EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS: GAME 5

Philadelphia hadn’t seen the Detroit Pistons that won 59 games this year. They hadn’t seen the team that has been to conference final after conference final and won a championship just a few years back. The young Sixers hadn’t seen that experienced urgency and almost perfect execution…until the 2nd half of game 4. The Pistons absolutely destroyed the Sixers in every aspect of the game in the 2nd half of game 4. The Sixers who were up 46-36 in that game at the half, saw a team that was determined on one thing: making this a 3 game series. Detroit accomplished that in game 4 and now tonight was the most pivotal game of the series for both teams. It’s all square, all back to the beginning; a best of 3 series begins. The Sixers would have to go into Detroit and steal tonight’s game to go back up in the series.

The game started out with a fast pace which would in the long run favor the run and gun Sixers squad. But once the score was even up at 10-10 almost halfway through the opening quarter, the Pistons established their scoring from just about every spot on the floor. Detroit went on an 18-2 run, getting baskets from Billups, Prince, Wallace, and Hamilton. The crowd was into it, you could tell the Pistons were ‘in the zone’, but perhaps the most discouraging aspect was the field goal percentage Detroit shot in the opening quarter: 81%.

Coach Cheeks signaled for a 20 second timeout to try and ease the damage and stop the bleeding. No team is going to shoot 80% from the field, especially in the playoffs. But the Pistons were hitting long balls, mid-range jumpers, and driving baskets too. It seemed impossible to stop, but the 2nd quarter opened with Detroit missing their first number of shots. The Pistons also played Afflalo, Stuckey, and other bench players for a great deal of the quarter. Their shooting was cooling off and the Sixers starters were going head to head with bench players: this would have to bode well for Philadelphia right? Not so fast.

The Sixers were unable to take any advantage in the 2nd quarter to chip away at the Pistons lead. The closest they got was 43-33, a 10 point game, but the Pistons went into the half with a 12 point lead at 54-42. The good news? Andre Iguodala, otherwise known as Mr. Invisible this series, is finally hitting his shot and has 15 points already. Bad news? The other Andre, the one who has led this team in scoring so far in the playoffs. Miller is shooting just 3 for 12 through one half.

The Sixers don’t have to get it all back at once, and they won’t try to in the 2nd half. They came back from a double digit lead to win game 1 in Detroit, and they’ll try to use those same tactics in tonights second half. Tighten up the defense, get Rasheed riled up and out of his game as much as possible, and crash the boards like you want it. Right now the Pistons are all business and the Sixers have to up the tempo. Get the fastbreak points going, get Miller going, and hope the Pistons continue to cool down.

The best part of watching the 3rd quarter was when Comcast SportsNet’s feed of the game went completely black. Watching nothing was better than watching the massacre occurring at the Palace. As mentioned the Pistons were holding a 12 point lead at the half and were shooting close to 60% from the field. Most of the way through the 3rd frame, a Wallace 3-pointer made it 70-51 Detroit. Billups has continued his best offensive game of the series by far, as he hit yet another long range shot in the 3rd. The Pistons were flexing their muscles in this 2nd half, and the Sixers to this point had no answer. They were shooting just above 41% and were wasting Andre Iguodala’s best game with nobody else contributing. But it wasn’t the offense alone in the 3rd that was the problem.

A team can be hot and shoot 60%. But when a team shoots that well for 3 quarters of basketball, there’s something wrong with the opposing defense. The Pistons were having their way with Philadelphia in the 3rd as they had in the 1st half. Poor rotation, hustling for rebounds, and contesting shots…3 things the Sixers are aggressive and effective at, were nowhere to be seen. Another important thing to look at is the fast break transition game. The Sixers were one of the best, if not the best, team in the NBA on the break and pushing the tempo the last few months. But tonight that was turned upside down. There were no easy looks, no sloppy turnovers from Detroit, no breathing room for the Sixers. They were caught sleeping on the defensive end too a number of times, allowing Detroit, a halfcourt perfectionist team, to run in the open floor and score easy baskets.

This basketball game is over after just 3 quarters. The only thing left uncertain is what the final score will be. After 3 quarters it’s 79-59 Detroit, shooting 59% and 6 of 11 from downtown. They’re out rebounding Philadelphia on both ends and want it more. We’ve talked about the Sixers looking like they want some of these games more during the series, but that wasn’t the case tonight.

One thing about the Sixers that has been consistent all season is that they won’t quit. They’ll keep battling until the final buzzer, and the final score might look a little less worse than it really is because of that. But the style of play was completely dictated by Detroit tonight. Sami Dalembert? Non-factor. Reggie Evans? Didn’t provide that instant energy. It’s possible the young group from Philadelphia got rattled when they started to get pounded all over the floor by this experienced team.

No matter what there will be a game 6, Thursday in Philadelphia. Down 3 games to 2, the Sixers season rests on 48 minutes of basketball a few nights from now. They know tonight was a 1-sided affair, and should come out with plenty of desperation. But you have to wonder if the confidence is gone. Confidence that you can win is essential to any team, but especially to a young team. If Detroit starts hot in game 6, the locals will get impatient, and the home team may start to feel the same way. Tonight is a night to forget for the Sixers, and they better do it fast.

Final: Pistons 98, Sixers 81

Game 6 - Thursday @ Philadelphia, TBA

(photos from nba.com, allposters.com)