Looking forward to Game 7
I admit, I'm not much of an NBA fan during the regular season. Used to be, but somewhere along the line it got boring. But the playoffs are something else. And games 5 and 6 of the Spurs-Pistons finals have been scintillating.
It's one thing for college players to fire in 3-pointers. But the NBA line is further out and the shots Robert Horry and Chauncey Billups made were absolutely cold-blooded. The play inside has been physical and Detroit's Rip Hamilton is showing that there is still a game from 15 to 18 feet.
Discounting Rasheed Wallace's constant outbursts at the officials, it's intriguing to watch him play -- hitting 3s, spotting up for that turnaround/fadeaway, grabbing rebounds. Yeah, he made a big mistake leaving Horry open after the inbounds pass in game 5, but he's not the first athlete to let instincts take over as he rotated for the double-team on Manu Ginobli in the corner.
I don't know what's in store for Game 7 -- a huge game from Tim Duncan would help the Spurs' cause. And Ginobli's unpredictable forays to the basket will be a factor. But no one is better at fighting off adversity than the Pistons. It would be just like them to be the first team to win a championship by winning the last two games on the road.
Whatever the outcome, it should be fun to watch.
Comments (2)
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Yeah, I can't wait for tonight. This series has turned into a good one and you can't ask for much more than a Game 7 in the Finals.
Even though San Antonio is the stronger team, I suspect Detroit will win tonight. Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker don't seem to be big-game players. And as weird as this sounds about a two-time MVP with two rings, I don't think Tim Duncan is, either. A great player, no doubt, but a clutch player? I have my doubts.
On the other hand, the Pistons have shown over and over that they can get it done when it counts.
Last year, they were down 3-2 to New Jersey, only to win Game 6 on the road and take the series in Game 7. They then beat the supposedly unbeatable Lakers when no one gave them a chance.
This year, they were down 2-1 to Indiana, only to win that series. And, of course, they came back from 3-2 to beat Miami, including winning Game 7 on the road. Can't get much more clutch than that.
Posted on June 23, 2005 11:42 AM
Guess the Spurs proved me wrong. Ginobili and Parker were great in Game 7 and Duncan was absolutely huge. He didn't shoot that well, but he was all over the place rebounding and playing defense. He absolutely was the difference in that game.
Posted on June 27, 2005 4:29 PM