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Posted: Friday June 24, 2005 4:04AM; Updated: Friday June 24, 2005 10:25AM
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NBA Finals Fast Breaks
Game 7: Spurs 81, Pistons 74
Making The Grade
San Antonio Spurs
Tony Parker, G
38 min., 8 points (3-11 FG, 1-3 3PT, 1-2 FT), 3 assists, 2 rebounds
Started shaky and committed a dumb foul on Richard Hamilton at the end, but his D and penetration made up for some of it. Still, Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili saved his bacon.
C
Manu Ginobili, G
35 min., 23 points (8-13 FG, 2-2 3PT, 5-5 FT), 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 turnovers
Dazzled with several nifty drives, while also hitting boards and defending. His steal of Chauncey Billups in third quarter was game's underrated big play.
A
Tim Duncan, F
42 min., 25 points (10-27 FG, 5-6 FT), 11 rebounds, 5 turnovers, 3 assists
Finals MVP missed eight straight shots at one point, but sparkled down the stretch. Scored, rebounded, defended, set up teammates and even made his free throws.
A
Bruce Bowen, F
41 min., 5 points (2-4 FG, 1-1 3PT), 4 rebounds, 1 assist
Did his usual blanket job on Hamilton (6-of-18 shooting), then came up with big 3-pointer and sensational block on Billups to seal deal.
A-
Nazr Mohammed, C
22 min., 0 points (0-3 FG), 7 rebounds, 2 blocks
Shook off early butterfingers (and jitters?) to chip in with usual solid D and board work. Had a nice block on Ben Wallace to force 24-second violation in fourth.
C+
The Bench
62 min., 20 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals
Robert Horry (15 points, five rebounds) and Brent Barry (five points, four rebounds) combined to give the Spurs a huge lift early. Barry took it to the rim, drawing Billups' second foul, and buried his only 3-point attempt. Horry was all over the floor as always, and hit a big corner trey to put Spurs up five midway through the fourth.
B+
Gregg Popovich, Coach
From hooking Parker two minutes into the game to settle him down to putting Bowen on Billups in time for the big blocked shot, he made all the right moves. Matched his mentor Larry Brown in the Xs and Os throughout the series.
A-
Detroit Pistons
Rip Hamilton, G
46 min., 15 points (6-18 FG, 0-2 3PT, 3-4 FT), 8 rebounds, 1 assist
On a night when his shot wasn't falling, he chipped in with the rebounding. Will now report to the Mayo Clinic to have Bowen surgically removed from his hip.
C+
Chauncey Billups, G
40 min., 13 points (3-8 FG, 0-3 3PT, 7-8 FT), 8 assists, 4 rebounds
Showed his leadership by trying to get teammates involved early, but might have waited too long to look for his shot. Still, he was sensational all series.
B+
Rasheed Wallace, F
28 min., 11 points (5-10 FG, 1-4 3PT), 2 steals, 1 rebound, 1 assist
Overcame foul trouble to score nine points in fourth, almost single-handedly keeping team in game. But will he now present championship belt to Spurs?
B-
Tayshaun Prince, F
41 min., 9 points (4-13 FG, 1-4 3PT), 2 rebounds, 2 steals, 1 assist
Solid defensively, but shot poorly and didn't have a productive floor game. Maybe he was tired from chasing Ginobili all series.
C
Ben Wallace, C
38 min., 12 points (6-10 FG, 0-2 FT), 11 rebounds, 2 blocks, 2 steals
Fear the 'fro. Heart and hustle all night. Set the tone by scoring six of Detroit's first 12 points and playing fierce D, but was scoreless (on three FGAs) in the second half.
A-
The Bench
47 min., 14 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists
Once more the two-man unit of Antonio McDyess (10 points, seven boards) and Lindsey Hunter (four points, two assists) did its part. McDyess helped keep team in game when 'Sheed got in foul trouble, and Hunter played solid D on Parker and Ginobili. But Hunter's poor shooting (2-of-8) was a minus.
B
Larry Brown, Coach
Navigated team through foul trouble, drew up some nice plays off timeouts and even dusted off Elden Campbell. But saved his best defensive strategies for postgame questions about his future.
B
Play Of The Night
Brian Bahr/Getty Images
With the Pistons trailing 73-68 with one minute play, Chauncey Billups took a pass from Richard Hamilton and immediately tried to squeeze off a long jumper from the left wing. But Spurs forward Bruce Bowen, who had switched onto Billups, blocked the shot straight on and grabbed the loose ball. As the stunned Pistons tried to regroup on defense, Manu Ginobili found a seam and weaved his way through several defenders for a killer layup that gave the Spurs a 75-68 lead with 35.9 seconds left as the SBC Center crowd roared in delight. The Pistons would never get closer than four points the rest of the way.
Quote Of The Night
"We just stuck with it. We just kept on pushing. We just kept on fighting."
-- Finals MVP Tim Duncan, on overcoming a determined Pistons team
Courtside Confidential
Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images
They cheered. They banged their Thunderstix. They chanted "Go Spurs Go!" during timeouts. The SBC Center crowd was definitely rocking for Game 7, raising the volume to jet engine levels. After a passive performance in Game 6 (at least compared to Detroit's Palace madhouse), San Antonio fans were in full throat in Game 7. The crowd support seemed to energize the Spurs, who got to several loose balls and kept the Pistons to just eight offensive rebounds after getting torched in that area in previous games. Even 7-footer Tim Duncan hit the floor diving for a loose ball early in the third quarter. The home crowd might also have helped a little with the refs, who kept a close eye on the Pistons' big men and their physical play. But that's why teams play all season, for the right to earn homecourt advantage. "We needed it. We needed it," said Manu Ginobili, who waved his arms as he walked off the court during several timeouts. "We needed that energy that the crowd gave us."
Looking Ahead
Brian Bahr/Getty Images
The Spurs will hold a victory parade on Saturday. Then they can get on with the business of trying to cement their place as the next NBA dynasty. With Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and most of the other key pieces signed through next season, they should again be among the top teams in the league. For the Pistons, the future is murkier but no less bright. Detroit's starting lineup and key reserve Antonio McDyess are all expected back. But coach Larry Brown said he will decide in the next few days whether his health issues will prevent him from returning to the bench next season. If not, he might end up as president in Cleveland or somewhere else. "I hope I'll be back coaching," Brown said. "That's my plan."
Game 7 Box Score | Complete Finals Coverage

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