They face a mental hurdle over losing a late lead in Los Angeles, but they're at home tonight.
By Associated Press
Published June 10, 2004
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - One shot has drastically changed the dynamics of the NBA Finals. The question now for the Detroit Pistons is whether they'll let it affect them in tonight's Game 3 the way it did in overtime of Game 2.
Instead of returning to Motown Madness with a 2-0 lead and a superb chance to pull off one of the most stunning upsets in league history, they are tied 1-1 with the Lakers and wondering how they let a six-point lead slip away in the final 40 seconds.
The most pertinent question was why the Pistons didn't foul someone before Kobe Bryant hit a 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds left to send the game to overtime. A foul would have given the Lakers two free throws when they needed three points to tie, and the Pistons had plenty of opportunities to commit one before Bryant launched his shot.
"We don't foul in a situation like that," coach Larry Brown said, explaining that he feared a four-point play. "I thought about it. We talked about if they threw it inside, yeah, when Shaq gets it, put him on the line. But I don't want to take a chance like that."
One series-altering shot can sap the life out of a team, and judging by what the Pistons had to say after Game 2, the mental hurdle will be a significant obstacle to overcome.
"It's devastating," Tayshaun Prince said.
"You know, we're crushed," Brown said. "I mean, shoot, that was - we had a winnable game. And everybody in that locker room is down. But we lost in triple overtime to New Jersey (in the second round) and had to go there and win Games 6 and 7. We've just got to bounce back."
Suffice to say the makeup of the crowd will be quite different from the star-studded audience at Staples Center that stayed relatively quiet until Bryant's shot.
Meanwhile, two key Lakers are injured. Guard Derek Fisher is hobbling with a sore right knee and has trouble driving the lane or guarding the most athletic opponents. Forward Karl Malone sprained the medial collateral ligament in his right knee early in Game 2 but played 39 minutes. He would not commit Wednesday to playing in Game 3, but Jackson said he expected him to play, perhaps wearing a knee brace.
The things that worked for Los Angeles in Game 2, including a significant role for rookie Luke Walton, should remain part of the game plan against an opponent that's giving the Lakers more trouble than many anticipated.
The first two games exposed the Pistons' matchup advantages at point guard and power forward with Chauncey Billups and Rasheed Wallace outplaying the Lakers' two former superstars, Gary Payton and Malone.
WNBA: Diana Taurasi had 17 points and five assists and host Phoenix used a 13-1 run in the second half to beat Connecticut 75-59. ... Deanna Nolan scored 29 and visiting Detroit rallied from a 23-point deficit to beat Indiana 83-79. ... Sheryl Swoopes scored 20 and Tina Thompson added 17 in host Houston's 59-47 victory over San Antonio.
