20 Years Ago: Pistons Win NBA Finals vs. Lakers | Pistons Archives
I’m Al Michaels with Doc Rivers Michelle tooy and steuart Scott will work the sidelines can the Pistons pull off one of the great upsets in NBA finals history right now they’re on the verge of that the Lakers are just trying to take the series back to LA for a six game on Thursday and if necessary a seventh game on Sunday of times when there’s an upset in the making there’s a lot of mystery there’s a lot of luck involved not so here it’s simple the pons have just played better including in the second game when the Lakers needed a miracle to put up pull out a victory in fact the Lakers are the lucky ones they’re lucky they haven’t been swept doc Phil Jackson first the Laker coach we talked to him earlier what can a guy who’s never been in this situation with a veteran team down three games to one what can he do what will he do well I think the first thing he has to do is make his players believe he has to tell them that the solution is in the locker room it’s not about changes what we do we have to do it better more importantly has to let them know that if they win this game the rest of the playoffs are at home but more importantly he has to get more than just U Shaquille O’Neil and and Kobe Bryan PL he needs one more guy I don’t know who that guy will be but he has to get one more guy to help the C they’re the only guys in double figures for the Lakers in each of the four games now there’s Larry Brown we both know him very well he’s a freder he doesn’t want to think ahead he’s in the moment can he keep his team in the moment yeah he has he has to standing now he has to get his team to understand if you lose this game this is your last game at home for the rest of the season stay in it now and you’ll win the game kind of funny Brown staying in the moment Bill Jackson is a guy who loves to stay in the moment but he’s got to be thinking about Thursday and we go to Michelle with Carl Malone out Phil Jackson said before the game Al that Slava medeno quote has a game that he can bring to this match up with rased Wallace he also said that medeno is a far better player than what he’s shown in this series so far but Phil also said he has told every one of his players to be ready to play tonight as he plans to throw everything he has at Detroit and speaking of Detroit let’s go over to Stewart Scott Michelle 14 years after winning their last title almost every piston player to a man said the biggest challenge is focusing on one game without thinking about what happens when they win that game chony phips told me my only fear is that we won it so bad that we come out and start individually trying to do too much nothing selfish you said no agendas just wanting it so bad Al and being that close right now Jack Nicholson is here to lend support to his beloved Lakers Jack comes to town for the first time in the middle three games Lakers trying to go home and take Detroit with them in each of the four games in this series we’ve had a jump ball violations to start the game the only jump ball the Lakers have won was the one in overtime in game game two the most important so we get set to go tonight’s telecast available in high definition and Spanish on ESPN Deport this Joey Crawford who will work the game with Bernie frier and Bennett Salvador to put the ball in the air O’Neal at the ready Ben Wallace jumping toward Detroit Wallace at 69 gives away about three and half Ines and that time a legal jump ball and the Lakers get it that means they will start the fourth quarter with a possession and if you’re a Laker fan every sign is important mean that every possession is important is why Shaq didn’t try to steal the ball and Slava medeno who got the ball from O’Neal dropped it on the Baseline after Jaa was doubled and then almost tripled as Malone takes a seat on the bench it’s a 3se second violation yeah and the key will be with Cava madeno is where they can space him out because what the Pistons are doing when he’s in the game they’re using his guy the double team Shaquille O’Neal not only with the ball but without the ball heavy pressure by George medeno is making his first start since mark p over three months and one change you see early in this game is Kobe Bryant is starting the game out guarding Chanty bips and that leads to an early foul now what did you see there out right away the difference in this this series in my opinion is that the Lakers have taken a ton of jump shots and the Pistons keep attacking the basket right there johy phips gets to the basket and now he gets to the foul line so Kobe Bryant picks up his first personal 35 seconds into the game the Lakers Le never let in game three here last Thursday had the lead from time to time in the fourth game on Sunday so Detroit up two nothing at the outset and Bryant with a foul Gary pton is guarded by bips George has Hamilton on him here’s medeno he’s free and hits from 19 ft and that is significant every shot he can make makes Rasheed Wallace pay more attention to him that one shot does nothing but if he can make a couple of them it will p is there got his hand on it out of bounds it’ll be inbounded with 11 seconds on the timer by Detroit I like this move by the Lakers for a couple reasons one I do think Gary Peyton has the ability to stay with Rip Hamilton two Kobe Bryant has a bigger body to guard biller prin is free from outside in and out Payton gets his first rebound pushes it up the floor medeno is free again and hits so the Lakers who had O’Neal and Brian is the only guy in double figures in every game have another guy now with four points in the first minute and a half well the one thing we know about slaba meeno he’s going to give himself a chance I mean he is not a unwilling shooter over meeno and Wallace drops one in that’s where they miss Carl Malone Carl Malone’s ability to push Wallace off the block will be missed this evening too deep to O’Neal [Applause] Jack misses his first shot of the night after scoring 36 with 20 rebounds in a tremendous performance the other night that was wasted and bips has it knocked away stolen by the Lakers Med ble again can he make it three in a row yes he can so Slava medeno replacing Malone you know he can give him the offense that Malone can’t and Doc as you pointed out the big question is against Rasheed Wallace yeah and the keep for Rasheed Wallace is will he stay on the post he has a habit of popping out off the block that’s where the Lakers would love to see him deido tried to front him now he gets behind him and as Wallace works the ball outside there’s a foul here on the Lakers on Devin George yeah and you notice that third one rased Wallace came at him now this is the third team foul already for the Lakers and this is what they don’t want is to get the silly fouls out that’s where they’ve been hurt so far the other night the Lakers committed 36 fouls as [Applause] O’Neal gets it over to Bryant so the Lakers coming out tenaciously on defense here’s Med bedenko again this time he’s going to dump it into O’Neal and O’Neal’s going to softly put it over the rim to make it eight4 Lakers but you always saw you already saw the difference with me making shots when he caught it that time rased is ran out to him that allowed him to drop the ball in the Sha Prince guarded by George Works off a Rasheed Wallace screen can’t get it to drop but Rasheed is there puts it up nothing happening and O’Neal quickly gets to the head to Bryan Kobe’s first effort is good and the Lakers lead by a half dozen three and a half into the game and the Lakers at least at the outset come out at as a team that knows exactly what should stay tonight and they’re doing two things number one they’re playing defense and by playing defense that’s allowing them to get in the open court and underneath going down hard and drawing that response from the crowd is the angular and very thin taan Prince now is on O’Neal that’s the first flagrant I’ve seen you know usually they’re just flops and and he was hit hard but what Stan Prince he’s going to to lay down there for a minute to see if he could draw the flagrant foul and when he noticed that there was not another whistle he kind of turned around and popped right back [Applause] up Prince hasn’t made a free throw in this series he’s now 0 for four in this series Lakers fouling the Pistons that for them an alarming rate and tonight already three including one each on Bryant and O’Neal and and those are huge not only because they fre fouls uh but because of Brian and O’Neal the one thing Joe Jackson needs them to be is aggressive and when you get those early fouls you become passive anybody who follows the NBA knows if you get two early fouls the coach almost compelled to put you on the bench Bryant fakes Prince out and with Hamilton in his face can’t get that to go and a whistle underneath and Bernie frier is going to call a loose ball foul here on o’ F and so that’s two already on Shaquille O’Neal 4 minutes and 2 seconds into the game exactly what the Lakers didn’t want two fouls on a Neil more importantly 14 fouls now for the rest of this quarter they are in the penalty and in this situation Jackson of course minus Malone has to leave him in and then wace drive to the hoop and then gets the gong from the guys upstairs as he drops one in to make a 10-7 well B Wallace knew that sha couldn’t get in his way because of the two foul here’s medeno again O’Neal trying to tip it up out of bounds it goes Lakers will have [Music] it see O’Neal giving a piece of his mind to Bennett Salvador on the last foul yeah what they’re saying is you called the over the back on Shaq Shaq felt like the Detroit pissing just went over the back on him what a play as O’Neal got it gave it back to Devin George he’s able to get under the basket and face it and put it in 12-7 well the one change already by the Lakers offensively is that they’re trying to get to the bucket tonight [Applause] themselves and taken far too many jump shots and hitting very few three-pointers to this point Cross Court Prince Moves In for about a 12-footer that hits the side of the backboard O’Neal gets the rebound La up by five medo to sha Med venko again and that time his worst effort of the night so he starts out hot then he hits the rim on one and that one barely grazed it and the key for him is that he has to keep shooting Hamilton and knocked Away by pyton so Gary pton got a hand in pton who’s been eaten up in this series by bips makes a good defensive play for the steel I got to tell you I like pton L tonight Bryant goes underneath loses the ball no foul is fall and it winds up in medo’s hands for the basket this is the most engaged that I’ve seen Gary pton in a long time that doesn’t mean he’s going to play well but he is engaged into this game Slava medeno has already scored eight points amazingly Kobe and sha as we mentioned before the only Lakers and double figures in four consecutive games how unusual is that well this League’s been around 58 years that’s 42,000 plus regular season games about 3,000 playoff games it’s never happened never that’s an unbelievable number zck comes out of the game here and from the corner it is taan Prince for a long two so O’Neal with two fouls out of the game they have Brian Cook the game here’s Kobe now Kobe draws a crowd boy he sure does yeah what else is new medeno trying to get into double figures and medeno gets fouled as he works the Baseline and that will be the first foul and that’s Rasheed Wallace now Wallace has been in foul trouble in this series in the first three games he barely played in any of the second quarters and then the other night he stayed out of foul trouble and had a great night yeah and that was why he had a great night because he was allowed to play the whole game cook missing see that’s the one thing cook can do now you’re wondering why field Jackson takes check out well he has two fouls that’s number one I think the other reason is they have a five now three-point lead and he’s going to look at the scoreboard and watch it and as long as the Lakers have a lead or even get down just a little bit he can afford to sit shck that was Rasheed Wallace and that’s Bryant ball comes out to de George Bryant again and Bryant gets pushed by chy bips you mentioned the other night the Lakers had 35 personal fouls in the last game the Pistons 20 that was the largest difference between the number of fouls for two teams in any game in the 58e history of the NBA Finals we’ll beat a lot of them at the end but still it’s been the story of the series yeah it really has been and and the reason it’s such a big story Al is because the Lakers led the league in free throw cook made a terrible pass but it came back to Bryant and then the call is against the Lakers you know that’s why you don’t play rookie honestly and I hate to be so harsh uh but first to pass mean you’re in the world championship game that that you can be eliminated you get on the floor and you throw a no look pass to another big I mean that’s number one and then you commit the foul after that you know Phil Jackson is thinking that’s probably why I don’t play young guys in finals ph’s also thinking how bizarre is this I’ve got four hall of famers in a fifth fetal to start the season I’m in an elimination game and I have to have cook in the game early I have to have Med venko in the game early I’ve got Malone in Street Clos and sha with two fouls yeah and that’s a tough situation but one of the things Phil Jackson talked about early in the year is how much he enjoyed working with cook and Luke walon he thought that they both would be an excellent player I don’t know if he knew that he would need him this early six straight points for Detroit seven-point lead is now one Bryant guarded by Prince shoots over him doesn’t drop Big B high for the rebound now the Pistons can assume the lead here Phillips puts it on his hip goes all the way that’s the [Applause] bounce so sha goes to the bench and the Pistons are on an8 nothing run and that’s not a coincidence they’re struggling scoring on one end and the Pistons are attacking the baset on the other end because they know there’s no shot blocker sha has been on the bench in this series our club has been one of the most difficult clubs to project how they’re going to play of any team I’ve ever coached this particular year so of it so much of it depends upon Shaquille he expanded himself so much the other night we wasted one of the great games that we saw him play in this playoffs it’s going to depend upon him right now I think we’re feeling really pretty good about it uh Kobe’s guaranteed the fact that we’re going to win that in itself says something about it and I like the mental attitude of the ball Club he was talking about sha and wasting that performance and they wasted their lead here eight nothing run in a little over a minute and a half but Shaq was on the bench play resumes he’s back in yeah and I thought that what field was doing was right he was going to wait look at the score now they’re down he put Shaq back in I think this is a huge key part of the game right now for Detroit they have sha in foul trouble they have the Pistons they have the Lakers and penalty they must keep attacking this basket and that was Devin George with the slam to make it 1615 meanwhile Kobe Bryant for the Lakers has started out cold again Kobe one for five hitting only 38% from the field in this series Prince all away drops it in see they know that Shaq can’t help and if he does help they’re going to throw their bodies right into him so it’ll be interesting how Shaq handles this and that’ll make Prince very effective as well he loves that move goes to the Lane and puts it in sha misses gets his own rebound and stuffs it back in even a passive Shack is aggressive even a passive Shack is effective you know what I mean and a passive Shack who knows his season could be [Applause] over with two early fouls Payton guarding Hamilton he puts it in over Gary to make it 1918 Le SE that’s the one area where I think Rip Hamilton is going to have to take advantage of Gary Payton and that’s his side pton loses stolen by Wallace he’s out in front all alone 2118 on the steal by Big Ben beaing O’Neal [Applause] again medo can’t get it to drop rebound to Phillips Piston’s running the floor score it Hamilton [Music] [Applause] 2318 br SC in five-point lead coming down to two minutes to go in the period P’s 124 run here inside it comes and the foul here foul is on corus Williamson and first to steal by Ben Wallace I was really surprised no one tried to track him down and give him a foul and then you saw Deon George at the B you screen with an opportunity to get in spot and take a charge and instead he moved out out of the way those are the little things that are really hurting this Laker team and one of the things Larry Brown said is we want to run on the Lakers as much as possible that was a non- shooting foul he started with 14 on the timer and Kobe Bryan pulls one of his patented moves by driving through traffic to the hoop 2320 Luke Walton has come into the game he provided the fuse that Lit the Lakers in the second quarter in game two and right when Luke comes in CIS Williamson is in and they’re going to post him up O’Neal gets the [Applause] rebound Bryant Four Points to this point Pon will drive jump hooked from the legane Lakers cut it to one Gary’s first two of the night a drive by Kobe Bryant a drive by Devin George a drive by Gary Peyton this Laker team right now is playing differently than they played all series half [Applause] working out the Hamilton six on the timer Williamson would counted he’ll go to the line you know I was thinking Doc in this series the four games you have four quarters in an overtime period they only two sections that I can remember the Lakers dominating one was the Walton part of game two late in the first half injecting the energy the other was the overtime period apart from that it’s been either the Pistons or Nu but the Lakers have had control of the pace and Tempo so few minutes in the series yeah actually this is the only time as crazy as it sounds it’s a 2422 lead by the Pistons but this is the first Up Tempo basketball that you’ve seen in this entire Series so if you’re Phil Jackson you’re looking at the score you know you’re down but you got to think he likes this Temple much better there’s more driving to the bucket and there’s more running in the game and open toward basketball that’s the way the Lakers actually want to [Applause] play Williamson drops two it’s the most points scored by either team in the first quarter in this series The 25 for Detroit Bryan Prince on [Applause] him Kobe in the lane drives gets fouled Bryan draws the foul the the foul is a two- shot foul the Pistons now have committed 14 fouls in the Lakers six and it’s obvious Al I mean it’s obvious watching this Lakers team play tonight that Phil Jackson has told them guys I can’t fight for you about fouls if you’re going to keep launching jump shots you have to get to the foul line you have to drive the basketball and eventually if you drive you will get to the foul line 2523 that’s their first free throw of the night Shelly Brown Larry’s wife who is a lot more nervous than Larry I can guarantee I don’t know Larry hides it lar Larry didn’t look too calm in that office before the game today but Larry Larry’s always Larry true that is Larry 2524 Detroit elen Campbell Walton comes over to help way back outside to Hunter now Campbell and walon comes in there to provide the defense after he got got by Shaq sha has to be very careful with the two fouls now the Lakers can run it down you know what was interesting Luke W the rookie was running down the floor yelling one shot one shot he’s a smart rookie it’s in the [Applause] jeans with three on the timer Brian can’t drop it and that’ll be the end of the first quarter and there is still time there is well 4/10 of a second and you know what that means well Derek chrisher certainly knows what it means and Kobe Bryan is really upset because he thought he had TAA Prince up in the air and Drew contact and he really wants to know why that F wasn’t caught they put two t on the clock F will have to inbound from back court O’Neal’s going to come out they’re not going to take any chances here even with six P that would be a horrible third foul well there’s a lot of time we know that with six two t more than you need Prince looking to fling it down the floor does down the Baseline here Hunter puts it up and at least he got the rim no foul call there Bryant goes off the floor asking Bennett salvator he’s going to call any fouls when he’s shooting tonight 25-2 24 second quarter Al Michaels Doc Rivers Michelle tooya and let’s check in with Stuart Scott how interesting in the last timeout Larry Brown did acknowledge to his team that Shaq has two fouls but he also said spread the offense meaning make sure you continue to run our offense you even looked at his big man and he said stop trying to get the fouls try to score now thank you Stewart and that is really significant because what players in teams do they focus so much on trying to draw the foul on shot that it actually takes them out of their Rhythm and their offense that was Williamson dropping in the first points of the period Kareem Rush is in the game so is Derek fiser and Kobe has the ball stolen Pistons rush back Hamilton drives in and Rush commits the foul Pistons just forcing the issue in this entire series moving the Ballam getting through the middle forcing the Lakers to commit fouls yeah they really are they’re getting so deep with the dribble penetration that either you file them or you give them an easy two and that’s been their game plan throughout out now the only change so far in this game and in this series is today or tonight the Lakers are trying to do the same thing even that last shot Kobe Bryant got it stolen from him but he is trying to attack the basket I think that’s the right thing if you’re the Lakers Hamilton misses the first of two Phillips is the leading scorer with six the Pistons you talk about spreading it out and balance scoring they have six guys who have between four and six points the Lakers meanwhile have Bryant now with six met feno had a quick eight he’s on the bench right [Music] now won in the corner leads it to O’Neal five on the 24 back to sha and Shaq gets held as he’s going to the basket by Rasheed Wallace you know what’s interesting I don’t think Larry Brown wanted that you know because it was on it was Reed Wallace you know he needs Rasheed Wallace to stay in this game now rased Wallace commits the foul because Shaq gets so deep and it saves him a Bucky but it hurts him because Wallace has to come out of the game for the fourth time in five games Rasheed Wallace has to take an early seat with his two fouls sha tries to hand off to Kobe and Lindsay Hunter got in between them to commit the foul here’s Michelle well Al since the last game Phil Jackson spoke with Kobe Bryant about the things they wanted him to do tonight in this game and I’ll finish up after this play fer for [Applause] three Al what what Phil wanted from Kobe tonight was the things that he did in game two the game that they won play off the ball get easy baskets move without the basketball be a distributor and when he does have the ball distribute the ball and then the game will come to him that’s what they’re looking from for from from Kobe Bryant tonight guys Michelle last foul was on Elven Campell now Bryant nearly has it taken away and does in fact by the hands of Hunter leading to a Hamilton break and dunk see Kobe Bryan just did exactly what Bill Jackson didn’t want him to do mean right there he tried to split between two guys which would be very difficult and he turned the ball over that’s his second turnover now for buckets for the Pistons because he’s trying to force the action six-point lead inside the Sha puts it up and in but if you’re the Lakers again it’s a four-point game and now the Pistons have three team fouls early into the second quarter and the Pistons are hot after they were down by seven in the first quarter they scored on 12 of 14 possessions Williamson is guarded by Kobe Bryant and reaching in is Derek fiser and he’s going to get called for it number two D fer back to the Steel by hun and the Hamilton Breakaway I mean again you can see Kobe Bryant trying to force the action and that’s the second time he’s tried to split between guys and that’s what Kobe Bryant does extremely well except for the Pistons now know that they’re playing them for that and that’s the second turnover for bucket that he’s C Hunter out of the corner and Ben Wallace in perfect position to grab the rebound he’s as good as it gets off the glass he is and those hands are like blue when they touch his hands it sticks Williamson missing man I just love to watch the way Wallace sets up especially on those shots from the corner he knows exactly where to be for the rebound perfectly positioned Fisher from Deep outside got it three-pointer to Derek saluted by Malone it’s a one-point game and again great ball movement and on that shot Fisher didn’t hesitate [Applause] fish you’re one of those Lakers playing hurt half the roster playing hurt but playing nonetheless Hamilton throws it away and now Kobe’s on a break and Kobe’s going to put this one in looking to see where Hunter was seeing if he could get a three-point play out of it and it’s 3130 Los Angeles I think he didn’t think Hunter could catch up to him and he did this is the big foul here Brave man Jack Nicholson is you know I remember he went in the ball one time and and brave the elements also my first Boston uh you know reference onight a like of course will be the coach of the Celtics next year game of runs right there Lakers started hot and sha sat down for a minute and a half and the Pistons were off and going and now after fiser committed the foul on the inbounds play which means Ben Wallace is at the line for two he makes the first fiser working on Jackson’s behalf with Bennett salvat and if you’re wondering why they’re shooting free throws out it’s because the ball had not been in boundage so it’s an automatic two free throw and there’s Kobe Bryant again attacking the basket now that’s a good thing you want him to do that what you don’t want him to do is try to split and force the action and turn the ball over committ an offensive foul that foul on Hunter game time at 318 45 to go first half gets it back into O’Neal can’t get it Hunter comes away with it Campbell pings love to force the ball up the floor one of the reasons is it makes Shack work that much harder yeah it’s like chopping the tree down they they say it may not give him a make a big deal for the first three quarters but by the fourth quarter they don’t think Shaq can keep running Hamilton gets free back door and that’s a rare shight that you will see R Hamilton driving towards Shaq and Shaq getting out of the way but that’s because of the two fouls bad pass and it results in nearly a piston basket but at least they go to the free throw line well I tell you talking the field this morning one of the things two of the things he said we couldn’t do is one we couldn’t make silly fouls they’re making them two he said we cannot turn the ball over and let a to get easy buckets and they are doing it at a high rate right now they’ve turned it over seven times in the first 16 minutes of the game log on to the NBA Store nba.com a lot of good stuff right there nba.com you know what Phil Jackson is saying is that he believes that his team has actually played good defense minus the turnovers which are easy buckets and the fouls Payton comes back in Kareem Rush departs gets the bounce and Detroit’s lead is four and if you’re if you’re Larry Brown you like the way your team is playing you know they’re just out there playing like they play and not thinking about anything else Walton drives all the way can’t get it to drop and then going to the floor was elen campable a three on two here fed underneath Williamson misses it but gets it back juggles it keeps possession and Hamilton will now start the drive Williamson shot clock in single figures Hamilton Fall Away couldn’t get control of the ball but got hit and fouled Tak Jackson’s up arms folded in effect thinking to himself you know what that’s a foul but they did it to kobby before and it’s not a foul that’s what I think uh the Lakers are saying right now now I will say that Derek Fischer and Peyton are the two trickiest Defenders on the in this league and I think with Bennett savatar saying he saw them do something tricky and I think what he saw him do is tap him on the elbow fer with three fouls now and Rick Fox comes into the game so fox makes his first [Applause] and Detroit up by six again so after they had a six-point lead and the Lakers overcame it Detroit up 37- [Applause] 31 walon too high for Bryant trying to time it kobby got underneath another turnover and then Detroit throws it away but it was latch Touch by the Lakers yeah that was a fast ball L you know usually you’re supposed to Lo lob it nice and soft there was no one quick enough to jump and catch that pass that Luke walon just through Larry Brown didn’t like that [Applause] possession Bas of Auburn Hills about 10:00 local time the Lakers as player resumes on the short end of a 70 run in the last 147 the second such run in a short period of time for Detroit they’ll in down with 19 seconds on the clock underneath Phillips reversed puts it in so chony bips got it in got it back and chony bips now has eight points biggest margin in the game [Applause] O’Neal’s going to drive too [Applause] hard stolen by Bryant and Bryant as he’s moving down the court gets fouled fouled by taan prince prince I think what they’re going to do Al is say that Kobe Bryant was head of everybody and they’re going to give him a shot and the ball out of bounds they were near close enough to a breakaway and there again on that last replay you saw another uncontested layup by the Detroit [Applause] Pistons that is the height of frustration he get in effect a free free throw yeah and you can’t make it and here it is you know what they’re saying is he had a clear path to the basket no one was in front of him he led the pack so you can’t foul so get caught and then one of the best free throw shooters in the NBA can’t drop it the Lakers inbound it 6 and 1 half to go first half Bryant working off an O’Neal screen goes all the way puts it up and it doesn’t go but it’ll go to the line see that’s what they want Kobe Bryant to do and that was terrific execution they swung the ball to the left acting like the ball was going to go there and then Shaq came up from the bottom and gave a terrific pick which allows Kobe to split and get into the paint and you can see there the foul on the [Applause] arm Lakers are now three out of four from the line Kobe Bryant is the only Laker who has been to the free throw line tonight you know what’s interesting is Kobe Bryan is the one Laker that has probably been the most surprising that hasn’t gone to the line line in this series but to me the difference is tonight Kobe Bryan is not settling he’s attacking the basket attacking and of course the Lakers will tell you on the other side they’re just not getting the calls but the one thing Jackson didn’t do before this game is start to ba the referees through the media so been pretty quiet about that over the last 48 hours or 40 anyway yeah he had to say after game four Hamilton misses Med go back in the game and takes it off the glass I think Phil Jackson likes this switch with Kobe Bryant guard bips Bryant too hard Prince behind the back great move to get by Bryan does it again and can’t get it to drop it’ll go to the line two behind the back dribbles and again getting all the way to the bucket every long rebound every turnover the Detroit Pistons have pushed the ball up and if you don’t stop the ball they’re going to continue to go until they all the way to the [Applause] buck prin who grew up idolizing Kobe Bryant you know I say he idolizes Bryan as okur and James come into the game there’s only a couple years differential but Kobe’s been playing in the NBA so long and taan Prince wound up going to college for four years I guess you become an idol yeah you do and Kobe became an idol pretty quickly in this league there were guys in their 30s who out L Kobe seven-point Detroit lead 540 left in the half okur guarding O’Neal who gets it back from medeno puts it up gets foul see again shaqs being patient they’re moving the ball they’re attacking the basket I think one point has to be made about this free throw discrepancy out you know the Lakers are led to league in free throw shooting most of the league all year because they LED most of the games and teams went to hackas Shack they’ve never had a lead in this series so the decoy pons really haven’t had to go to hacka Shack and I think that’s one of the big differences in this series that’s anathema to a purist Like Larry Brown as well he doesn’t want to do it free throw attempt differential as you can see the difference in the finals as opposed to the regular season in the first three rounds medeno got the rebound after two O’Neal misses now Bryant puts one up Kobe stays cold Bryan is three of 10 from the [Applause] floor and Payton tries to steal can’t keep it inbound you know Brian is three of 10 but most of his shots tonight in my opinion have been pretty good the couple of forced opportunities have led to turnovers I think as a coach you have to live with those because he is so creative Pistons meanwhile are hitting 57% from the field and since they’ve been going to the free throw line more often that’s a tough combo to beat and Ben Wallace is too tough to beat right there and the lead is nine and that’s huge when you’re Detroit and you can drop the ball into Ben Wallace and get points out of him that is huge whistle on the way to the basket I mean one of the things L Brown has done since coming to Detroit he’s made Ben Wallace an offensive option he tells his team to look for him when he’s on the post and he’s made Ben Wallace think offense Ben Wallace a couple years ago would have never made that move now when he gets the ball he feels pretty comfortable and you look tonight he’s three for three with seven points O’Neal makes his first free throw here he’s now one out of three [Applause] Lakers had an early seven-point lead there’s Wallace tipping it to himself great body control kept it inbounds with huge hands able to p and now detroy tries to catch it Wallace [Applause] [Music] wow 4434 thead lead his double digits Jackson not calling a timeout pH Believes In conflict resolution they got a lot to resolve right now and Kobe got blocked and foul and boy I tell you that was close that was real close cuz Mike James almost got there slit up under Kobe he watch his foot and see if he was still moving M at the very end he was that was an excellent call but boy that was close I think if Mike James didn’t try to draw the contact himself he would have had a charge Bryant now five out of six from the free throw [Applause] line drops him [Applause] both Pistons up by eight Fox picks up fren and back to James Way outside he provided a big spark for them in just a very short period of time late in the first half the other night [Applause] UR M Ur and Meo right now even though he’s giv him some offense is a defensive liability for this Laker basketball team he’s getting scored on from all angles and the call here on the [Applause] Lakers that’s on that’s on Shaquille so that’s his third he picked up two early ones third one here away from the ball and so now we have a crisis time right now for the Los Angeles Lakers they have 336 they’re down 10 points and they probably will not see Shaq the rest of this half this is key Jackson left O’Neal in in the last game of the Minnesota series The Conference Finals and he picked up a fourth foul in the first quarter from the corner in and out from French medeno gets the rebound so O’Neal on the bench Malone in Street Clos Fox posting Prince turn around off the glass and Rick Banks it home to make it an eight-point game and Rick Fox has been begging to play you know one of the points he made it was pretty interesting he said hey everybody else is playing injured I would like to play injured also and you know when a player like him ask to come in it’s pretty smart that you see Bill Jackson put him in look at Ben Wallace going right by med Veno putting one in from about 10 ft and what Ben likes to do before the game as we know Doc is take the big ball take a bigger ball and try to make baskets with it it’s kind of like being out on the putting green you know have those tiny little holes I knew where you were going of course but we we share the same oh no doubt same passion you know it’s funny too because that ball was really invented for ball handling Ben Wallace has turned it into a shooting gimmick which some guys he use it for that and it’s really paid off for him it’s working tonight and there he is again big ball small ball and that was after they had about half of the 24 second clock to work with on the inbounds 10-point lead Phil Jackson was telling us earlier today one of the things the Lakers had to do was hold their turnovers to eight or less the Lakers have already turned the ball over nine times in the first half and and the reason he’s saying that is because he says that they played pretty good defense in half court what they can’t do is give Detroit easy buckets and that’s exactly what they’ve done hook gets doubled in the corner nowhere to go with it four on the shot clock out the rush he’s got a shoot he does at the horn and makes it Kareem Rush who was so big in the clinching game against Minnesota with 6 threp pointers boy that was a huge bucket and it was amazing how unrest Rush was did that make sense perfect doc that’s why you can’t coach you got to come back here next year from the corner a three-pointer for okur big an’s [Applause] big Bryan back to cook minute have to go in the [Applause] period well there is no spacing right now for the Lakers and has the line drive one over Aur and Prince I mean their spacing was so bad you know the difference in the first half right now is it looks like the Detroit pons offense is executing to a team and right now the Lakers are scoring almost out of their offense shot is short rebound keeps getting tipped winds up in the hands of Prince he’ll drive all way brings the house [Applause] [Music] [Applause] down the pings in this series just eating the Lakers up on the offensive glass and that’s length and athleticism coming together at the same time on that last possession the ball stayed up in the air and they got both 22 Laker timeout 10-point lead for the Pistons Al this is what we’re talking about you know a good drive but watch the ball stays up in the air and if you’re longer quicker and more athletic usually you come up with the rebounds and that’s where the Pistons have taken advantage of the Lakers in this series night after night first time in this series either teams had a 50-point first [Music] half Brian puts one up well I think the Pistons love when he settles they love when he settles for the fade away jump shot even though it is one of his staple shots with TAA Prince’s Li they will take that shot all game Pistons eating up the Laker defense okur Drive sofly puts it in and they lead by 12 with Jack on the bench Malone and shivy and a game away from elimin Ur has seven medeno will drive to the basket and get fouled on his way to the hoop you know in in a perfect world if you’re Phil Jackson you would have loved me Dinko to back it out and take the final shot and just have a four-point set a 4 second differential but you can pass up layups right now when you’re down 12 third foul on a tour [Music] well I’ve heard of the tiger slam I guess this would be the Davis slam if if he gets this neeno trying to become the first Laker apart from O’Neal and Bryant to go into double figures and that’s a small consolation to Phil Jackson right now he his team is going to go into the locker room trailing in the season in which they were built to win this title and this year only because it’ll be a different team next year and the Pistons right now trying to make it a dozen points if they can and James puts it up and doesn’t have it and they’re only a fraction of a second left on the clock it’s the largest halftime lead for either team in the series so Detroit fell behind by seven early they put sha on the bench they caught him the lead SE saw it a little bit and now Detroit with a great run in the second quarter they outscore the Lakers 30-21 and Detroit leads 55 45 at the half we go to seart Scott midwall 11 points you guys are shooting over 60% you’re the Pistons you don’t shoot 60% what’s going on I mean that’s what confidence do for you you know we uh got some stops we was able to get some clean looks and tonight the shots just falling for us why are fast break points and you guys got a bunch of them why are they so important for this game oh because you know they got the big fell down inside and U if you slow the game down allow him to get position you know he going to bang you all night so we want to get out and make him run a little bit try to wear him down 24 minutes away from what would could be a championship what’s your biggest concern at halftime um just that we don’t come out a little bit you know over aggressive you know we got to stay paused continue to execute our um offensive set continue to get stopped and a lot of game to come to us right Ben appreciate good luck in the second half second half ready to begin Detroit up by 10 points at the palace Al Michaels with Doc Rivers Michelle tooya Stewart Scott a lot of different things we can talk about but again one of the things Doc is the fact that the Pistons are having their way against that Laker defense Lakers started out pretty good defending almost every shot and then all of a sudden they became a Civ again and and that’s been a staple of this series all series long the Lakers have come out and play defense for you know a quarter or maybe a couple of possessions but they haven’t been able to maintain it throughout the games and this is what you see when the Lakers don’t play defense you see layup after layup after layup and this is not just this game it’s been the entire series they’re running an all cylinders 61% from the field 10 layups three of those are duns 11 points from mid Wallace who’s not an offensive player and they’ve had a ton of wide open shots that don’t even count as layups it’s 26 points from not only in the paint but you’re actually you’re in the easel I guess at that point I mean you’re right there layup dunks you know and the Lakers are right now in a lot of trouble yeah I will say this though um Shaq left they’re down 10 he comes back they’re still down 10 I think that’s significant back he comes at the start of the second half we go to Stewart Al I asked Larry Brown what he told his team about making this just one simple half of basketball and he said I really told them just keep doing what you’re doing do your job and you’ll be fine but then he smiled and he said but I did tell them enjoy this and I told them several times for report of the Lakers let’s go to Michelle tooya stor as I was standing outside the Laker locker room during halftime something very unusual happened a Laker official came out of the locker room and shushed people in the hallway things were obviously getting tense inside that locker room Kurt Ramis told me players were attentive we overplaying guys on D we’re allowing them to penetrate back to you guys and this Begins the second half does with a Rasheed Wallace three-pointer boy and that’s a big one I know it’s early in the second half Rasheed Wallace really didn’t get involved in the first half and Larry Brown came out of the halftime making sure that Rasheed Wallace touch the ball here’s O’Neal and the Lakers will need a lot of that I was going to say get Jackson came out and he said make sure Shaq touches the ball zck got a little bit of rest because of the foul trouble in the first [Applause] half and again Ben Wallace takes the rebound away and it’s just quicker to the ball that’s what you keep seeing in this series the Pistons are just quicker to the basketball fren Wallace has to come out Wallace is going to drive all way [Music] Payton back for the Lakers Med Vio here’s Bryant in the corner medo is open from inside the arc and misses you notice how Meo came out he made those three shots and since then he has really struggled he’s starting to hesitate you know that’s the the difference between a great player and just an average player the average player will make a couple but when he misses he loses his confidence a great guy great player will keep shooting short but again and they keep it alive and Ben Wallace gets the assist on the Hamilton layup that was a great example of what I’ve been talking about that last play a loose ball Shaq reacts so does Ben Wallace but Ben Wallace is quicker to the ball now Bryant and Bryant gets fouled that one is on ton Prince that’ll be his first I mean I want you to look at this you see sha and Ben both go to it Ben gets it quicker and that causes a layup second shots and free throws have killed the Lakers in this series Devin George has that swatted out of his hands in out of bounds 11 on the clock as the Lakers inbound bedo started three for three he’s now four of eight pyton having trouble getting it in just does [Music] Bryant seven on the 24 Kobe goes all the way left hand stuck so Kobe Bryant has come this evening and done what he should do and that’s attack the basket Shaquille a getting him foul trouble hurt the Lakers the key for the Lakers in this half is sha stand on the floor and playing some defense Wallace working on Med bko puts it up and there again I have never seen anybody with the instincts of Ben Wallace he he knows exactly where to be and he’s quicker than everyone else on the floor I how far do you have to go back in the NBA annals doc to think of a guy who knew exactly where to be like that Dennis R you have to go back that far I guess I was hoping you’d go back to you know like Arie ryen or somebody here’s Deon George ped out George sending it around the Rim a 360 the Lakers with a fresh 24 as O’Neal with Wallace on him turns on him puts it up doesn’t get the bounce but gets fouled and that one on Rasheed Wallace is his third and you can see this here what they’re saying is Rasheed Wallace hit with his arms and his body I think Rashid Wallace is sing right now I think I was hitting X body in arms sha one out of four he has nine points in the game now one out of five from the free throw [Applause] line Lakers have taken 14 free throws tonight made nine Pistons 18 and made 14 this is two here and Larry Brown saying before the game off we just have to we got to to beat him at the foul line but tonight they’re beating him from the foul line and from the Open Court oh beautiful pass to Hamilton and then Devin George comes in for the foul what a great cut by Rip Hamilton he created the entire play with his movement I mean just take a look watch him start it out he goes over he changes feed he stops pyton goes over top he back cuts and he gets to the bucket I tell you he’s the guy that you would not enjoy guarding he’s like a hyperactive kit [Laughter] Rin the medicine cabinet yeah [Applause] yes I mean it’s like a parent chasing a precocious ex I know what you’re saying you can take them to the doctor but in the NBA you can’t right 12-point lead now 13825 remaining in the third when the Pistons have a double digit lead they are they’s as tough as anybody to be because of they great defense and then Bryant loses it on his way to the basket and looks back at Joey Crawford the referee three-pointer coming up for Hamilton [Applause] [Music] out pton his two points [Music] tonight George passes up to three sends it into sha and he has the easy layup O’Neal now goes into double figures with 11 points you know it’s an 11-point game and now I get the sense that the Lakers are still in this game thought my sense is three months ago they’d really be in the game but I’m not sure right now and a 24 second violation I say that only because of the dominance of the PS in the series the Lakers keep living on the edge they’ve taken themselves right to the preice right now Bill Jackson has the mix and match and play a makeshift lineup and Larry Brown is making all the right calls where really has but when you look at this game right here I’m looking at the way the Lakers are playing they look like they’re aggressive they’re taking it to the buffet they’re drawing fouls in the half they might have a chance of getting penalty first in this quarter which would be different I tell you this game is becoming really dangerous for the Pistons they called that on rashed Wallace you saw Ben Wallace put his arm up as if to say call it on me and and they’ve called it on Rasheed so that’s four on him and that’s because it was on rashed and what Ben Wallace was trying to do was sail to his team or to the ref that the foul was on me so this is the first time now that that rased Wallace has gotten in trouble in the second half right so he picks up his fourth with 19 minutes and 5 seconds remaining in the game and O’Neal picks a pretty good time for the Lakers to make both single digit T down nine-point game double teamed in back court and Devin George runs away and goes come on we had him they call it on George and Philips goes down as George picks up his third foul you know it’s funny Phillips looks down and said he slipped on the pl yet the foul was caught [Applause] already Bill Jackson has never lost three playoff games in a row they have to pull one out here to keep the series alive Hamilton Ben Wallace went high in the air Prince couldn’t put it in and onil fights for the rebound and has it and the foul is called on taan fren and now the Lakers are starting am Mount the fouls they’re going to have a chance to be in penalty that’s four so one more and the Lakers will go to the line for the rest of the quarter 6 and 1/2 to play Payton it fall away doesn’t go then wus with the rebound that used to be Payton’s staple move and you can see most of those shots now are front of the rim which indicates tired legs and Gard Rip Hamilton will do that Hamilton can’t get there but Campbell does rip Hilton calls that play with the dribble [Applause] penetration O’Neal Ben Wallace cleans the glass again 10 rebounds for Wallace and that was not a good possession for the Lakers princh Wallace is going to drive and gets fouled now I’m I’m I’m looking at the liquor lineup Phil Jackson told us one of the things that he might do is go small and and and and I think he use the word Ultra small and he’s done it Brian Russell right now is in the game at the power four position Michelle what one on in the Huddle well a couple things Phil Jackson came right to the guys and said you cannot give them rebounds and during the rest of the time out he said we’ve got to get stops and he reminded them we have to play right through the foul calls Don’t Throw your arms don’t shoot looks don’t talk to the rest your only recourse is to play through the fouls play defense with your feet not with fouls guys that’s it you go to the you go to all of the fuel left from the tank Brian Russell in the game and again this is where the Lakers have come in a situation where Malone can’t play in a desperation game you go to a guy Brian Russell who has played so little over the last two months Bryan drives jams one home 10-point game yeah this is the first sign that this ler team is looking for something [Applause] Phillips open in the corner Prince misses Phil Jackson’s like a manager in an elimination game in the World Series as Deon George can’t hit what would have been a big one and Wallace gets the rebound if you’re faced with elimination in the World Series you go every you’ll use every pitchure every player and Jackson’s done that tonight they have 12 guys one is in civies that’s Malone they’ve used the other 11 drive sofly thrs it in I’m watching that possession the Lakers players didn’t know who they had they got mixed up because no one knew who was guarding who and that’s why taon Prince got all the way to the basket and that’s what’s going to happen when you play a quintet that has played so little together O’Neal starts to go to the hoop Bernie frier calls a foul [Applause] even if it’s not a a shooting foul they’re still in the penalty here look at this look at guys running around they don’t know where they had two guys runs here Shaq has to try to help I mean in a game like this when you come off the bench you must communicate with each other I have rashed you have him and you have to play that didn’t happen and that just gave up two points and the Pistons such heavy underdogs before the series of the team right now playing probably as cohesively as they have all season you know you’re right one of the things i’ I’ve noticed in this series it’s whenever you hear a piston player talk he knows exactly what he is supposed to do when you hear a Laker player talk he sounds like he’s guessing and talking about what they should [Applause] do O’Neal missing both free throw attempts he’s three out of 10 the Lakers are 11 of 19 van over Brian Russell that’s what happens when you go [Applause] [Music] small Kobe loses the ball there’s no foul in the lane here’s Phillips on the drive got it goes to the line [Applause] the Detroit Pistons are smelling the doting ball and they’re going for it right one Shelly [Applause] Brown a 17-point lead [Applause] [Music] O’Neal Bryan give and take with sha B Ben wace did that on purpose H he knew it was going in he wants to show the intimidation factor of the Detroit Pistons this reminds me of Patrick Yan against Villanova just knock it out to scare him he didn’t care he got the gong anyway from upstairs The Gong [Music] [Applause] Show Phillips throws the ball away Phillips is going to contend that it was touched by a Laker I thought it was theed to be honest you know from our angle it it really looked like it was deflected ball took an erratic HP Lakers now Bryant outside Payton has the ball let’s Kobe way goes inside the Sha slam dunk 72 to 59 under three to go in the third Larry Brown a little nervous again well I think they’re going to be nervous until there it’s all zero on the clock but right now L will be yeah they’re playing good basketball fr [Applause] O’Neal tonight 17 Bryant 18 but the story has been Detroit’s defense again and Ben Wallace with 13 rebounds and 14 points so he’s done it on both ends the technical foul will come after the personal foul on George who looks over at Bernie frier and gets teed up yeah and he he earned the technical there’s no doubt about it and right now at this point in the game when your team is down 13 points now 14 points you can’t afford to give up any free buckets I don’t think Phil Jackson was real happy about that technical foul and that’s why you see Deon George with that Tow and sitting down but there’s nothing that Phil can do about it at this point he’s done all the politicking and all of the carrying on the manipulating that he could too late now here’s Stewart Al Larry Brown is a consumate coach even with this team dominating the game a double digigit lead the last time out he told these guys hey this game is not over we got to finish this quarter the right way no wasted possessions out here’s O’Neal can’t get it Larry Brown grew up in a Jewish Family he was born in Brooklyn and grew up in New York his mom is 99 and I think his mom taught him Larry don’t give yourself a kahura which means don’t say something prematurely and so Larry has always lived that way and Larry right now is not giving himself A Kar no he’s not and more importantly he’s making sure that his team knows that Li Hamilton was hit in the face on that last possession it was a accident but he was definitely hit in the face right in the nose it looked like by Gary pton watch the arm bam that’s why you wear that mask D it’s safer over here Al Doc it’s safer over here than on the bench that’s what I keep telling you 7 seconds on the [Applause] timer Phillips here’s Campbell free got it with O’Neal coming all the way out on him Campbell went down he thought he was fouled everything is falling right now and a double technical now Hamilton and Payton carrying on with each other well that’s the next step you know when when you’re getting dominated the next step is to try to do other things verbally get into it see if you can throw them off this way because no other way has worked thus far and I love I love what Larry Brown is doing he’s going to take Rip Hamilton off the floor because he wants him to get it together and he’s thinking listen R this game is not over Lindsey Hunter comes into the game Kobe Bryant will bring the ball up the floor Bryant 18 points tonight 6 out of 15 from the field O’Neal into the corner three-pointer here Russell misses Lakers keep it alive Payton FOX NOW sha works it back out Payton tries for a three nothing drops Prince gets the rebound see that’s a sign of desperation you had guys who could have chosen to put the ball on the floor now they’re trying to catch up with the pointer that is not going to get the Lakers back in this game the Detroit Pistons are playing the right way they just continue to execute their offense move the ball be patient and get their shots and they’re killing the Lakers defensively right now with their offense Fox picks up his first foul the Pistons this season holding 11 opponents in the regular season under 70 points fer comes back in in Larry Brown’s 20year career coming into the season his teams have held opponents under 70 a total of 10 times he did it more in one year than in 20 years it’s been one of the more dominating defensive performances of all time and in the playoffs maybe of all time and their backs were to the wall in the Jersey series and they came back to win six and seven Bryan from another three that’s the third St three now Bryant will drive hang in the lane knuckle goes and Ben Wallace with the [Applause] rebound the Lakers have to look of this we tried we couldn’t do it we’re not good enough and now you can see slowly deteriorating in front of your eyes kobby Bryant with the foul but I got to make the point again this is not the Lakers playing cor this is the Detroit Pistons playing great it’s a big difference as we said at the top of the show when you have an upset of this magnitude people say well how did they do it and normally you know it’s it’s whether it’s baseball or hockey or basketball or football it was always you know something that happens you get a break the ball bounces the right way the goalie makes a stop but with the Pistons it’s just that as we said at the beginning they’re playing better they’re the better team Ryan missing Campbell Phillips [Applause] look at the ball movement look at the patience everybody’s touching the ball even on a fast break and the pists right now look like a fresh horse well rested running flying down the floor and the Lakers look like they’re totally [Music] [Applause] innovated Wallace has 10 rebounds in this quarter he has 15 in the game you know every single game there’s been a different guy toon D was dominant one game Rip Hamilton was dominated one game Rasheed Wallace was dominated in one game and now tonight is Ben Wallace you know when you start thinking about MVP I don’t know if you can give it to one person I think this should be a team MVP I don’t know if that’s possible but you have to think about it they’ got to give it to an individual according to the rules that I’m aware of yeah give it to a coach too yeah they could they really could fourth foul on Ur O’Neal at the line is’s three out of 10 [Applause] Stewart y Al Rook Hamilton just came back in the game you saw him he caught that blow to the face but that face guard he’s wearing it’s to $2,500 the reason he’s worri he’s broken his nose twice this year already the doctors said if he has another one he’d have to miss the rest of the season what happens when he gets hit all of the Brun of the blow goes against the forehead and the chin so he is okay wow poast to Coast with no one stopping the ball before this series we said if the Lakers didn’t play defense they would not win this series the Lakers have not played defense and it’s so loud and they’re so inexperienced as a unit out on the floor they couldn’t even get a shot away at the end of three now Michaels Doc Rivers Michelle tooya Stewart Scott fourth quarter begins William Davidson who’s WNBA King the shock won last season’s title who owns the Tampa Bay Lightning and they have the Stanley Cup that man’s had a pretty good year boy I tell you lindsy Hunter starts the fourth quarter with a steel not one Laker crws now forth sha on the bench as we start the period if you watch right now Al if you watch the body langage the movement who do you think is winning and losing right now the way the Pistons are playing if you turn the game on right now you would think boy they must be down they’re playing desperate but they’ve been playing at the same Pace they have controlled the pace and it’s the Lakers who look always a step behind Kobe goes to the hoop and gets fouled in the Lane Wallace Wallace for Larry Brown trying to become the first guy to do that he won the NCAA Crown at Kansas in 1988 Danny Manning was this key guy he also coached UCLA to the national championship game in 1980 he was here with the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA Championship Larry Brown everywhere he’s gone his team has improved the San Antonio Spurs he normally takes Reclamation projects I mean this is a guy who got the Los Angeles Clippers into the playoffs hey hey hey I was part of that Spite Doc Rivers on he did it in swe then Wallace he’ll tip it back in himself over Brian Cook this is been a dominating performance this entire series and you’re right Al you can make the point that the Lakers are very lucky to be playing tonight you get the feeling the way this is going that these teams could play 10 more games and the Lakers might not win one I mean it’s been that dominant look at [Applause] this w to rush Hamilton on fiser it’s almost like the party has started with 1032 still left in the game yeah the party has started there is no doubt about it every long rebound a piston releases and gets a fast break and it’s been oneon-one fast break basketball for the Pistons and I said fast break basketball for the Pistons the party has [Applause] started doc you may be the last coach ever hired under 60 years old you know when you think about what’s happened since 2000 dick r at 63 became the oldest coach to win a Super Bowl Scotty Bowman 68 the oldest coach to win a Stanley Cup he only won nine Jack mcken 72 won the World Series last year and Larry Brown who looks about 50 but is 63 years old is on the verge of becoming the oldest win in NBA title well all I have to say is I hope I don’t have to wait 23 years to win a title doc will keep this [Music] [Applause] [Music] SE Kobe goes oh and Kobe’s [Applause] hurt Bryant this season of course in addition to Colorado was also hurt on a couple of occasions Miss about 15 games at one point it looked like he wrenched his shoulder to the point he’d be out for a couple of months instead he was only out for a week or so yeah I think he miss one game yeah uh it’s still not heal you know when you talk to the team doctors he may have to have surgery they don’t know after the season is over the team is definitely going to have surgery the team is going to have major surgery talking to Mitch cack the general manager today as Wallace comes back in Hunter go go out there will be no off season for the Laker brass and what about Phil and what about Shaq now Shaq’s under contract so unless they trade him which will not happen ever they won’t to go trade him they won’t trade I don’t see that ever happening I think the number one thing is what Phil Jacks does number two is what Kobe does and you can put that one or two any way you want it and then it gets down to Carl Malone and jry Peyton and what they do and then it gets uh cup check and what is he going to do to change this basketball [Applause] team brench and that’s without even mentioning the most important matter in Kobe’s life yeah I mean it’s all moot unless he’s acquitted you know the Malone too yeah car Malone D pton wow the first thing that stands out watching this Laker team play you know it was nice getting cmal and it was nice getting very P but what this team needs is outside shooting in the worst way because the Detroit Pistons have been able to Sag and clog up the paint and haven’t been able and haven’t had to pay a penalty for it so I think what you will see with MIT cup check is they’re going to go out and search for Shooters they they got sporadic outside shooting this season IE fish rashed misses a three and rushes big game but not consistently we’re talking about the Lakers Phil Jackson the first guy they have to talk about Brian pton Malone and fiser can opt that pton can opt to stay I mean he’s already under the contract so it’s his call there Fox maybe retirees you don’t know the other guys with expiring contract you know Bill Jackson said something interesting cuz all along I have told you and I believe that he would not come back you asked him this morning if they lost would that change his decision and he said yes it probably would yeah that makes you think if they lose which they are going to he may come back and try to get this right that surprise me as you know though in in every sentence you know Phil goes from here here to there you know he’s like in you Moonlight on the ocean swept around whatever the the lyrics are but it’s like you walk away and you go huh I still think he he he quits this year I don’t think he retires though I do believe we’ll see him Coach again but not with the Lakers again here’s O’Neal you know Phil he he understands he had a chance here to become the winningest coach not only in NBA history in terms of championships but Eclipse all other coaches and managers in the four major sports is it huge to I mean he can live without it but it’s it was important to him he made that pretty obvious as we talked to him throughout the course of the Season it it absolutely was he also said something that surprised me I didn’t know he was keeping count that they could catch the Celtics in batters yes that upset me too doc you can do something about it yeah I’m going to try 1614 is the Laker Celtic rivalry right now with Boston up by [Applause] two Phillips using the clock meanwhile on the other side of the coin dock Detroit a much younger team and as the Lakers will end their season unraveling in this series Detroit ends it on a high not and and they just add exclamation point after exclamation point Ben [Applause] Wallace 20 rebounds for Wallace Walton missing so Detroit with a young team not that they’re not going to go out and try to revamp every team does I mean San Antonio won the title last year changed six of the 12 Minnesota had a pretty good year last year changed nine of the 12 and got better well you know the difference here is that Joe Dumar has done such a great job if this goes in my goodness I mean we would have had to leave the building doc the crowd is already rung out yes but Joe Dumar has done such a great job with this team he’s not going to have to make a lot of changes you know they have to sign Rasheed Wallace which I think they will the mimic o is going to be a big thing whether they can keep him or not other than that this team will look very much the same and don’t forget about the rookie that didn’t fight this year he will be a factor in the near future for this pist scene what you’re talking about you know I couldn’t remember his name cuz he hadn’t played hard There He Is We just call him Darko yeah the one thing he has to remove is those bandid from his ear he was piercing his ear in the Eastern Conference Finals they got infected so now he has to walk around with Band-Aid on his ear so he has to learn some things there’s no doubt about it he needs a valet is what he does oh my goodness or a good girlfriend you know Larry Brown said something really interesting about him you know he’s so young he’s only 18 years old does he know how important the world championship is he said he might know more about the World Cup than the world champion Wallace on a turnaround but I’m going to say this again I look at this Detroit missing team cha Phillips was was given up on Ben Wallace was said that he couldn’t be a factor Rip Hamilton have been moved Rasheed Wallace they they remind you of the Oakland Raiders you know Joe Dumars has looked at guys of of Castaways and have put them together and has turned this group into a terrific team rashed being one of the guys I mean he was the walking technical foul but he’s been a chir boy in the playoffs and a very positive influence with this team and a guy Brown wanted then we throw to you just get it down and get in our play got to use CLX I I want to run every time but we don’t have the break we got to use clock they can’t get a second shot that’s a man who has a championship wrapped up doc in the fourth quarter of game five coaching every possession and you know it’s awesome to watch him because obviously he wants to win the championship but he’s so much about the game of basketball he’s a teacher he wants him to play the right way all the time he’s going to coach until 000000 0 is on the [Applause] clock rush I’ll tell you a guy getting a big kick out of this right now Dean Smith I’ll tell you another one red [Applause] ey yes Red’s lighting up a cigar if you don’t follow basketball that you just watch hour back’s record was in Jeopardy red is a very proud man yes he is red loves that record and red and Phil have had long distance Barb fets on the other hand we’re talking about Larry Brown playing for Dean Smith North Carolina knowing Dean for all of those years in contact with him all the time never calls him Dean that’s the coach yes [Applause] doc can I call you next year like during the week and you give me some lines and I can read them on the air anytime but I’ll be watching you I’ll tell you that sha on the [Applause] bench Dean Smith Dean Smith and John Wooden two of the kind of course look at that in in college basketball annals the young Larry Brown people forget Larry Brown was a hell of a basketball player and for Larry the only the negatives to Larry and there are some people who who don’t like him because he’s moved around so much and in Philadelphia some fans felt he deserted him Larry does have a little wander lust in him there’s no question about it it’s maybe the pursuit of Perfection as cook makes that shot it could be a lot of different things but he is a guy as his brother herb said to me the other night you know we’ll be driving around he’ll see kids playing on a playground he wants to get out of the car and Coach them no no doubt you know when I was with the Clippers and Larry Brown coached me we would play oneone games after practice Larry would come back out on the floor and stop us because we didn’t hot the right way so we left practice we went somewhere else to play crowd looking for 100 and they’re going to get it sooner or later because we still have 344 to play and of all crazy things in this series could you have ever figured Detroit would win in a blowout the Lakers would need a near Miracle to win the only game they win and Detroit would wind up in triple figures in a blowout the siding game you know well I’m going to go back to our first game here and we said in this series that if the Detroit pisans scored 90 between 85 and 90 points they would win because they will never give up 90 points I’m looking up at the scoreboard right now the PS have 98 points and the Lakers have 72 so as great as the Detroit pons defense has been it’s still been about the Lakers not playing defense in this series or maybe not able to play defense because everyone underestimated the Pistons offense they know now you saw Shelly Brown Shelly and Larry will get about 11 minutes to exalt Larry’s going to coach the Olympic team so he’s going to go into a draft situation next week with this team he’s going to have a parade and all of that then he’s got to start getting the Olympic team together then they have they have a camp then they go to Germany to play then they go to Athens of course to the Olympics and he comes back and he plays about two rounds of golf when he goes back to training camp yeah and and there enough never a shot called it a half team situation you know an hft situation because he had to get this team to the finals after they made the switch to rec car out now he’s taken the Green Team and he has to win the gold medal Byron Scott Tom over who’s the MVP I think johnon bills MVP hands down I think if forever a year you want to give the MVP to an entire team this would be it chy bips a lot of the Patriots coming out before the Super Bowl we’ll be out on the floor for the Trophy presentation the MVP presentation is the champagne is on ice and about ready to be open first Pistons championship won here in Detroit Al okay Mike and and it’s well put about the MVP there is no clearcut gu i’ vote for bips too I think he’s been phenomenal Ben Wallace has been fantastic tonight yeah you know what it’s such a tough vote and I’m going to vote for Ben Wallace because this team is all about defense and he’s the anchor and even though Phillips has had better offensive games B Wallace has been a factor throughout this series with his presence and I think I have to go with him this is the kind of election with so close there’ll be a bunch of dangling Chads at the end of it because there’s no clearcut guys it should be a team MVP and we talked about it on the pregame show Doc when you think about these Pistons there won’t be one guy who comes to mind you’ll think about a collection of guys it won’t be Michael Jordan’s bulls or Jack Lakers or Duncan and Robinson Spurs this is different it is it’s refreshing too yeah you could vote for to Mar I mean the trade before the trade deadline bringing Rasheed Wallace to the Pistons swung the ti to the [Music] pist that is I’m thinking about that you’re right you are [Applause] right and now I got to tell you this has been a great year for me I’m trying to stay composed I really am uh I’ve been a player I’ve been a coach the Celtics and now I can say that I I’ve done the NBA Finals with Al Michaels Michelle and Scot and now this is this it’s been so amazing for me it’s been amazing it’s been awesome doc you’re so kind as patreon Prince comes off and Larry will bring the guys off one by one doc I look at it this way the way you started at Orlando we had to get you off the street yes you and thanks and I had a blast this year with you thank you very much Kobe Bryant there’s johy bips Ur Larry Brown doing everything he can now to get everybody to come come off the come off the floor as they reach triple figures get the individual a claim and why not the pists are going to wind down the playoffs with some good defensive play their trademark their [Applause] Hallmark again quick hands James Darko I think he’ll get the rest of the shots the rest of the day Fischer makes it from outside so this piston team which has really captured this area and they love this St of play so hockey Town USA is going to become poot toown USA in about a minute and 12 seconds but you know it’s such a blue collar team that fit this the city all you heard from them is watching the clock you know one more shift paycheck time I mean this is such a blue collar basketball team that you can make the case like the Lakers and you know the LA Lakers spit La it’s really F the Hamilton can take that mask off for the final [Applause] time rashed Wallace is going to win his first title [Applause] what a bizarre just a bizarre end of the L I’m looking at the the shots Bryan O’Neal Jackson Malone and Street close pton and of all crazy things this team which always seem to come up with the clutch play or the Divine Play when they needed it will end it like this they lived on the air now and and on against the Detroit FS you can’t live that way I will say this it would be ironic if car Malone ends his career in screw close since he played every game for the most part his entire career sure and if Phil Jackson ends his career losing for the only time in the finals they’ll be nine and one here B [Applause] you know what I love though when they sign Carone G pton everybody assumed that well they just had won a title if you’re a team sport guy it gives every kid in the world a message no matter who’s on your team you still have to earn it and that’s what this title was all about we started the first game I said to you you know you have to run the race you got to play the game the day before Birdstone had beaten Smarty Jones he said that the Pistons have a better chance to beat the Lakers than than Birdstone had he’s still [Applause] running they’re going to win the middle three game something that no team has done at home since they went back to a 232 format in 85 there was actually a time in the mid-50s believe it or not when a home team won all three games in the middle it was the Pistons they were in Fort Wayne but of all crazy things they played those games in Indianapolis and beat the Syracuse Nationals and the last team to win an Eastern Champion he from the East without Phil Jackson being involved with the detroy Pistons in 1990 Rick Fox ending the game hunched over his former teammate Lindsey Hunter and congratulating him as the clock picks down and the Detroit assistance wow who won the Ladi who won the NBA championship in 89 and 90 and they The Crazies just have to stop blowing up stuff in indoor buildings before we have a disaster thank you commissioner but the Detroit Pistons have just shocked the Los Angeles Lakers 87 to win the NBA title the number two seed in the Eastern Conference and for the Lakers it truly will be the end of a particular era they’ve had the three championships they brought in the other guys we talked about how much they’ll revamp for Joe Dumar who was selected by Bill Davidson to run the team he can exalt Bill Jackson will contemplate his future and they’ll talk about that very shortly I’m sure in the next couple of days as the confetti rains down at the Palace of Auburn Hills chony phips a likely candidate for the MVP award and the Detroit Pistons his gritty gutty defensive oriented team plays phenomenally on both ends of the floor and beat the Lakers in five Shelly Brown like a lot of kosu wives a lot of a lot of different homes you’ve got to keep the family together and this was a very rough year for Larry because his family was settled in Philadelphia the kids in school he’s trying to fly back on off days living in an apartment back and forth they go the Kobe Bryant the biggest of question marks of course for him yes and so he has the complete contrast in evidence here as the game is [Applause] over Welly you just look at this entire season and this Detroit Bing team always believed that they could they played the same way all year and you knew every time you played this team that they were going to come out and play hard play great defense and as we’ve said a 100 times now play the game the right way there’s a lot of people smiling at this basketball team Stewart Scott tan Prince you guys did something that nobody outside your locker room thought you would it wasn’t just that you beat them but how what did you all know that nobody else did uh we just took it to him man we knew we could play with everybody in this league and I think we showed it today but uh obviously they came out gave it everything they have and we just we just kept fighting we kept fighting and uh it was just an allaround effort by everybody today everybody in your lock room was concerned about one thing coming into this game not to get so uptight that you try to do too much individually how did you blow him out like this there a sit where it was it was like a a last game for them we said the same thing for us this the last game look look at it us being down 3-1 how we took it we haven’t seen you smile the entire series man give me one you know what I’m feeling so happy right now it’s all inside but man there’s a chain around town it goes Detroit basket ball and the guy who originated it is the PA announcer here he’ll take us to the ceremony nation and now piston fans the Larry obrien trophy [Applause] [Music] ladies and gentlemen ladies and gentlemen we welcome you I guess the address is changed here this is now for Championship Drive in Auburn Hills Michigan here to present the Larry o’ban trophy to the world champion Detroit Pistons the commissioner of the NBA David stur against the celebrated and Valiant effort by the Los Angeles Lakers your Detroit Pistons demonstrated that fairy tale endings do actually occur in sports as rare as they may be against all expectations but because of hard work very hard work and teamwork the I’m delighted to congratulate Bill Davidson the owner of the Pistons Tom Wilson Joe Dumars particularly coach Larry Brown and of course the city of Detroit who believed in this team and this team met their expectations even though no one else expected it so to your 2004 NBA champion Detroit Pistons congratulations and here’s the [Applause] trophy take that b Mr Davidson [Applause] now you have the WNBA Championship the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning I know all the Championships mean so much but I’ve seen you in The Practice Facility seeing these guys this is your baby this one has to be super special to you absolutely it is and this is the greatest I always have to be a little careful that I uh say I like them both equal but this is a great night and the guys f a tremendous job congratulations Bill Davidson odor of the Detroit Pistons we have to get Larry Brown over here coach Larry [Applause] Brown coach I know you inherited a very good team but they did figure out the right way to play it seemed like the right fit for the coach and the players tell us your emotions as your family’s here and you finally after the long journey become the first man to win an NCAA Championship and an NBA championship as a coach well one uh I feel um fortunate that I inherited team that Rick Carlile coached he did a great job I’m sorry Chucky Atkins and Michael Curry and John Barry and Cliff Robinson aren’t here to enjoy it but there’s a great team Mr D and Joe and the whole staff assembled great guys that do play the right way and I’m proud to be part of that I know there are two people who are watching who you share great emotion forward with Coach Smith Dean Smith your mentor and your 99-year-old mom who has just watched you and your older brother herb work together to win an NBA championship having your brother here your mom watching at home has to be special to you well I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Coach um a lot of a lot of us in his profession benefited by being around him and for my mom I babysitted my brother long enough and we finally got it done I love you Mom Larry Brown coach of the champion Pistons now time for the presentation of the most valuable player Trophy and once again commissioner stur you saw it 21 points a game over five assist the 2004 NBA Finals MVP number one Chanty [Applause] bips yes sir yes sir johnon you just looked at that and said wow after after all the places you’ve been and the expectations when you were drafted high in the draft all the stops did you ever stop dreaming that you could find the right place for your talents I never stopped dreaming man God is good you know God is very good he put me here for a reason and that’s the reason you guys were uh as heavy an underdog as we’ve seen wi the championship in almost a quarter Century I know the guys believed tell me why this team was able to overcome the Lakers cuz we just believe in ourselves and we play Team Basketball we’re not just individual ual we got individual good players but we’re a great basketball team and we know that that can overcome every time congratulations MVP of the finals chy Bops I would imagine you would like to hear from Joe Dumars Joe Dumars finals of the NBA MVP of the finals I should say joins Jerry West as the only people to be finals MVP and the architect of a championship team I know it’s sweet as a player tell me what it’s like to be the boss it’s so much better here uh you put your heart in Soul into it and to have this happen is just unbelievable Joe as as I said this team was a heavy Underdog when did you believe this team could do it I felt like we we could win this thing I really did even before the series started I thought that we I thought that we could win and um I knew we were underdogs but I never thought that these dog these guys were I KN I just felt like these guys it was their year to win it Joe Dumars and the rest of the world champion Detroit Pistons ladies and gentlemen and we send it back to Al Michaels all right thank you Mike so Phillips wins an MVP award in the finals before he ever makes an Allstar team who’s the last guy to do that Joe Dumars yeah did it on one of the Detroit championship teams in 90 just a few moments ago what’s it like on the other side Michelle talk to Derek fer Derek fiser obviously this is an incredibly emotional time what is your team going through in that locker room uh mixed emotions Michelle to be honest um extreme disappointment but um very resilient I’m I’m so proud of this team it we didn’t have to be here um we went through some things that I don’t think any other team could have gone through and still gotten to this point and you know we definitely we have to tip our half to the Pistons no question about that you have to win graciously and you have to lose graciously and we’re disappointed but uh the Pistons were the better team this year you guys came into this game saying all the right things that you believed you could get it done that you were confident that you’d been in this position before what happened out there tonight uh same things have been happening this entire series you know uh Second Chance points you know offensive rebounds you know they’re beating us to loose balls um you know I think they wanted it more you know collectively as a group that doesn’t take anything away from anybody on our team I think we wanted it as well but um they were able to take you know emotionally what they desired and what they wanted and carried over to the physical and we were a step slow too many times and um you know they deserve it Phil Jackson had said many times this may be a last dance for this particular team what are your thoughts about the future of this team How likely is it you’ll be together next year you know who knows um you know thetion of this business has has really changed over the years and you know from year to year um when you leave that locker room for the last time you never know if you’re going to see that guy again and um you know I think we’ll all just you know enjoy the time that we have left together tonight and tomorrow on our playe ride back and uh you know just be thankful that we had this opportunity a lot of guys haven’t had this opportunity and uh you know we we had a chance and we couldn’t get it done but we’re thankful for in a nday period I can’t think of a turnaround like this in such a huge event I mean it’s almost as if in a World Series or in a Stanley Cup one team is expected to win and then not only does the other team win the other team becomes so dominant that by the end the other the underdog looks like it’s un invincible and the favorite looks like it can’t win a game if he played until August and and it wasn’t just a couple of people it was most people I mean experts quote unquote experts saying five can it go four and when you heard that it was all about can this series can the pans win one game if they won one game it would be a good series I mean this this was a dominant performance and it was a great team performance uh before we go out I want to say that Al Michaels here has just completed the Grand Slam he’s done hockey basketball baseball and football all the world championships and that’s pretty awesome and the world Barrel jumping Champion I wanted to leave that part out we’re not going to put it in there you know it was so so interesting watching the teams walk off I mean the Lakers and clearly they’ll be broken up in some measure uh to a to a large extent in all likelihood and then Larry brownon and you know I’m just watching Larry and he’s talking about his 99y old mother and you saw the way he was and it’s never been about Larry and by the way I saw his other wonderful moment in life his only hole in one on a golf course one of five people to view that exactly and and it’s it’s all it’s always about the others and and he is so elated for his players for the coaches that he’s worked with for the kids he’s brought along and I can’t think of a of a guy in that profession more respected than Larry Brown well he reminds you of the John Wooden of the NBA I mean John Wooden was a lot like Larry Brown that all the titles and all the accomplishments that he had and Larry Brown has he always talks about the greatness of the players and everybody else around him almost deflecting what he’s done Larry Brown is a great basketball coach and he’s known around this league as the coaches coach so it’s rare that other coaches because this is competitive competitive league but it’s rare that other coaches are happy for a coach when he wins a title but everyone’s happy for layer run he’s helped turned the balance of power a little bit back to the east you’ll keep that going my going to the Boston Celtics someday again I’ll come out of retirement when when you’re finished with the Celtics oh thank you Al great series
Welcome to Pistons TV! If you’re craving those genuine moments, exclusive behind-the-scenes access, and everything #DetroitBasketball, then subscribe to the official YouTube channel of the #Pistons: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtcSBo9EzOtXHxiPhU6RN8A
π©ππ¦ππ§ π’π¨π₯ πͺπππ¦ππ§π Β» https://www.pistons.com
π¦ππ’π£ π ππ₯ππ Β» https://www.pistons313shop.com/
ππ¨π¬ π§πππππ§π¦ Β» https://www.nba.com/pistons/tickets
ππ’πͺπ‘ππ’ππ π§ππ π£ππ¦π§π’π‘π¦ ππ£π£: https://www.nba.com/pistons/mobile
ππ’πππ’πͺ π¨π¦ π’π‘ π¦π’ππππ β¬
Twitter Β» https://twitter.com/DetroitPistons
Instagram Β» https://www.instagram.com/detroitpistons/
Facebook Β» https://www.facebook.com/detroitpistons
TikTok Β» https://www.tiktok.com/@detroitpistons
40 Comments
1st
20 years ago when the Pistons won a title in my lifetime π
Is this going to be the 1989 game?
Man Iβm getting old I was 12 when they won in 2004
Never actually found the 1989 Finals on tape huh?
an amazing $ummer thanks 2 the Wallace brothers π Pistons!π
The 04 team was the best Defensive team in NBA HISTORY! Thanks for sharing!
Ainβt gonna happen anytime soon for us, unfortunately
Detroit Basketball!!!!!!!
20 years ago this happened. Detroit basketball forever
Ben shoulda been in NBA 75 he was more the Anchor than Chauncey
I was just watching highlights of Ben Wallace, so cool you guys uploaded this game today.
One of my favorite teams to watch πͺπ½
…..and it's been almost 20 years since the Pistons were worth a damn, cmon guys lets figure it out and start winning some meaningful basketball games again
Miss the palace!! That arena was great
Detroit Basketball
A 5 game sweep basically. One of the most dominating performance in a Finals from all aspects of the game. Shame we couldnβt add the 2005 title as well
I will never for the life of me understand why Joe d drafted darko such a stupid pick π€¦
Been a Pistons fan since then…
wow
@krispyflakes π₯
Al Michaels once upon a time called the NBA is something I keep forgetting.
This is probably the clearest Iβve ever seen this broadcast
They destroyed the Lakers ππ
From Argentina!! My favorite team Detroit Pistons 2004/2005 ! AWESOME DEFENSIVE TEAM! By Larry Brown!
can you upload the pacers vs pistons game 1 2004 ECF?
Great video a true HD
Come on Gores. Get your shit together. Have some pride in this great organization. Enough is enough. Letβs Go Stones! Give us a reason to care again baby!
First finals I really saw more than a few seconds of live…20 years of nba history later….
15/06/2004
Koby mvp .singlehandedley won series for da Pistonsππππ
Who else clicked on this video just to see how clear it would be? π ππ
In all seriousness, that '04 team was truly something special, man. I just wish they would have gone back-to-back π₯Ήππ
π₯π₯π₯
Who noticed Isiah's number being messed up πππππππππππππ
RIP Kobe Bryant
It feels weird to hear Al Michaels call an NBA Finals game
The underrated, underdog, darkhorse Detroit Team. π
Hard to believe this was 20 years ago, time flies so fast.
Ben Wallace should be suspended for the whole season just like Ron Artest was
3rd title in my lifetime…
I was in my 20s when this happened. The city had so much energy.