Official Pistons vs Cavaliers thread

[Vegito728]

Well game 1 was pretty good I wasn't surprised with the end results. Well here is my review.






Detroit made 10 3-pointers in the first half -- one shy of an NBA playoff record -- to open up a 21-point lead at halftime before cruising to a 113-86 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday in Game 1 of their second-round series.

The Pistons finished with a franchise playoff-record 15 3-pointers, on 22 attempts, and missed only one of their 11 attempts beyond the arc before halftime.

James scored all of his 22 points in the first half, but the 21-year-old star had to work for each one. Triple-teamed at times, James was forced to take difficult shots or defer to teammates who didn't respond by making shots of their own.

James didn't play in the fourth quarter after he was held scoreless in the third while the Pistons built a 30-point lead.

Prince made James work on defense, too, scoring 24 points and tying his playoff record.

The two-time defending Eastern Conference champions turned the game into a rout with a franchise playoff-record 43 points in the second quarter against a team in the second round for the first time since 1993.

The Pistons had four double-figure scorers in the first half alone, including reserves Antonio McDyess and Lindsey Hunter. Both had 12 at halftime -- outscoring every Cavs player not named James in the first half.

Richard Hamilton scored 20, Chauncey Billups had 14 points and 10 assists and Rasheed Wallace added 10 points and seven rebounds.

Ben Wallace, the NBA Defensive Player of the Year according to an Associated Press source, had 11 rebounds and four blocks for the Pistons.

Cleveland's Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 14 points after a poor series against Washington in the first round. The Cavs, who didn't have a third double-digit scorer until the fourth quarter, got 11 points from Anderson Varejao.

The Cavs played about 40 hours after their Game 6 win at Washington in overtime, flying home and then to suburban Detroit. Meanwhile, the Pistons had a day off and two days of practices after eliminating Milwaukee in five games.

The Cavs began the game with some fight, leading 12-7 and being tied late in the first quarter. Detroit went on a 10-0 run over the last 1:57 of the first quarter -- helped by James' two turnovers -- to take a 26-16 lead.

Cleveland was still hanging around, trailing by 14 until the Pistons closed another quarter in dominating fashion. Hunter made three 3-pointers in just under a minute and McDyess closed the 11-4 run to put the Pistons ahead 69-48 at halftime.

Detroit went up 32 in the third quarter and emptied its bench midway through the fourth with a 37-point lead.

The Pistons will host Game 2 on Tuesday night in the best-of-seven series.

 

[Babe_Ruth]

That's a great review my friend hopefully all your game reviews will be like this. Anyways the game was dominated by the Pistons in my opinion the only player who played well for the Cavaliers was LeBron James, and now in Game 2 it's the others who have to step up, and I think they will. Should be a better Game 2.

 

[Vegito728]

Thanks I will try my best. I'm excited to see the Nets game tonight.

 

[Babe_Ruth]

I won't say too much but the Nets won YAY. Back too the Cavs-Detroit thread.

 

[Molina]

Pistons will win be sure, tayshaun is fucking off Lebron, he needs to improve hes mind, he's too boy, for the imprense make him a SuperStar

 

[Vegito728]

Well here's my review for game 2 I hope you all enjoy it.


James scored 23 of his 30 points in the second half, but Rasheed Wallace had 29 points and Tayshaun Prince added 20 to lead Detroit to a 97-91 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night -- and a 2-0 lead in their second-round series.

James didn't reach double figures until midway through the third quarter, then he led a fourth-quarter rally with jumpers and driving layups through a sea of Pistons.

Cleveland pulled to 87-78 after a 10-2 run before Ben Wallace made a fadeaway shot off his own miss and Rasheed Wallace followed with a 3-pointer, forcing the Cavs to call a timeout down by 14 points with 4:31 left.

James wouldn't let the Cavs go away.

His three-point play made it 92-87 with 1:13 left, but Richard Hamilton scored a three-point play on the ensuing possession and both players traded free throws in the final seconds.

For three-plus quarters, it didn't look like there was much James or the Cavs, who advanced in the playoffs for the first time since 1993, could do against the two-time defending Eastern Conference champions at either end of the court.

After leading by just two points, Detroit took control of Game 2 -- and perhaps the best-of-seven series -- with a 13-0 run late in the first quarter and early in the second. The burst grew to 19-3 and the Pistons led by 18 before the Cavs ended a field-goal drought that lasted more than seven minutes.

The Pistons were coasting until the Cavs suddenly showed signs of life midway through the fourth quarter.

The Cavs -- who lost Sunday by 27 points in a game that wasn't as close as the score indicated -- will have plenty of time to search for a solution to turn the series around because Game 3 isn't until Saturday in Cleveland.

Cavs coach Mike Brown was so desperate late in the first half Tuesday that he resorted to a hack-a-Ben strategy, having his players intentionally foul Ben Wallace late in the first half. The tactic backfired, perhaps because Brown might've sent his players a message that they couldn't slow the Pistons down any other way.

When Brown instructed his players to foul Wallace, Detroit was ahead by 16. After Wallace went 2-of-4 from the line and Rasheed Wallace made a 3-pointer off the glass, the Cavs were trailing by 21.

Brown acknowledged that he didn't like telling his player to put Wallace on the line.

Hamilton finished with 17 points, Billups had 15 points and seven assists, and Ben Wallace added 10 points and 15 rebounds.

Cleveland's Drew Gooden had 17 points, Zydrunas Ilgauskas scored 10 and reserve Anderson Varejao also added 10.


Detroit: Leads the series 2-0.


Game 3 Will be played in Cleveland May 13, 8:00 PM ET.

 

[profound dreamer]

LBJ is proving he is the big player, even in playoff series but Detroit is, I think, too hard rock for them...

 

[Babe_Ruth]

Well at least this time it was a little closer then the first game, and I truly believe that when the Cleveland Cavaliers will play Game 3 at home they'll take the motivation from the fans and win. But it's true James is carrying the team, he needs more help from the other players.

 

[Vegito728]

Alright here's my review of game 3.



James scored 15 points in the fourth quarter and posted the second triple-double of his first visit to the NBA playoffs, leading Cleveland to an 86-77 win over Detroit on Saturday that cut the Pistons' lead to 2-1 in their second-round series.

Getting his only rest at halftime, James finished with 21 points, 10 rebounds, 10 assists and four steals for the Cavaliers, who played with more confidence than in Games 1 and 2 and ensured they will play at least two more games this season.


Anderson Varejao, Cleveland's mop-haired forward, added a career-high 16 points and Flip Murray, starting in place of Larry Hughes, had 13 for the Cavaliers, who went 11-of-15 from the floor (73 percent) and 9-of-9 from the line in the fourth.

Cleveland can even up the best-of-seven series at home in Game 4 on Monday.

Rasheed Wallace warned the Cavaliers not to feel too giddy.

The Cavaliers won without Hughes, who was with his grieving family in St. Louis following the unexpected death of his 20-year-old brother, Justin.

Richard Hamilton scored 22 points, Chauncey Billups 20 and Ben Wallace had 13 rebounds for the Pistons, who shot only 39 percent from the floor after blistering the nets in opening a 2-0 lead.

Detroit also had 16 turnovers, twice as many as in Game 2.


Even if the Cavaliers don't rally to dethrone the two-time defending Eastern Conference champions, James and his teammates have made their first visit to the postseason since 1998 a memorable one.

The 21-year-old James can take a bow for that, saving his best when it mattered most and carrying the Cavs down the stretch.

Stealing one of Hall of Famer George Gervin's signature moves, James hit an 11-foot finger roll as the Cavaliers, who trailed by 10 points in the third, took their first lead of the fourth at 66-64.

Later, he drove for a layup to put Cleveland ahead 74-70 with 2:44 left. Coming out of a timeout, James grabbed Cavs guard Damon Jones near the scorer's table and told him, "Let's win a game. C'mon."

The Cavaliers followed him.

James made a steal on Detroit's next possession and hit two free throws to make it 76-70 with 2:20 left. The Pistons, though, closed within 78-74 on two foul shots by Rasheed Wallace with 1:32 remaining before James came up with the game's biggest play -- and another monumental shot of his blossoming career.

On the right wing with the shot clock running down, James stepped back and drilled a 3-pointer -- the Cavs were 1-of-12 on 3s at the time -- over a closing Tayshaun Prince to make it 81-74 with 1:10 to go.

The bucket rocked sold-out Quicken Loans Arena, which had been roaring with every head fake, rebound and pass James made in the final period.

James then completed his triple-double by getting his 10th assist on a feed to Jones, whose 3-pointer from the corner made it 84-74 with 40 seconds to go.

When the Pistons finally succumbed in the final seconds, Cavaliers fans rejoiced after witnessing another dazzling performance by James, who knew it was up to him to get his team back into the series.


Game 4 will be played in Cleveland, May 15, 2006.

 

[oxyMORON]

I was very impressed by James's explosion in the 4th quarter today. I think the Cavs really deserved this win.

I also remember something about Pistons having a trend of losing their game 3s....