be fired after one disappointing playoff series, was their some kind of deep discord in the lockerroom, was this the end of a mini dynasty. But I couldn't do it, I couldn't write because it was too depressing to think that after tomorrow night the season would be over and next year Ben would come into Detroit with a Bulls jersey on. (Honorable mention for not being able to write that post: Battling German Measles, that's right I may be carrying a disease that was eradicated around the same time as Typhoid and diphtheria.) Now minutes after an exhilarating Game 5 victory for Detroit, a game where they finally looked like the PISTONS, I can't wait to watch every second of Game 6.........Except I'm going to be at the Tigers/Red Sox game Friday night. Shit. No, it'll be fun to be at Comerica to watch a rivalry between two of the original AL teams with my friend Kevin and his girlfriend. Wait, no.......no it won't, I'd rather be watching Game 6. Some quick observations.1: My initial fears for tonight were put to rest when Rip was on TV before tipoff telling Jim Gray that the Pistons were like brothers and they wished it had stayed in house blah blah blah. Before seeing this I was expecting Rasheed to hang out at the 3 point line, pick up 4 quick half ass reach in fouls, be petulant and pissy, and get riled up and tossed from the game by the third quarter.......or in other words play like he had been for the first four games of the series. But after listening to Rip talk to Gray I knew they were going to play hard tonight and if someone did act out the other four wouldn't let it continue and/or destroy the team, and even though Rasheed didnt have a great game statistically he still played hard and was into it all the way through the end.
2: Biggest play of the night, hands down, far and away, was Tayshaun's 3 pointer with 2 seconds on the shot clock after Shaq blocked Hamilton's drive to the basket, giving the Pistons an 82-76 lead and effectively ending the Heat's threat to come back or tie it.
3: Remember when Ben Wallace was a four time Defensive Player of the Year and blocked two shots a game and altered countless others, well tonight was a throwback to those old......hang on a minute I need to check something.........hmmmm.......no, no, that can't be rig
ht........He won it this year?!?! Now I remember, well thanks Ben for finally showing up and being a presence in the middle for the first time since killing Bogut/Magloire back in Round One. IF the Pistons come back and win this, Ben stuffing Shaq will go down as the series changing moment.4: Is there a less sympathetic kidney transplant/debilitating disease survivor than Alonzo Mourning. It is amazing how much he has had to overcome to get back to playing professional basketball and I know he's an inspiration to many who suffer from similar illnesses, but is all that
preening, machismo, and cheap shots necessary? Really? Is it o.k. to hate him or does that make me a bad person. I need someone to tell me these things.5: Speaking of people coming back from career threatening injury/illness is anybody more motivated or focused to win a championship than Antonio McDyess. The man can be unstoppable especially when he's wide open from 12-15 feet on the baseline. He has to make at least 85% of those shots. (If he goes 1-10 on Friday night and you want to beat me up for jinxing him, don't worry because I'll already be doing it.)
6: In the game notes after the AP wrapup it says that the list of celebrities in attendance tonight were Kid Rock (really does he even count anymore, he was popular in 7 years ago, Fred Durst
was working at the Lemon Chill stand and didnt get a mention), Niklas Lidstrom, Bob Seger, and Tom Izzo. Seriously if you were at this game and had appeared in anything, even a local commercial and didnt get mentioned, then your career is over.......I'm looking at you Sandra Bernhard.
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