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Defensive Detroit gets back into series

PISTONS 96, SPURS 79: Detroit looks like the team that shut down the Lakers last season to cut its deficit to 2-1.

Associated Press
Published June 15, 2005

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AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - The NBA Finals aren't looking so lopsided anymore thanks to a burst of life from the defending champion Pistons that took them three games to summon.

Playing with a level of energy that was nowhere to be found in the first two games, Ben Wallace and Richard Hamilton led the way as the Pistons thoroughly outplayed the Spurs in the second half and won 96-79 Tuesday in Game 3.

Television ratings have been down, and interest has been low. But that might start to change now that the Pistons have made things much more competitive and a little more compelling.

No longer is there a chance for a sweep, and never again will anyone question whether the Pistons can even play with the likes of Manu Ginobili and Tim Duncan.

Ginobili got hurt during the game's first 30 seconds and was reduced to a nonfactor for the first time in the series, scoring just seven points. And Duncan could not match the energy or enthusiasm generated by Wallace, the NBA's defensive player of the year, finishing with 14 points.

Wallace's dunk with 4:27 left gave Detroit its largest lead, 88-73, and the Pistons held on easily from there.

Hamilton scored 24 and Chauncey Billups 20 for Detroit. But although the Pistons got most of their points from their backcourt tandem once again, they were anything but a two-man team.

Wallace had 15 points, 11 rebounds, five blocks and three steals, and Tayshaun Prince and Antonio McDyess each added 12 points.

Detroit became the first team to score 90 points against the Spurs in 13 NBA Finals game, putting together the type of poised, pumped-up performance they hadn't displayed since Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals at Miami.

The defensive battle many analysts expected finally materialized in the first half, but the Pistons took the lead with 29 points in the third.

Hamilton, shut down by Bruce Bowen during the first two games, scored 10 during the quarter, punctuated by a steal and a driving goaltended layup with 25 seconds left that put Detroit up by seven. The Pistons scored nine consecutive points late in the quarter.

The defending champions lost the first two games of the series in San Antonio by 15 and 21 points, meekly making mistakes and struggling during the fourth quarters.

But they were revitalized in front of their home crowd and by being at the Palace, where they improved to 24-8 during the past three postseasons.

Wallace scored seven and blocked five shots during the first quarter, tying Bob Lanier's franchise record for blocks in a quarter. San Antonio led 27-21 after the first quarter. But the clubs traded the lead throughout the second after which the Spurs led 42-41. Detroit forced nine turnovers during the half.

Tim Duncan had 10 points and eight rebounds for the Spurs during the half, but Manu Ginobili took just two shots and struggled with foul trouble.

He was called for an offensive foul early. He later banged knees with Detroit's Tayshaun Prince and left the game limping, though he returned a few minutes later.

Only two teams in league history have rallied from an 0-2 deficit in the final round, none since the Trail Blazers in 1977. But last season, Detroit became the first team to sweep the middle three home games of the Finals since the 2-3-2 format began during the 1980s.

Horry surpasses Jordan

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - The Spurs' Robert Horry passed Michael Jordan for the most 3-pointers in Finals history with his 43rd during Game 3.

The record-breaking basket came with 49 seconds left before halftime, giving the Spurs a 41-38 lead.

Michael Cooper is third all-time with 35.

Horry, known for his clutch shooting in the postseason, is trying for his sixth NBA title. 34-year-old forward-center won titles with the Rockets in 1994 and 1995 and with the Lakers from 2000-02.

[Last modified June 15, 2005, 00:44:10]

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