess 15; Hamilton 14; Billups 13
Rebs: B. Wallace 8; R. Wallace 8; Hamilton 7
Assts: R. Wallace 4; Three others at 3 Pts: Ginobili 27; Duncan 18; Bowen 12
Rebs: Duncan 11; Horry 6; Mohammed 5
Assts: Ginobili 7; Horry 5; Barry 5
Blocks: Duncan 4
Spurs lead series 2-0

Coming into the game, it seemed as if the resilient Pistons, who survived two elimination games against Miami in the Eastern Finals, would come out strong and give the Spurs a challenge. However, it was the Spurs who came out with a sense of urgency, as they did not want the Pistons to steal a game in San Antonio and take home court advantage away from them. From the opening tip, Game 2 was all San Antonio as the Spurs got out to a quick lead and never looked back.

The Spurs took advantage of Detroit’s uncharacteristic mistakes throughout the night, which included missing 9 shots from inside four feet from the basket. While the Pistons went cold from behind the arc, not scoring a single 3-point basket, the Spurs made 11 3-pointers, including 4 each by Manu Ginobili and Bruce Bowen, who did not score a point in game 1. Ginobili finished the game with a game-high 27 points, while Tim Duncan finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Antonio McDyess was the high scorer for Detroit, scoring 15 points off the bench.

The 2-0 lead proved a daunting challenge to Detroit, historically. In the history of the NBA, in the 153 times when a team with home court advantage was up 2-0 in a series, only seven times has the other team rebounded to win the series.

Team 1 2 3 4 Tot.
Detroit 19 23 21 13 76
San Antonio 30 28 21 18 97

Game Three
June 14, 2005
9:00 p.m. Recap San Antonio Spurs 79, Detroit Pistons 96 The Palace of Auburn Hills Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076
Referees: Joe Crawford, Bob Delaney, Bennett Salvatore ABC
Pts: Parker 21; Duncan 14; Bowen 13
Rebs: Duncan 10; Mohammed 7; Horry 5
Assts: Parker 4; Duncan 4; three others at 2 Pts: Hamilton 24; Billups 20; B. Wallace 15
Rebs: B. Wallace 11; McDyess 9 R. Wallace 7
Assts: Billups 7; Prince 5
Blocks: B. Wallace 5
Spurs lead series 2-1

Going into this game, the Pistons were looking to rebound from the deficit.

In the past, only two teams in NBA history had ever won a Finals series after facing a 2-0 deficit — the Boston Celtics in the 1969 NBA Finals and the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1977 NBA Finals — however, the Miami Heat would later accomplish this feat against the Dallas Mavericks in the 2006 NBA Finals.

Despite the tough challenge, the Pistons pulled through, and came out with several key steals and two scoring runs in the third quarter, then netted many insurance points in the fourth to win a big game which was a de facto must-win. Ben Wallace was lauded and commended by many for stepping up to the challenge.

When the end of the game came, and the 96-79 final score flashed upon the screens, many Pistons fans, celebrating in jubilation, started filling the air with confetti and conducted other celebratory customs. That was the first time that the Spurs have given up more than 90 points in a Finals game.

Team 1 2 3 4 Tot.
San Antonio 27 15 23 14 79
Detroit 21 20 29 26 96

Game Four
June 16, 2005
9:00 p.m. Recap San Antonio Spurs 71, Detroit Pistons 102 The Palace of Auburn Hills Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076
Referees: Bavetta, Joe DeRosa, Eddie F. Rush ABC
Pts: Duncan 16; Parker 12; Ginobili 12
Rebs: Duncan 16; Mohammed 5; three others at 4
Assts: Parker 4; Bowen 4; Ginobili 3 Pts: Billups 17; Hunter 17; R. Wallace -14
Rebs: B. Wallace 13; Hamilton 9; R. Wallace 8
Assts: Billups 7; McDyess 5
Note: 7 Pistons players in double point figues
Detroit ties Series 2-2

In this game also, as was previously observed in Game 3, the Pistons dominated the Spurs. Reporters began to remark about the tendency in this series for the home team to produce a blowout. Thus far, no game had been decided by less than 15 points.

Seven Pistons scored in double figures, and big games were collected from Rasheed Wallace, Chauncey Billups, Ben Wallace, and all the other élite stars of the franchise.

The outcome was never really in doubt, and the Pistons committed a Finals-record low four turnovers, but even this is often deemed an underestimation of the Pistons’ defensive power. The deciding factor appears to have been the lack of possession time for the Spurs. This led to infrequent opportunities to score, and combined with an uncharacteristic scoring slump, the Spurs were only able to manage 71 points. For the second straight game, the Pistons scored more than 90 points against the Spurs.

Team 1 2 3 4 Tot.
San Antonio 17 19 21 14 71
Detroit 23 28 23 28 102

Game Five
June 19, 2005
9:00 p.m. Recap San Antonio Spurs 96, Detroit Pistons 95 (OT) The Palace of Auburn Hills Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076
Referees: Mike Callahan, Ron Garretson, Steve Javie ABC
Pts: Duncan 26; Horry 21; Ginobili 15
Rebs: Duncan 19; Horry 7; Ginobili 6
Assts: Ginobili 9; Parker 3; Bowen 3; Pts: Billups 34; Hamilton 15; B. Wallace 13
Rebs: B. Wallace 12; Prince 9; McDyess 6
Assts: Billups 7; Prince 3
Spurs lead series 3-2

With the first four games of the 2005 Finals being blowouts by the home team, Game 5 was the close game everyone was waiting for, and it went down as one of the more memorable games in Finals history.

The game was closely contested by the two teams throughout the night as the lead changed 12 separate times, and the game was tied on 18 occasions. Regulation was not enough to settle this game, so the game went into overtime. The Pistons streaked out to a quick lead in the first few minutes of overtime, and seemed to have the game in hand. However, a missed opportunity with Detroit up 2 with 9 seconds to go opened the door for San Antonio. On the Spurs’ next possession, Robert Horry inbounded the ball to Ginobili, who then gave it back to Horry, who was left wide open, to sink the game winning basket. Horry had previously already been famous for nailing the winning shot in Game 4 of the 2002 Western Conference Finals between the Lakers and Kings.

Horry went 5 for 6 from beyond the arc, including the game-winner, and scored 21 points coming off the bench, after not scoring until the final play of the 3rd quarter. He carried the team in the latter stages of the game as his teammates struggled with nerves that came with the weight of a must-win game on the road against an accomplished adversary. In addition to the game winning three pointer Horry made a spectacular left-handed dunk as the shot clock was winding in one possession, that is one of the highlights of the series. Incidentally, Horry happened to have the most NBA championships of any active player with five, and looked to extend that to six.

Tim Duncan, despite struggling from the free-throw line, finished with 26 points and 19 rebounds for the Spurs. Chauncey Billups was the high scorer for the Pistons, finishing with a game high 34 points in the losing effort.

Team 1 2 3 4 OT Tot.
San Antonio 21 21 22 25 7 96
Detroit 23 19 21 26 6 95

Game Six
June 21, 2005
8:00 p.m. EST Recap Detroit Pistons 95, San Antonio Spurs 86 SBC Center San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,797
Referees: Dan Crawford, Bernie Fryer, Bennett Salvatore ABC
Pts: Hamilton 23; Billups 21; R. Wallace 16
Rebs: B. Wallace 9; Prince 7; Billups 6
Assts: Billups 6; Prince 4 Pts: Ginobili 21; Duncan 21; Parker 15
Rebs: Duncan 15; Ginobili 10; Mohammed 8
Assts: Parker 5; Ginobili 3
Detroit ties Series 3-3

Game 6 was a close game all along, and the lead kept fluctuating between the two teams. Again, the leading stars on both teams played big games. Detroit pulled away early in the fourth for an 80-73 lead with five minutes to go, but the Spurs continued to threaten them. Soon, it was back to a one-point game.

Then, Rasheed Wallace planted a three-pointer to pull away, and even with a resilient game by the Spurs, the Pistons had clinched the victory.

Nevertheless, several Pistons free throws were necessary in the final moments of the game to put a win out of reach for the Spurs.

Rasheed Wallace had a big game to atone for the mistake he made for leaving Horry open in Game 5. Despite the fact that his mistake ultimately cost the Pistons the championship, Wallace was nonchalant about the play, even commenting incorrectly that he left Horry to guard Duncan.

Billups and Prince again led the Pistons with steady, unwavering defense, which is the key, as it is often said, to victory. Although Duncan and Ginobili finished with 21 points each, neither was able to seriously threaten the strong Pistons defense enough to win the game. Detroit thus won its fifth consecutive game facing elimination. The Pistons became the first road team to force a Game 7 in the NBA Finals.

Team 1 2 3 4 Tot.
Detroit 23 23 25 24 95
San Antonio 23 24 20 19 86

Game Seven
June 23, 2005
8:00 p.m. EST Recap Detroit Pistons 74, San Antonio Spurs 81 SBC Center San Antonio, Texas
Attendance: 18,797
Referees: Bavetta, Joe Crawford, Eddie F. Rush ABC
Pts: Hamilton 15; Billups 13; B. Wallace 12
Rebs: B. Wallace 12; Hamilton 8; McDyess 7
Assts: Billups 8; McDyess 2 Pts: Duncan 25; Ginobili 23; Horry 15
Rebs: Duncan 11; Mohammed 7; Ginobili 5
Assts: Ginobili 4; Duncan 3
Spurs win series 4-3

For the first time in eleven years, the NBA Finals came down to a decisive game. Momentum was on Detroit’s side, but the Spurs had home-court advantage. The Pistons were looking to become the first team to ever win the last 2 games on the road, after being down 3-2. The stats were, as expected, heavily in favor of the Spurs. NBA teams are 74-17 all-time at home in Game 7, and 9-0 when leading 3-2 going home.

The game, like the previous two games of the series, was closely contested for the first three quarters. However, in the 3rd quarter, something interesting occurred. Twice in the quarter, a defensive foul was called on the Spurs and immediately Tim Duncan reacted with a look of shock and implicit guilt, knowing that a 5th foul would put him on the bench in the 3rd quarter of one of the most important games of his career. On both occasions, however, the foul was assessed to a different Spurs player who was nowhere near the scene of the action. These questionable non-calls led to Duncan having an incredible rest of the game, allowing the Spurs to take control in the fourth quarter and win the series. For the second time in three years, the Spurs celebrated a championship on the SBC Center floor. The Spurs won Game Seven 81-74, winning the franchise’s third Larry O’Brien Trophy. For the game, Tim Duncan finished with a game high 25 points and 11 rebounds, while teammate Manu Ginobili pitched in with 23 points. Richard Hamilton, with 15 points, was the high scorer for the Pistons, who fell just short of winning back to back championships.

Tim Duncan won his third NBA Finals MVP Award. Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker, and Bruce Bowen each received their second championship ring, while Robert Horry became only the second player in NBA history (John Salley being the first) to play on championship teams for three different franchises.

Team 1 2 3 4 Tot.
Detroit 16 23 18 17 74
San Antonio 18 20 19 24 81

Trivia
The Pistons became the first road team down 3-2 in the series to win a Game 6 since the 2-3-2 format started in 1985. The previous 7 teams to lead the series 3-2 with Game 6 at home (’86 Boston Celtics, ‘87 Los Angeles Lakers, ‘92, ‘96 & ‘97 Chicago Bulls, ‘00 Lakers and ‘03 Spurs) won the series-clinching Game 6.

The only two other series to go seven games with the 2-3-2 format (1988 and 1994) had the home team win both Games 6 & 7. In ‘88 the Lakers defeated the Pistons and in ‘94, the Houston Rockets beat the New York Knicks.

With the Spurs winning Game 7, no road team has won a seventh game in the Finals since the 1978 Washington Bullets, who beat the Seattle SuperSonics in that series. The previous three Finals series to go a deciding seventh game were won by the home team. The Celtics beat the Lakers at Boston Garden in 1984, the Lakers beat the Pistons at the Great Western Forum in 1988 and the Rockets beat the Knicks at The Summit in 1994.
The Spurs became the seventh franchise to win the NBA Championship at least three times joining the Celtics, Lakers, Bulls, Warriors, Nationals/76ers, and Pistons in this group.

Tim Duncan is the only player on all four Spurs championship teams (1999, 2003, 2005, and 2007).

Tim Duncan became the fourth player in NBA history to win the NBA Finals MVP a third time joining Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal.
Robert Horry joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen as the only non-Celtics to win at least six championships. Horry also joined John Salley as the only players to win championships with three teams. Like Jordan and Pippen, Horry was 6-0 in his first six Finals series. Horry won a seventh le in 2007 with the Spurs.

This is the first time the current Finals MVP Trophy was used.

Broadcast notes
The games were broadcast exclusively on ABC in the US. The featured song, aired throughout the playoffs, was Rob Thomas’ “This Is How A Heart Breaks.”

[DieMrBond]

Good refresher on the series, until you get to this part...

The game, like the previous two games of the series, was closely contested for the first three quarters. However, in the 3rd quarter, something interesting occurred. Twice in the quarter, a defensive foul was called on the Spurs and immediately Tim Duncan reacted with a look of shock and implicit guilt, knowing that a 5th foul would put him on the bench in the 3rd quarter of one of the most important games of his career. On both occasions, however, the foul was assessed to a different Spurs player who was nowhere near the scene of the action. These questionable non-calls led to Duncan having an incredible rest of the game, allowing the Spurs to take control in the fourth quarter and win the series. For the second time in three years, the Spurs celebrated a championship on the SBC Center floor.

WTF was with that low blow??

[honestfool84]

that was LONG.

[birdy219]

They made a mistake on the WCF. The Spurs knocked out the Runs 4-1. They wish that they had won 2. Smackdown........Spurs Style....

[spurschick]

IMO, the best Spurs finals ever.

[GetNashty]

They made a mistake on the WCF. The Spurs knocked out the Runs 4-1. They wish that they had won 2. Smackdown........Spurs Style....

Man, you should feel sorry for us, that asshole Jerry Stackhouse broke JJ's face. I know he's screwed you Spurs pplz over before too!

I'm not saying you wouldn't have won, but us Suns weren't even a full form worthy opponent! Don't talk smack.

[Spurs Brazil]

That was a fantastic series.

I don't get tired of see games 5 and 7

[duncan228]

IMO, the best Spurs finals ever.

Mine too. '05 is by far my favorite of the 4.

[m33p0]

Phoenix was expected by many to put up a challenge, and many NBA legends of the past predicted them to take the Western Conference le. Contrary to this, the Spurs went up 3-0...

owned.

[Fermixalot]

thanks for this duncan228!!!

This is by far my favorite of the four les, and I maintain that this goes down as one of the best Finals in the history of the NBA.

Its sad that the amazing basketball that was played by both teams during this series (though in the 1st 4 games, never at the same time) isn't more appreciated.

[Vinnie_Johnson]

Oh sure just twist that knife that is sticking in my back.

[td4mvp21]

God I miss that season. It was a roller coaster ride with a great ending.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

IMO, the best Spurs finals ever.

Me too. Fantastic series! Manu at his best, Tim fighting through that ultra-tough Detroit front line to hold his own, Rob showing why we brought him here... and really superb basketball played by both teams at various points in the series. Awesome!

[ShoogarBear]

Truthfully, I've never heard a lot of complaining about Duncan not getting called for a 5th foul in Game 7. I'd like to hear what our Piston fan regulars have to say about it.

[duncan228]

Oh sure just twist that knife that is sticking in my back.

Sorry, that wasn't my intent. In fact one of the cool things that came out of that series is the great Pistons fans that stuck around here.

[RuffnReadyOzStyle]

Truthfully, I've never heard a lot of complaining about Duncan not getting called for a 5th foul in Game 7. I'd like to hear what our Piston fan regulars have to say about it.

Funny point this, because I have watched that 3rd quarter maybe 12 times and Duncan was getting HACKED LESS the entire time! He was also being slaughtered in the first half for no call.

The refs finally started calling some fouls on the Detroit big men about 6 mins into the Q, and then Duncan took over the game for about 4 minutes (-and-1 against the double team, banker, triple-effort putback, banker, game over) before Manu went coast-to-coast and you could just feel the trophy headed to SA.

I will watch it again and try to see what all the fuss is about.

[FromWayDowntown]

IMO, the best Spurs finals ever.

Any Finals that includes both that incredible Game 5 and that opportunity to see a Game 7 is virtually impossible to top. I have often thought that if the Spurs had lost that series, I would have been okay with it (I actually thought that as I headed to watch Game 7 -- it was the least nervous I've ever been on the way to a playoff game). Add to that the fabulous opponent and the cementing of Tim Duncan's legacy, and you've got a clear classic for Spurs fans.

Man, you should feel sorry for us, that asshole Jerry Stackhouse broke JJ's face. I know he's screwed you Spurs pplz over before too!

I'm not saying you wouldn't have won, but us Suns weren't even a full form worthy opponent! Don't talk smack.

The Spurs were perilously close to sweeping that series and probably should have gotten that done. The Spurs were up with less than 2 minutes to go in Game 4; it took a pretty special effort for the Suns to win that game.

Truthfully, I've never heard a lot of complaining about Duncan not getting called for a 5th foul in Game 7. I'd like to hear what our Piston fan regulars have to say about it.

I remember that the Pistons had a lot of foul trouble in Game 7. Sheed had his 3rd foul relatively early in the 2nd and got his 4th very early in the 3rd that night, IIRC. I don't remember the thought that Duncan was escaping fouls he deserved, but then again, I was viewing the game through very partisan eyes.

Regardless -- thanks for the memories duncan228!!!

I'm still struck by the fact that this franchise -- one I hoped to see win 1 championship at any point in time -- has won 4. Threads like this one remind me of my promise to take none of it for granted, to enjoy the ride for as long as it lasts, and to keep fresh in my mind the memories of the highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows through that journey.

[JamStone]

Spurs cheated.

Fluke championship.

[ShoogarBear]

People forget game 6, but that was a war, too. Everyone was expecting the Pistons to roll over after the way they lost game 5, but that was the time Detroit showed what they were really made of.

[duncan228]

Spurs cheated.

Fluke championship.

There was a shot of Rasheed on the bench after he picked up his 5th (I think) and, if my lip reading was right, he said "Cheating mother ers."

[FromWayDowntown]

Everyone was expecting the Pistons to roll over after the way they lost game 5, but that was the time Detroit showed what they were really made of.

Almost all of the AT&T Center (SBC Center) crowd was convinced that the Pistons were done and that clinching the le that evening was a foregone conclusion; it was a pretty weak home crowd for the Spurs, given the cir stances.

And it was a great effort by Detroit's group of champions.

[himat]

I hope the Pistons get to that level again. The past 5 years they have been amazing and as Pistons fans we can't complain about that much. But in 04 and 05 the Pistons were the toughest team in the league. The past 3 years we have lost that edge.

[WildcardManu]

Mine too. '05 is by far my favorite of the 4.

by far the, the Spurs truely earned this one

[Fernando TD21]

That was my favorite Spurs le. Ginobili and Duncan were amazing during the playoffs.

[baseline bum]

People forget game 6, but that was a war, too. Everyone was expecting the Pistons to roll over after the way they lost game 5, but that was the time Detroit showed what they were really made of.

That was a lot closer game than the final score indicated. Those Pistons are probably my favorite playoff opponent the Spurs have ever played. When they opened up that 17-4 lead in game 1 all I could think was 'this is a of a team'.