Coming up in a few minutes. I didn't feel like hearing Greg Anthony and Bill Walton's mouths so I watched Smackdown.
BRB.
9:05: I wish ABC would get a new theme song for the playoffs. "Heartbreak" isn't that bad of a song, but it gets tiring once you've heard it six or seven times.
Hubie said the Spurs point of emphasis tonight was to protect the ball and get it to the big man (Duncan) to reestablish dominance. I agree.
9:09: They got Carrie Underwood (the American Idol winner) singing the national anthem. Not bad. She still looks like a bootleg Go-Go with that hair though. She needs an extreme makeover.
9:15: Tafoya said Ginobili denied that the thigh bruise impeded his performance Tuesday night.
Can you say, Bullshit? Even if he was able to run, I bet he thought twice about running in there like a crazed man as he did in Game 1 & 2, which means the mental factor was there.
Starting lineups have been given. Tipoff starts in a moment.
9:18: Ginobili gets a foul right on the tipff. Not good. But on the other end Bruce Bowen starts off the defensive stand with a block. Duncan gets the first score. Spurs starting off good, as Muhammad scores on the next possession. 4-0 Spurs.
9:23: After a couple of Spurs turnovers, the Pistons explode and go on a 10-3 run scoring several of those on the fast break. Duncan's having trouble protecting the ball, and after getting fouled on a reach in which turned into a steal, Popovich goes nuts and gets teched up early in the game. 11-7 Pistons.
9:35: Right now everything is going the Pistons' way. When Ben Wallace is hitting 15 foot jumpers, you know you're in trouble. San Antonio can't get anything set on offense and look pretty clumsy out there. 6 turnovers for the Spurs in this quarter alone. 18-10 Pistons.
9:45: The Spurs get back to business, and the guy who helps them do it is unherald rookie Beno Udrith from Slovenia, who came in for Parker. A big three followed by another basket gives him five points off the bat. Role players are getting it done, but now it's time for Duncan and Parker to wake up.
A big three by Rasheed with 1.1 seconds left gives the Pistons a nice lead at the end of the 1st by 6, 23-17. Second quarter's bout to start.
9:48: The Spurs act as if they never bothered to address that trap the Pistons continue to set at half court from Game 3. They're getting punished for it, as they continue to turn the ball over which creates fastbreaks and advantages on the other end. Spurs are down by 10.
9:57: The Spurs are getting nothing from their backcourt, which continues to cough up the ball. They can't even get it into the paint, and when they do, the Pistons aren't giving them any room. The Pistons went on a 14-0 run until Devin Brown hits the three, Pistons up by 14.
10:03: Well the game isn't over yet. The Spurs get a couple of baskets on the inside, and then they go into the bonus with about 6 minutes left in the half. Spurs are still down by 12, but they're down without no Ginobili and no Parker. Whatever it is, those guys need to shake it off and start producing.
10:08: I don't understand why you would feed the ball to anyone on the Spurs who's not named Duncan, especially with both Wallaces in the game. But the Spurs are determined to force that inside game. That's not going to cut this lead.
Devin Brown has had a solid game tonight so far. Too bad none of his teammates have played worth anything though. Pistons up by 14. 43-29 with 3 and a half left.
10:15: You can't tell me Ginobili isn't hurt. Prince juked him so quick, took him to the hole and jammed it. Ginobili is that slow that he couldn't step in and cut him off from the basket? Please. 45-31, 2:25 left.
10:26: Halftime. 51-36 Pistons.
You know something's wrong when your bench is outscoring your starters, particularly in the backcourt. Parker and Ginobili would have been better off not playing that whole half. Parker only had 2 points and Ginobili 6, but Ginobili hasn't taken a shot inside the arc yet. Everytime he drives to the basket he's getting hammered. He hit one three, and hit 3-4 from the line.
The Pistons should really just keep doing what they've been doing. In the last game, Rip shined on Bruce Bowen. Now it's Tayshaun Prince that's making Ginobili look bad. Ginobili's stock has dropped so quickly between Game 1 and tonight that you'd think Enron cooked his stats from Game 1. It's sad.
Bill Walton said we're seeing "shrinkage" from the Spurs. Oh god.
10:50: Second half started, and the Pistons continue their dominance. The Spurs can't gain traction so far, and they're messing up on the little things; missing ft's, not taking advantage of offensive rebounds in the paint, etc. Pistons up by 15.
11:00: Popovich needs to come up with something new, because this isn't working. All the Wallaces are doing is camping out in the lane. That's it. Duncan can't get anything going, as he is only 4-12 tonight. Anything Muhammed puts up is getting thrown into the stands, and the guards have yet to do anything in this game. I think it's just about time to say this series is tied. Pistons leading by 15 with 6 minutes to go in the 3rd.
11:05: Now Lindsey Hunter goes nuts. He scores Detroit's next seven points, and looks like an All-Star. Tony Parker should be ashamed of himself by the way he's playing tonight. 68-51 with 3 and a half left.
11:13: Tim Duncan is on the bench looking like he lost his puppy. Sad. The bench has taken over the offensive production now for Detroit, as they've scored their last 13 points. Methinks we're going to see another Darko appearance. End of 3rd quarter, and the Pistons are up by 17, 74-57.
11:22: Five players on the Pistons squad are in double figures, and two of them are from off the bench (Hunter, McDyess). Rip Hamilton hasn't done ANYTHING tonight, as he's only 2-8 with 4 pts. Everyone else is scoring though.
The Spurs only have Duncan and Ginobili in double figures, and neither of them have shot 50% from the field. The Spurs ought to be embarrassed how they've played tonight. Pistons in a blowout with 10 minutes left.
11:32: This game has pretty much become an exhibition. Some are still playing hard, but there isn't any kind of organization whatsoever. Unfortunately for the Spurs, this is a 2-3-2 series format, which means the nightmare could possibly continue Sunday night. They better figure out something, and fast. Pistons up by 21, and six minutes of my life is still left for them to waste.
11:43: Ben Wallace's 15 footer makes him the seventh starter in double figures tonight. And yes, Darko is coming into the game with approx. 2 minutes to play. Pistons are up by 26. That's right; I didn't get the score wrong.
- Even Darko scored. If I didn't know better, I'd think this was rigged.
If you would have told me that the Spurs would have made the Pistons look like the Suns, I would have asked you what you were smoking. The Spurs looked as if they had no energy in them, and the Pistons were forcing turnovers to create 3-1 or 2-1 fastbreaks on the other end. The backcourt played like crap, and when the backcourt plays like crap that allows for the Wallaces to sit in the paint and throw back anything that comes in there.
The Spurs really need to take a trip to Oz and ask the Wizard for some heart. They haven't played like they had any in the last two games. Popovich needs to start getting on them for allowing so many baskets in transition also, when the Spurs are generally known for being a great transition defense team.
Ben Wallace is providing the energy for the Pistons, as he is making steals in the backcourt, blocking shots, hitting mid-range jumpers, and just outright hustling. When he gets going, that gets Billups going, and when Billups gets going, that gets Rip going, and so on. And a huge factor in this game tonight was the contribution from the bench, as Lindsey Hunter and Antonio McDyess have stepped up in a huge way. While a small positive for the Spurs has been Devin Brown's performance tonight, their bench has yet to make an impact.
The Spurs need to look at themselves and decide whether they want to actually play in this series. If not, they might as well just stay home. Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili looked like they wanted to be anywhere but there tonight. They need to suck it up and prepare for Game 5. They can't afford to play like this anymore in this series.
Thanks for sticking with me, and I'll see you Sunday night.
