Notes From Courtside: Pistons Take Charge - FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog

Notes from a trip to the NBA Playoffs.

The Pistons opened the playoffs with a whimper, dropping two of their first three games to the 76ers and needing to come back from a double-digit halftime deficit in Game 4 to tie the series. I had a hunch they'd pull it out in Game 5 in front of a raucous crowd at the Palace, but I wasn't sure if it'd be another come-from-behind high-wire act or a blowout.

It didn't take long to figure it out.

The 76ers never had a chance after the Pistons kicked off the first quarter shooting 78.9% (15-19) from the field and jumping out to a 35-21 lead. Chauncey Billups, who averaged 13 points on 28.6% shooting in the first four games, scored 14 of his 21 points in the first quarter alone. Rip Hamilton, who missed 12 of his first 13 shots in Game 4, nailed 4-5 from the field for eight of his 20. Both the Pistons and Sixers have squandered leads in this series, but the Pistons held onto this one the rest of the night, leading by as many as 26 at one point before winning 98-81.

After the game, Mo Cheeks described how difficult it was to stop a team in which everybody on the floor was a threat to score. "There was a play that happened in front of our bench where Thaddeus Young was getting ready to rotate," said Cheeks. "He had Rip in the corner, he had Rasheed popping up top, and he was trying to figure out which one to go to. That put it in perspective right there. Do I got to Rasheed, do I go to Rip? He chose to go to Rip; Rasheed hits a three. And that put it in perspective because they have different guys that can make a shot at any time. And they were passing the ball so well, they were on the same page tonight. They were very good tonight."

He's not kidding: the Pistons finished the game shooting 58.1% from the floor with 27 assists.

I was seated with the press several rows behind the basket nearest the 76ers bench -- fortunately for me, the same basket the 76ers were attacking in the first half. From that vantage point, I had a perfect view of Rasheed Wallace putting on a defensive clinic that opening quarter, where he collected four of his six blocked shots. He wasn't letting anything near the rim. I'll give you that Wallace isn't the most consistent player night in and night out, but the fact that he came in 12th in Defensive Player of the Year voting is a joke.

Remember how in Game 1 he caught flack for joking around with the 76ers moments before he took the final shot? Anyone who watches him the entire game knows that he does that sort of thing all four quarters. I saw him approach Cheeks coming out of a timeout early in the first and make some kind of joke that left both men laughing, and then no less than 30 seconds later reject the 76ers first shot on the ensuing possession. Some guys just have the ability to snap into focus as quick as it takes to inbound a ball.

Overheard



Flip Saunders before the game, on what he thought about Chris Webber's comments from Game 4: "All I know is one thing. I talked at halftime, no one else really talked and I like the way our players responded. I think it's enough said."

Rasheed on whether the Pistons were determined to take care of business: "There was definitely business to handle, but we still have fun out there. We still do our little side jokes or whatever. We've been in situations like this before -- not a lot of pressure, our bootie-holes aren't tight."

Rasheed, on Samuel Dalembert's mohawk: "I actually told Mo that should have been a team fine, having him come in here like that."

Dalembert, on Rasheed's reaction to the mohawk: "Yeah, he was talking to me. He said, 'what the hell?' "

Cheeks during the post-game press conference: "The series is not over until someone gets four wins. That's the essence of it right now. The series is not over until someone gets four wins. And we got to play a little better, we got to play a little bit better on the defensive end, can't turn the ball over as much. And we got to defend a little bit better one on one."

Rasheed, on rookie Arron Afflalo's performance: "I'm proud of Arron. Arron's going to be a hell of a defensive player in this league once he starts getting them minutes every night. I just told him to go out there and listen for my voice, I try to yell to him from the bench, if the pick is coming from the left or the right. Just go out there and play your game. He takes pride in that defensive end of the floor. He always wants to go out there and guard the best guy, which is not too common for a rookie."

Iguodala, on whether he can take anything from his breakout game (21 points) after struggling most of the series: "Not really, because we lost the game, so it doesn't really matter what the numbers show. Just trying to win, that's the main point. I've been playing the same way the whole series; I just made some shots tonight."

Cheeks, as he stood up from the post-game press conference showing confidence his team will win Game 6 in Philly: "See you back here next week."