They are ALL criminals with money.....
The games are fixed to bring in more revenue.
It should be one game, winner takes all..... Like Football the REAL sport.

Revolution said:

The thing is, John, that the fouls made by The Lakers are overlooked as well. It's not just the Pistons.

Revolution said:

Umm I understand you hating the Pistions an all but the "Entire"NBA has always had these problems ( not just the Pistions lol) it has never been "clean" In fact Shaq kills people all the time with offensive fouls....I know he gets hacked tons of times as well but he gives as good as he gets... The Pistons play good D....I don't like Kobe but I will not say he doesn't play good D just because I don't like him....Give credit where credit is due...

It wasn't a lack of sleep, but it was the Pistons who came out firing on all cylinders in game 3. It just seemed to me, regardless of who was fouling who and if the refs were on the good side of the Pistons, that the Lakers could not deal with Detroit Thursday night.

Sure, the Lakers got to within one point (14-13) but you knew that this series would be low scoring the way these two teams are matched.

With a 2.5 day break before game 4, the Lakers might rise to the challenge, but after what I saw Thursday night (and the series so far) seemed to say that no team can win the championship when only two players score in double figures. It was shown Thursday night that Kobe and Shaq were not invicible.

When will The Mailman and The Glove show up in the series? Sure a 3-point hoop there and a put-back here and an assist there is good and all, but Malone and Payton have lost their touch.

Detroit seems very hungry and are taking it one game at a time. Learn lesson and move on and work at it. Hence, the team motto for 2003-04 -- "Goin' To Work."

But all in all it is a game, it's entertainment and it shows on TV, on the internet and on the radio that there is a passion for the best basketball the NBA can offer.

I was amazed that the Lakers only scored in the teens each quarter and only compiled 68 total points against an impressive Detroit defense. I feel the Pistons are on the rise and it looks like late November and all through December 2003 when Detroit held the opposition to 80 or under points eight times.

During an eight-game winning streak in March, the Pistons held its opponents to 76 points or less. Impressive, very impressive. Not bad basketball. Hard fought basketball.

March 2004
4 Thu @ Portland W 83-68
6 Sat @ Denver W 97-66
7 Sun @ Seattle W 86-65
10 Wed Chicago W 98-65
14 Sun Philadelphia W 85-69
18 Thu @ New Jersey W 89-71
19 Fri Denver W 94-75
21 Sun @ Cleveland W 96-76

Tickey-tack fouls and home-team refs? Nah. It's all part of the game and it's all part of the psycological nature of the sport.

http://www.prince.org/msg/2/97336 Detroit Crawl vs. SoCal Bump Sqaud Love4OneAnother Charity-Off
[This message was edited Fri Jun 11 12:59:19 2004 by a2grafix]

Let me give ya a "for instance"...
Actual game "footage"...

Pistons have the ball....WHISTLE...on Fisher...for an obvious tic tac foul...
Same possession...WHISTLE...on Malone...for an obvious shooting foul...

Next Pistons possession...WHISTLE...for another tic tac foul...
Same possession...WHISTLE...for another obvious shooting foul...

Next Pistons possession...WHISTLE...for tic tac foul...

Folks, that's 5 fouls in 3 possessions down the court, all called on the Lakers.
You may say "so what"...but those tic tac fouls add up to team fouls per quarter,
which, (you guessed it) result in the Pistons shooting free throws (getting pts) for
EVERYTIME they are fouled THEREAFTER...

Meanwhile...

The Pistons are ALL OVER the offensive players (remember, you're not supposed to TOUCH
an offensive player at all). What you call "good defense" in my book is a WHISTLE...

You don't have the energy to watch a game like I do...
I take away pts for incorrect calls...

CalhounSq said:

JesseJohnson said:

Revolution said:

But you have to adjust and play thru the way the refs call a game. The calls they make aren't one-sided. The Lakers seem as inept as they did when they were down 0-2 to San Antonio. The self described "most dominant ever" is fat and lazy, and won't bring it consistently, and the offense Phil Jackson insists on running is antiquated. Plus, he's a jackass. I predicted 6 games, but this thing might go the limit.

HOW ABOUT THOSE DETROIT PISTONS? EAT YOUR HEART OUT JIMMY KIMMEL!

Looks like the Fakers...uh..Lakers got caught in...

... "The World's Only Ass-Kicking Machine"


Official Ass-Kicking Machine Website

OFFICIAL LAKER-HATER

tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm

Supernova said:

Did you see the little story they ran on Gary Payton during halftime? It was about him growing up in Oakland, blah blah blah. They just tried to make it seem like Oakland is SO TOUGH, like you'll just get killed out here if you walk to the store or something. It really ain't that bad - there's shady spots of course, but it ain't like they tried to make it seem.

I called my cousin while it was on & she said, "Are you calling me from the mean streets of Oakland?!" & the mean mug, zoom in shots of his dad were hilarious!

GO LAKES

CalhounSq said:

Yeah, they poured it on like they do with all of these fluff pieces. I wouldn't have lasted 20+ years out here if it was that bad.

whodknee said:

I'm sayin'

CalhounSq said:

Oh, that! Once that came on I didn't give it my full attention and I quickly forgot about it because Payton has been SUCH a loser lately. But unfortunately if your pigment is dark, and you don't live in a middle class or upscale area, the media will exaggerate and stereotype a lot about you. Regardless of the facts.

I am totally going for the Detroit Pistons. It is true that Gary Payton this whole time has done nothing to benefit the Lakers, and Shaq only gets the shots he does because he fouls in L.A. they wouldn't have called the push, but to me it seems the Lakers have gotten away with a lot definitely not the Pistons. I cannot dispute Kobe he is a awesome athlete, but at the second buzzer games are not gonna do it, the Lakers had to struggle to win the 2nd game.
I am not just going for the Pistons just cause I like em, but because they look better than the Lakers at this time. Prince, Wallace, and especially Hamilton can get it done.

langebleu said:

JDINTERACTIVE said:

Don't be jealous. They deserve a percentage of the revenues.

Both teams. They are great teams. No doubt. The team who wants it more will make the plays. Free throws or not.

Confident Pistons to Face Defiant Lakers in Game Four TONIGHT!

By Steve Keating

AUBURN HILLS, Michigan (Reuters) - A Detroit Pistons team bristling with confidence will clash with the defiant Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday in Game Four of the NBA finals that both sides view as key to the championship.

Humbled 88-68 by the underdog Pistons in Game Three on Thursday, the Lakers have had three days to digest one of their worst performances in an NBA final. The result left them trailing the best-of-seven series 2-1.

Savaged by the media and scolded by former-great and team co-owner Magic Johnson, the Lakers have refused to panic having overcome numerous obstacles including injuries, internal bickering and the distraction of Kobe Bryant's impending sexual assault trial to reach their fourth final in five years.

"I'll just go back to the year we've had," said Lakers future Hall of Famer Karl Malone, who has been hobbled by sprained knee ligaments. "You name it and it has happened to this team.

"At some point in time we've always made it a little harder than we should.

"But we've always believed in what we tried to do as a team. We didn't get here by fluke.

"We've earned the right to be here.

"We've gone through a lot of things and always bounced back. That's what this team is about and that's what we'll do."

Throughout the postseason, the Lakers have shown resiliency.

They bounced back after going 2-0 down to eliminate defending champions San Antonio Spurs and clawed back in the final seconds of Game Two against the Pistons to claim a 99-91 overtime win that kept them from slipping behind 2-0 again.

But the Pistons say, they too, have taken notes from Game Two.
"We are definitely not going to get complacent," cautioned Pistons defensive anchor Ben Wallace. "No one has ever won a series with two games.

"We know we are playing against a dangerous Lakers team and they have been to the championship before and know what it takes to win one."

Since the NBA switched to the two-three-two finals format, no team has ever swept the three middle games.

That is the task now facing the Pistons, who hope to ride the momentum and confidence they have been building along with the support of a raucous crowd at the Palace to victories in Games Four and Five to keep the series from returning to the west coast.

"I think we're very confident, we're riding confidence right now that's as high as it's been all season," said Pistons guard Chauncey Billups.

"Coming into a series that we felt we had a good chance being competitive and having a chance to win but nobody else felt that.

"We knew we were the only ones who believed in us."

Absolute GARBAGE called game...once again.

The Lakers were up 12 pts at half, in my book...but, I call the game differently...CORRECTLY.

Just for you naysayers, that say this series ISN'T being called in the Pistons favor, comes
this little bit of FACT: Thru only 3 games Pistons free throws attempted 114 ~
Lakers free throws attempted 64. Open and shut...

[b:a3aca63314]SPECIAL DELIVERY - L.A. LAKERS[/b:a3aca63314]

How [b:a3aca63314]The World's Only Ass-Kicking Machine [/b:a3aca63314]Works:
[img:a3aca63314]http://www.fred.net/turtle/asskicker/asskickerbig.jpg[/img:a3aca63314]

If that's too complicated:
[img:a3aca63314]http://www.millerhouseofsports.com/DetroitPistons/images/m0544_72dpi.jpg[/img:a3aca63314]

[b:a3aca63314]OFFICIAL LAKER-HATER FOR LIFE[/b:a3aca63314]

They're just lucky they didn't get swept.

tA

Tribal Disorder

http://www.soundclick.com...rmusic.htm
[This message was edited Sun Jun 13 20:57:45 2004 by theAudience]

Revolution said:

You know why? The Lakers starting lineup, sans Kobe, averages 35 years of age. They pinned this season on an OLD team that's not as athletic as the Pistons - therefore they can't drive the lane and get to the foul line.

No healthy Malone, no containing Sheed.

As good as Shaq is he's NOT the same player he once was, and no matter how good he and Kobe are combined they can't do it alone. Role players are important.

They're done. Stick a fork in 'em.

Supernova said:

WHY does this warm my heart so?

Game 4
Lakers 80
Pistons 88
Final

Wallace Guides Pistons to Brink of Championship

AUBURN HILLS, Michigan (Reuters) - Rasheed Wallace had 26 points and 13 rebounds to inspire the Detroit Pistons to the brink of the NBA title with an 88-80 Game Four win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
Leading the best-of-seven series 3-1, the Pistons, who entered the finals as huge underdogs, can clinch their first title since 1990 with a Game Five victory on Tuesday in front of another frenzied home crowd at the Palace.

With three titles in the last four years and an all-star line-up led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles arrived in the finals with a cocky swagger.

But it was dazed group of Lakers who slumped off the court on Sunday aware that no team in NBA finals history has battled back from a 3-1 deficit to claim the title.

Pistons Beat Lakers 88-80 in Game 4

By CHRIS SHERIDAN, AP Basketball Writer

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - Building a lead early in the fourth quarter, holding it the rest of the way and repelling every Los Angeles rally, the Pistons moved one victory closer to their first championship in 14 years with a convincing 88-80 victory Sunday night in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

With a 3-1 lead, Detroit has made one thing crystal clear: It is the better of these two basketball teams, winning without egos and superstars — and the problems that come with them.

These were some of the scenes that Pistons' fans will cherish: Chauncey Billups making timely 3-pointers, Rasheed Wallace backpedalling downcourt with a minute left after making a jumper that capped his best game of the playoffs; Richard Hamilton calmly knocking down free throws.

As for the Lakers, the snapshots were these: Kobe Bryant screaming at the referees and picking up a late technical foul; Shaquille O'Neal yelling at someone in the Lakers' huddle, most likely Bryant, for failing to get him the ball; Karl Malone staying parked on the bench for the entire fourth quarter, a nonfactor again.

It's almost over for these Lakers, their breakup possibly coming in the next week.

Game 5 is Tuesday night, and the Pistons could become the first team to bring the title back to the Eastern Conference since Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls won it in 1998.

Wallace scored 26, Billups had 23 and Hamilton 17 to lead the Pistons, who outscored the Lakers 32-24 in the fourth quarter.

O'Neal had 36 and Bryant 20 for the Lakers, whose dysfunctional two-man show isn't enough to keep up with Detroit's depth and determination.

No team has ever come back from a 3-1 deficit in the finals, and the Lakers seemed ill-equipped to become the first.

O'Neal took 21 shots and made 16, and he might have doubled those totals if his teammates had gotten him the ball more often. But Bryant somehow found it necessary to launch 14 attempts in the first half and 25 overall, many of which were both unwise and off-target.

No one else on the Lakers had more than eight points, and Los Angeles again was outrebounded and plagued by fouls.

Detroit made 29 field goals and 28 foul shots and scored 21 points on the fast break in what was the closest game of the series until the Pistons broke it open with a 7-0 run for a 77-67 lead with 4:52 left. The Lakers got no closer than seven the rest of the way as the Pistons made shots — whether from the field or the foul line — when they needed them.

It was widely expected that Jackson would change his starting lineup or rotations, especially after five of the Lakers' veterans — O'Neal, Bryant, Rick Fox, Derek Fisher and Devean George — had an off-day conference with Jackson in a restroom at The Palace, pleading with him to put his trust in them since they know his triangle offense best.

But Jackson went with his usual starting five, turning to Fox as his first substitution after George picked up two quick fouls. Later, he went to a small lineup with Fisher and Payton together in the backcourt and Bryant at small forward.

Though the Lakers botched their first couple of possessions, they quickly began getting the ball to O'Neal deep in the low post. His first two shots were dunks, his next two were 5-footers from either side of the basket, and the fifth was an alley-oop dunk. O'Neal went 5-for-5 in a first quarter that ended with the Lakers ahead 22-21.

After missing a shot, O'Neal hit his next two midway through the second quarter and yelled "Try to stop that!" to no one in particular with an animated expression on his face. The pace of the quarter was slow thanks to 16 fouls before Mike James took control and ran two fast breaks by himself, converting both times to help Detroit to a 41-39 halftime lead.

Wallace began to carry the Pistons in the third quarter, dominating his matchup with Slava Medvedenko after Karl Malone left the game. A late 6-0 run by the Lakers, ending with a steal and dunk by Bryant, produced a 56-56 deadlock entering the final period.

Hamilton hit two jumpers to open the fourth quarter, and Ben Wallace rebounded his own missed free throw and banked it in for a 65-60 lead, and a 3 by Billups made it 70-64 with 6:20 left

After the Lakers got within three, Billups hit another 3-pointer to start the game-deciding 7-0 run.

"I told them how proud I was," coach Larry Brown said. "But no matter how you look at it, you've got to win four games in the series."
[This message was edited Sun Jun 13 22:40:15 2004 by July]

Revolution said:

The Pistons are making more trips to the line because they are being more aggressive inside. The Laker are playing an outside game because of the big guys inside on defense, Ben and Rasheed Wallace. Kobe can take gamble shots all night and they can dish to Shaq as well. But it still would not be enough against a team that is doing just that, playing as a team.

Them Pistons up 3-1 baby! WOOOOO!

Go Pistons, go pistons, go pistons

LET'S GO LAKERS, LET'S GO!!!! LET'S GO LAKERS, LET'S GO!!!!!

TheBluePrince said:

July said:

I feel Revolution's pain, but I agree with July. The officiating has been pretty bad overall, but the Pistons are much more aggressive because they know the Lakers don't have the personnel to stop penetration. The Lakers are totally confused and their confidence has gone out the window. Their coach has been reduced to a bystander who looks like he just wants out.

That being said, I have seen this team do some improbable things. They're running out of time to figure the Pistons out, but if they do on Tuesday, they go back home for two. If they surivive Tuesday, and that's a big if, don't put it past this team to finish it in LA.

GO PISTONS! DETROIT IS 1 WIN AWAY! Pistons lead series 3-1

Revolution said:

call the game correctly and the Lakers never win 3 championships in a row. when your team is winning because they are the beneficiaries of bad calls, your team is great. when they lose because instead of trying to get a good shot off Kobe is flopping (he looks like Vlade Divac but in mid air), the referees are blind. the fact is the refs are seeing the game fine, and like myself, they see Kobe trying to get foul calls instead of getting fouled. damn, the guy air balled a layup. Rasheed Wallace was neither close to fouling him or blocking his shot, and the ball just went up and straight down.

if you want to complain about calls, how about Shaq elbowing Dikembe Mutombo in the face play after play 3 years ago and the refs calling the fouls on Mutombos face. sorry, Dikembe, your face shouldn't have been there. give me a break.
[This message was edited Mon Jun 14 15:44:11 2004 by dumbass]