Cleveland 87, Detroit 90 -- Play of the Game: Tay spins off Lebron for an emPHATic dunk!
The Pistons had to go to work this afternoon against a team fighting to make the Playoffs for the first time in years. The game had a playoff intensity with tough physical play and far too many technical fouls from the champs. Dispite thier mental lapse the Pistons displayed thier resolve and charged back from a 12 point defict at half time to restablish the game's momentum. Cleveland battled hard through the second part of the 3rd quarter and all the way through the fourth. Lebron James did all he could do to keep his team close, and, with some heroics, got the Cavs to within one point in the final seconds. Unfortunately for the Cavs, Lebron's 37 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists and too many preferential foul calls wasn't enough. The poise and experience of the NBA champs took over. Now the Cavs are only a heartbeat away from missing the Playoffs, despite challenging the Pistons for the top spot in the Central division earlier in the season.
The Detroit Pistons have two games left in the regular season and have begun preparing for their title defense. Currently the Pistons are in the midst of a 10 game win streak after branding the Cavs this afternoon in a 90 to 87 victory. Only two road games remain in the regular season against the leagues weakest teams in the. With nothing left to play for and an easy schedule ahead, look for Larry Brown to work out the bench for the reamining two contests.
The starters look ready and in my opinion they look better going in to the Playoffs than last season. Everyone is pretty healthy provided Rasheed's hamstring pull wasn't too serious this afternoon. Tay is so much better now that he was this time last year. In only his 3rd season he has become a silent leader for the Pistons. The Piston's starting 5 is so versatile that they cause multiple match-up problems for every other team in the league including Miami and San Antonio. Miami always has a huge mismatch against anyone with Shaq in the middle but we know what to expect from him every game. They have two weapons and the Pistons can defend Wade. Although Miami is an excellent team and Shaq is an unreal force out there, they are an easy team to prepare for in a 7 game series. It's difficult for other teams to prepare for the Pistons though because offense can come from just about anyone in big bunches. Rasheed, Tay, Chauncey, and Rip are all capable of putting up huge numbers from anywhere on the court. The Pistons are so confident and so unselfish in the halfcourt that if you try and double anyone, they get easy baskets. There's just no way to know which way the Pistons are going to attack on any given night. All you can hope for is a poor shooting night and some lucky loose balls to sway the Champ's confidence. I don't see that happening in the Playoffs too often. I think the Piston's are poised for another trip to the Finals. Go to work Pistons! I'll be watching every possession with pride.
