Party crashers
Enjoy the Nets and Pistons defenses. It's your only choice
Posted: Monday May 19, 2003 11:41 PM
Forget Annika Sorenstam playing with the boys at the Colonial.
Who let the Pistons and Nets crash this year’s final NBA foursome?
The way these two clubs struggle to put the ball in the basket, they might need a sponsor’s exemption to advance to the NBA Finals.
Of course, ugly is in the eye of the beholder. So as the two clubs meet up Tuesday night in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals, let’s appreciate them for their beautiful halfcourt defenses. Let’s honor Ben Wallace, Michael Curry, Kenyon Martin and Jason Collins for putting the effort into the part of the game that doesn’t get all the attention and headlines.
Besides, in this series you can get up in the middle of the game to grab a beer, change the laundry and let the dog out -- and still not miss anything.
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New Jersey Nets at Detroit Pistons
8 p.m. ET
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| Series Snapshot |
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| Game 1 |
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74 |
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76 |
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The past ... It wasn’t pretty, but the Nets stole home-court advantage from Detroit by rallying for a 76-74 victory in Game 1 on Jason Kidd’s 20-foot baseline fadeaway with 1.4 seconds left. The Pistons still had a chance to win but Mehmut Okur missed on a clean tip-in and putback attempt at the buzzer. It was that kind of day for Detroit, which turned the ball over six times in the first quarter to help the Nets score 18 fast-break points. The Pistons settled down and actually built a 63-55 lead after three, but New Jersey’s swarming halfcourt defense held them to 2-of-19 shooting the rest of the way. The Nets outscored Detroit 21-11 in the final quarter to set the stage for Kidd’s heroics.
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Jason Kidd
AP |
The present ...
Despite the loss, the Pistons have no reason to panic. They held New Jersey to 39.7 percent shooting, with Kidd hitting just 6-of-19 attempts. Take away the Nets’ 28-4 advantage in fast-break points, and Detroit would have won easily. The Pistons’ defense is becoming a riddle for the Nets, who are averaging just 87.8 points per game in their four meetings this season. Detroit’s problem is finding a way to score against New Jersey’s own stout defense. With Chauncey Billups hounded by Kidd, the Pistons need Tayshaun Prince (seven points on 2-of-10 shooting in Game 1) and Corliss Williamson (eight points on 2-of-10) to step up and help take some of the scoring load off Richard Hamilton.
The future ... The Pistons know they can’t afford to fall behind 2-0 in this series, especially with the next two at New Jersey. With the Palace rocking, they will come out with renewed focus and energy. The Nets usually struggle in Detroit anyway, so look for the Pistons to win this one and even the series.
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