Spartak

What the hell, why give the team with the worst record the chance to win/go 3-2 up at home.

There is nothing wrong with the old tried and tested format.

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Nimbletoe

To do their best that the series isn't a sweep, to make more money.

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Splice

Agreed. The Pistons do not have the offensive threat to take on the Lakers down the stretch. Look at their winning scores against the Pacers. What a joke. Wasn't it like 60 something final score? They are going to need more than a miracle to win the title. I say start praying.

Nimbletoe

YEAH BABY!!!! Pistons can't score!?!?!

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maxhooters

game one to the Pistions!!!!!!

see you tuesday

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powerclown

THAT was unexpected...more the Lakers asleep at the wheel maybe?
(Anyone else see that chick in the crowd with the monster cleaveage over Phil Jackson's right shoulder?? Holy mother...)

goddfather40

Congrats Pistons on a solid Game 1. Unfortunately, history often repeats itself, so just like 1991 when the favored Bulls lose Game 1 at home, and 2001 when the favored Lakers lost Game 1 at home, I think the Lakers will make the adjustment.

And please GP, Karl, and the other Lakers, where ever you are, us Lakers fans would appreciate it if you showed up at the game on Tuesday, thanks.

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Spartak

Hell, it just wasn't their night, so many shots didn't get the right roll. So many guys wasted open looks.

The Lakers better Cowboy Up (tm) for game 2, or the Pistons might even win this thing

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Jesus Malverde

I'm not getting excited unless the Pistons win game 2. The Sixers did the same thing three years ago, and ended losing four straight.

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dragon2fire

there go the lakers in 4 people

Nimbletoe

Hmm, i'm gonna go out on a limb and say the pistons of now are better then that sixers team. By a lot.

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Scipio

I'm pulling for the Pistons. The Lakers are quite good, but they aren't so far ahead of the Pistons that the series is a foregone conclusion. The Pistons are a great basketball team, with a great coach, but I somehow doubt that they can beat the Lakers twice in a row at home. Winning game one was a bonus. If they win game one and game two, people will start calling them the favorite.

Mabye the Lakers are destined to get to the finals and lose this year. Who knows. At this point all we can say is that the Pistons did come to play, and that it probably won't be a blowout by the Lakers like a lot of people thought.

It was interesting that Payton and Malone both had a slow game. Sure, LA will do better if they get involved as well, but can't you say that about any team? If their 4 best players do well, they win games? Hell, Rasheed Wallace only played 29 minutes, and Ricky Hamilton shot 5/16.

There's a ton of uncertainty, as these teams have rarely played each other. Adjustments will be made, and it will be interesting to see what happens. In my mind, the adjustments favor the Lakers in game two, as Detroit won't be making huge changes to their already successful game plan. The challenge for detroit will be in winning at least two of their home games. Naturally, they can close the series at home if they win all three, but it remains to be seen if that's possible.

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Halx

Color me sad.

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powerclown

I agree. Detroit played about as good as they can while LA can adjust. They don't play many teams like Detroit during the season. But I like the way that Detroit gave up trying to shut down Shaq and Kobe and turned their attention towards stopping the Laker's role players. I also agree that Detroit is no Sixers team, they are one of the very best defensive teams to come along in a while.

Jadedfox

Yay! My predictment is out the window! Go fucking Pistons!

--jaded

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Nimbletoe

My notes about this game:

Larry Brown had an excellent game plan going into this game. Basically to throw what you can at Shaq, but not to double him much at all to focus on the other lakers players. They're all really used to Shaq drawing the double, which is why I think Malone and Payton struggled, Payton especially.

The only thing that kept the pistons from winning that game by 20+ was their turnovers. They also didn't get much from Rip, who was guarded by Kobe (and did a damn good job).

I think game 2 is going to be much closer, and very intense, but impossible to predict. Obviously i'm going to side with the pistons, but that is biased =) You just can't count out either team.

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BigGov

I guess 5 people are already wrong

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Halx

Something that stands out at me is that the Lakers just became impatient and took long shots... some were open, some were not, but hardly any of them went in. They just weren't in their game.

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Speed_Gibson

it was just one game but I still strongly feel that Detroit can win this in 6 or 7 (I voted last week for Detroit in 7)
If the Laker bench actually shows up on the floor then LA has a very good chance of winning the series.

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Scipio

Exactly. The problem with Shaq isn't so much the points he scores, but the way he disrupts the game. A lot of that disruption IS the way that he draws multiple coverage. I think the Lakers could have just given him the ball on every possession and made Detroit deal with it. It's just crazy enough to work.

Why'd the Lakers lose? Even with Shaq going 14-16, they shot just under 40%.

Ouch.

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Midlandmadman

This next statement is from a total HOCKEY fan so please don't rip on me too much......

I want the pistons to win... being from Michigan...i guessed DET in 6. but about last nights game....

I didn't see the lakers get more then a Handful of shots where they didn't have a hand in their face.... I think that Shaq WON'T have a better game then he did in game one. If Detroit can keep up that Tenacious D They should be fine... As for people that think Detroit has a lack of scoring???? One of their better scoring guys (Hamilton) got held to 12 or so points and they still win by double digits? Where as the Lakers only had 2 guys in DD (Shaq and Kobe) the next guy on the team had what ,5 points? Game 2 though could tell a different story.... we'll see.
GO PISTONS!!!!!

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grumpyolddude

Weel, so much for the argument that Detroit's defense won't stand up to the Lakers' offense. La looked bad because the Pistons MADE them look bad. Fantastic game plan!

Detroit scored 87, while missing 9 free throws and missing several easy shots (Rip will shoot better than 5-16). Payton can't handle Billups... that was apparent in their regular season match ups. and when Fischer comes in, the mismatch is even greater.

Kobe did a great job on Rip, and displayed his personal greatness on offense. But he has to get his teammates involved--other than Shaq. Shaq's 5 offensive rebounds are the only thing that kept the game close.

I expected Detroit to win game 2, if any, in LA. Nice bonus. With 3 of the next 4 in Michigan, LA has a big problem on their hands.

ps: Karl who?

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sixate

Funny.... I just love watching Laker haters get excited over one loss. Phil always makes the right adjustments. Karl has been playing great until last night, so if you're expecting him to play that poorly all series you have to be nuts. And anyone who thinks Prince can control Kobe for an entire series is also crazy. The rest of the team will never play that poorly either. Pistons are in trouble Tuesday night.

It's also pathetic that Prince was considered to have showed "personal greatness on offense" with only 11 points..... Don't make me laugh. And Chauncey was the only person to shoot over 50% for the game, and they will never control Shaq. Little Ben looked like he needed to go back to college last night. This doesn't even worry me a little. If the Pistons played in the loaded west they wouldn't have had a better record than the top 5 teams out west, and there's no way they can win a series against LA.

And to say GP can't handle Chauncey is also foolish. We heard that same shit after the first games against the T-Wolves(Cassell) and the Spurs(Parker). Payton will adjust and Chauncey won't play that good the entire series. He's no Isiah fucking Thomas.

Nimbletoe

You're right, anyone that thinks the lakers will play that poorly again is foolish. But we proved that our defense will be effective. Come on, you have to admit that it wasn't just them having a bad night.

There's no way to prove what their record would be out west, but I think it would be in the top 4. Just my opinion though. As for Payton... Parker is young and wasn't used to the pressure, and Cassell got injured. Payton is old, and much slower than he used to be. You always speak big and call everyone crazy, nuts, etc, but have yet to be right about situations i've talked to you with. Although this is your best chance, we'll see.

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goddfather40

Interesting fact, pulled from someone on the Lakers newsgroup:

the lakers had lost game 1 of the finals at home 4 previous times.

their record in those series outcomes? four titles, zero losses.

2001 won 4-1 vs. philly
1988 won 4-3 vs. detroit
1972 won 4-1 vs. NY
1953 won 4-1 vs. NY

It won't be 4-1 this time, 4-3 is looking very likely. Maybe Shaq will knock down two free throws to win Game 6, a la Kareem in '88.

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choskins

My mind says Lakers in 6, but my heart says Pistons! So I voted Pistons in 7

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Nimbletoe

Interesting, maybe. But the only one of those that is in any way significant is the sixers one, and thats only because they had shaq and kobe then. As i've said, the pistons are a lot better than that sixers team, who had injuries plaguing many of their players. LA fanboys are just reaching, because they all said LA would own detroit at home both games. What excuses are going to surface after game 2 if they lose? I'm sick of it.

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AlrightyThen

LA came out with no energy and missing everything. I wonder if that was because everyone was already handing them the series?
I doubt we'll see that again, just not probable.

grumpyolddude

Sixate: I wrote that KOBE showed "personal greatness on offense", not Prince. I never mentioned Prince. I don't think that Detroit contained Kobe in any way, and never said so.

I'm not getting excited. I picked the Lakers in 6 and hope I'm wrong. These are two great teams. It's entirely possible for both teams to have commendable qualities.

I'm just growing weary of angry rhetoric being hurled over this issue. If you want to spew venom, though, at least quote the posts correctly.

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sixate

Sorry, I misunderstood what you said.

omid

HERE IT IS-- THE ULTIMATE REASON WHY THE LAKERS LOST GAME ONE:


Phil Jackson is a nice guy. He feels bad for poor Larry Brown, who will never win a championship. Phil, therefore, gives him the first game, as a token of respect. Mr. Jackson will then continue to win yet another Finals series, making him the best coach. ever.

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Nimbletoe

Fixed

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Sion

my thoughts:

winning game 1 in Lakerville by double digits was THE WORST thing Detroit could have done. Pulling out a last second squeaker victory would have been much better for them. Why? Because now Phil Jackson will work his magic on the Lakers, using this embarrassing defeat to motivate and to instruct. And Woe Unto the Pistons, for they will be sorely abused in game 2.

This Laker fan is STILL predicting Lakers in 5.

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Halx

Yeah, I guess you gotta hand it to Brown, he knows how to get game 1 on Phil

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primal

Detroit has to be worried. Malone rarely shoots that poorly and Detroit shot pretty well. I don't see very many areas where Detroit can step up it's game. I think the Lakers have a lot of options.
Detroit can try to better contain Kobe and Shaq but they've already seen (in the previous series)that L.A.'s role players step up and make the open shots when that happens. Therefore I think that Detroit has to play the defense they played in game one. The lakers will probably score more points than they did in game one in every other game in the series. That means to win the Pistons are going to need some more offense. I don't know where they are going to get it from.

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Nimbletoe

Rip Hamilton had a bad game. Rasheed didn't play much because of foul trouble. They're our two leading scorers.

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Halx

LUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUKE!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Spartak

Kobe's 3 = SICK SICK SICK

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goddfather40

Holy shit...talk about highs and lows. What a game. Kobe has cemented himself as one of the best clutch players EVER. At this point, let me just throw out some random points:

1. For Nimbletoe The Pistons have surprised me (and everyone else), they are the toughest opponent the Shaq/Kobe era Lakers have faced in the Finals by far.

2. Luke Walton was born to pass.

3. Rip Hamilton has not impressed me.

4. Detroit's offense was underestimated.

5. Lakers can't allow this many second chance possesions and expect to win again.

6. Gary Payton, thanks for taking off Games 1 and 2, we'll meet you in Detroit.

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powerclown

Holy SHIT what a great game...hope it stays this competitive to the end...2nd half comeback by Detroit was a thing of beauty...phenomenal shot by Bryant!!



edit: added the rack