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Pistons expect much different Laker team in game two
On a night when their top scorer struggled and Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant combined for 60 points against them, the Detroit Pistons found a way to fight through the hardship. The Pistons solidified their defense and stuck to coach Larry Brown's game plan, stunning the star-studded Los Angeles Lakers 87-75 in Sunday's opening game of the National Basketball Association Finals.
"We know the Lakers like to get out and play in transition and get involved in the high-flying attack," Detroit's Chauncey Billups said. "It is our job to try to control that and slow it down when we get a chance." The defensive-minded Pistons might be peaking at the right time in the season but they are also cautious about reading too much into Sunday's victory because they know the Lakers can play much better. "That's not a typical Laker game," Brown said. "How many times are (Lakers) going to score 75 points in a playoff game?"
The Pistons were all business at Monday's practice as they seek their fourth consecutive playoff road triumph here Tuesday in game two of the best-of-seven series. Brown ran the players through their drills at Staples Center arena, using second-stringers in the roles of O'Neal and Bryant as they worked on pick-and-roll plays. Brown said watching the tape of Sunday's game made him realize that they are a better shooting team than even he sometimes gives them credit for being. "You are never as good as you think you are when you watch the film and generally you are usually never as bad," said Brown, who registered his 82nd career playoff coaching victory to pass K.C. Jones for fourth on the all-time list. "But the reason we won is we made shots. That got our defence a chance to set up which impacted the Lakers." Richard Hamilton is the Pistons' top scorer in the playoffs, averaging 21 points. But he scored just 12 on Sunday. Hamilton shot 5-of-16 and had six turnovers. With Hamilton in trouble offensively, the other Piston starters stepped up, especially Rasheed Wallace, who had 14 points and eight rebounds in just 29 minutes of playing time. "We had contributions from a lot of people," Brown said. "We shot 47 percent, we rebounded the ball effectively and we had four turnovers in the second half." The Pistons are the best defensive team in the NBA and they showed why on Sunday, snapping Los Angeles' nine-game post-season home winning streak. "When we get our defense set, we are a tough team," Billups said. Said Wallace, "Defence wins championships. You can go out there and score a million points but if you are giving up a million and one then what good is it? "Defence is critical at this time in the series." Billups expects to see a different Laker team on Tuesday, one with more intensity and aggression. The series then shifts to Detroit for game three on Thursday. "I am sure they will try to push the tempo," Billups said. "They will make adjustments, but we are going to stay consistent and not change too much. "If they make adjustments that's OK because we are pretty good at making changes on the fly during a game." Billups was able to bottle up Lakers guard Gary Payton, holding the future Hall of Famer to just three points on Sunday. "He's got a lot of pride and for the past 10 to 12 years he's been the best point guard in this league. But you know he's going to be playing a lot harder (Tuesday). "It felt good for me to play well and all that but it's a long series." |
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