12/21/24
June 17, 2005
Pistons Slam Spurs, 102-71: squaring the series at 2-2.
posted by kirkaracha to basketball at 12:13 AM - 23 comments
You didn't miss a whole hell of a lot, dusted. Duncan is having a tough time laying claim to best PF on his own team, never mind in history. Yeah, the Pistons have been generally smothering, but he is getting plenty of one-on-one opportunities down low. The fact that help defence comes should not be a surprise for someone of his talent. Whenever people say how great Duncan is, I always think back to the Houston-SA series many years ago, when Olajuwon unleashed some holy hell fury on David Robinson, seemingly creating new moves on the fly during the series. Unfairly or not, I will always hold a "great" post player to that measure -- where is the innovation when staring excellence in the face?
posted by smithers at 07:10 AM on June 17, 2005
I'm still waiting for both teams to show up for the same game...
posted by MeatSaber at 08:04 AM on June 17, 2005
MeatSaber said it. Both teams have shown why they're worthy of being in the Finals, just not simultaneously. I'm thinking that might happen once in the next three games, but that one game will be incredible.
posted by chicobangs at 08:50 AM on June 17, 2005
I'm thinking that might happen once in the next three games, but that one game will be incredible. Game 7, maybe? That would blow away any other Finals game ever...
posted by MeatSaber at 10:05 AM on June 17, 2005
Smithers nailed it- Duncan is not really being innovative in the low post, and Detroit is on to him. The way he is swarmed, you can tell they've got his moves figured, inside and out. They usually let him take that first bob towards the basket, then wait for his little pivot foot slide and duck in preparation for the lay-in- and that's when they strip the ball right from his hands. Saw that way too many times last night, and Duncan never really adapted. I think Detroit was also helped last night by a loose game from the refs- which is how I preferred it. What I often saw from San Antonio is a steal/block by Detroit, with Detroit racing down court while at least one Spur held back to give exaggerated "C'mon, ref!" expressions down by their own basket. At times they seemed more interested in complaining about no whistles than getting back on defense, leading to an insane number of transition points. To be fair, it was a pretty physical game, but a clean one, and the refs let them play instead of calling every contact a foul. This game could have had a totally different complexion if the refs had chosen to call it tight.
posted by hincandenza at 10:28 AM on June 17, 2005
*yawn*
posted by scully at 11:30 AM on June 17, 2005
I'm going to flag terrapin for illegal use of ennui. Fifteen yard penalty and loss of down. If you think basketball is boring, how exciting is your boredom about basketball to the rest of us?
posted by rcade at 11:59 AM on June 17, 2005
The game was fair and good especially if you are in a bar cheering for the Pistons were as everyone else is cheering for the Spurs
posted by woody701 at 12:46 PM on June 17, 2005
I too hope that both teams show up for the same game at least once. 'twould be sweet!
posted by blarp at 12:47 PM on June 17, 2005
me too...
posted by HOE.O.K. at 01:19 PM on June 17, 2005
I hope they both show up as well. What is it about homecourt advantage in this series? Being a SPURS fan, If they continue to stink it up like this, they dont deserve to win. It seems like the 1st team to win on the road will take the series.
posted by Rage Rod 74 at 07:20 PM on June 17, 2005
While I, uh, disagree with Terrapin's allegiances, I don't think he's not a basketball fan. It's just... jeeze, this is not very exciting basketball to watch. Give me March any day. (Or to be fair, Spurs-Suns, which was a blast.)(Though agreed that if both teams show up for game 7 it could be epic. Score would be 51-49, but it would be epic.)
posted by tieguy at 12:07 AM on June 18, 2005
I see nothing wrong with 51-49 games. I hate what the NBA has become in the last 15 years, but I am seriously digging this brand of ball. Boring, hell. This is the kind of game I could get passionate about.
posted by chicobangs at 08:14 AM on June 18, 2005
Boring, hell. This is the kind of game I could get passionate about. This, twice over. This is much akin to a 12-round prize fight, where both boxers are taking turns beating the stuffing out of one another. It's easy to enjoy watching each team at the top of their game (though, admittedly, it's not quite as pleasant when the Pistons are at theirs). It's going to get closer in this, a three-game series. I just wish that both teams would stop with the bitching to the refs (Detroit in 1 & 2, S.A. in 3 & 4). They are swallowing their whistles, as they do every year 'bout this time.
posted by avogadro at 08:51 AM on June 18, 2005
I was struck by the directions in game 4. The teams were playing defense in front of their own benches in the first half which is a reversal of the typical. This seams to be employed from time to time to throw a team off defensively. Is this the decision of the home coach or the visitor? Jerry Sloan used it a few years back against my Sacramento Kings in the first round when they were still new to the playoffs. My guess is that, if it was his decision, Coach Brown has enough confidence in his team defensively that he hoped to throw off the Spurs and, well, it worked.
posted by geekyguy at 08:58 AM on June 18, 2005
Granted I'm a Pistons fan, but I actually thought it was the Spurs - Suns series that was boring. As someone who has played basketball for fifteen years, with a few years of organized ball, I find it boring (and reminiscent of bad playground ball) to see a shot go up in the first five seconds ON EVERY POSSESSION, which is what the Suns do as a strategy. Alot of the Suns plays were either a wing or Stoudamire slashing to the basket for a weird shot or Nash slashing to the basket to jump up and pass. And when defense is being played by the Wallaces and Tayshaun it's very exciting.
posted by BobbyC at 09:36 AM on June 18, 2005
geekyguy: great observation, one that I didn't notice myself. Any of the other hardcores out there (lilnemo?) have any info on this one?
posted by smithers at 09:58 AM on June 18, 2005
The teams were playing defense in front of their own benches in the first half which is a reversal of the typical. This seams to be employed from time to time to throw a team off defensively. Is this the decision of the home coach or the visitor? I've wondered about this myself. I can't find it in the rulebook. I think the decision is made by the home team, just a gut feeling.
posted by lilnemo at 12:05 PM on June 18, 2005
I am so happy the Pistons are exposing the primma-donnas known as the Spurs! I knew if the Pistons could get their act together defensively, they would upset whiners like Duncan and Parker and take them out of their game! Hoorah! I hate crybabie Duncan!
posted by bluekarma at 12:43 PM on June 18, 2005
In my opinion, as a Detroit fan, is that once Coach Brown figures out how to defend you, you're done. Remember the famed Lakers last year who came in full of themselves and full of Shaq and Kobe? Psht! They slept on the D's D too. I think that now that Detroit has played at home and gotten a taste of victory and how to defend against the Spurs, they'll take the next two and will reign supreme again!
posted by kp7503 at 11:08 PM on June 18, 2005
Lakers actually had health issues last year. With Malones knee gimpy then being hurt in Game 2, they had no PF. And Shaq never was in shape and Kobe flat out played so much he had tendidnitis in his knees. With no bench players, the Lakers had little chance after the 7 Games against the Spurs. Plus the fact that the eastern conference offered no competition, while the West was a war in every series, it was no wonder the Pistons were the fresher team and it showed.
posted by bluekarma at 12:13 AM on June 19, 2005
Uhmmm.... I'm just sayin' but I think the Lakers - Spurs series only went 6 games. Meanwhile, the Pistons beat the Nets in 7, with a triple-overtime game thrown in, and then beat the Pacers in 6. Both of those series were likely more physical than anything that happened in the West.
posted by BobbyC at 06:31 PM on June 19, 2005
One of them actually broke 100, something I didn't think was possible in this series. And of course it's the first game I didn't watch.