Auburn Hills, Mich. – In more ways than one, Detroit Pistons center Ben Wallace was hungry for a better showing in the NBA Finals.
After struggling in the first two games against San Antonio, both Pistons losses, Wallace said his wife, Chanda, told him to “go out there and play some basketball, or else you can’t eat.”
Wallace responded with 15 points, 11 rebounds, five blocked shots and three steals Tuesday night, propelling Detroit to a runaway 96-79 victory. Game 4 is here tonight.
“She does it all the time,” Wallace joked Wednesday about his wife’s motivational tactics.
The Spurs had the NBA’s defensive player of the year and Pistons’ emotional leader under control in the first two games, holding Wallace to an average of seven points, 7.5 rebounds and two blocked shots. His slow start seemed to crimp the Pistons’ style.
But in Game 3, an Afro-wearing “Big Ben” dumped the cornrows he wore in San Antonio, stole the ball off the opening tip, dunked, was fouled, made the free throw and immediately had the crowd into the game.
“When he came here (Tuesday), he had energy from the (first) jump ball,” teammate Tayshaun Prince said. “He pretty much set the tone. Usually when he does it, everyone follows his lead.”
Said Spurs forward Bruce Bowen: “You watch the first part of the game – Ben gets a steal, the dunk. That’s not how you want to start off a game away from home. That just energizes their team.
“That makes them more heightened and more hyper.”
Chanda Wallace wasn’t the only person who asked her husband to step up. Pistons coach Larry Brown had a request before tipoff.
“He just told me to go out there and be a leader,” Ben Wallace said. “He thought I gave up some of that power by falling into what everybody else was doing or how the game was being played, how the game was being called. Not going out there and putting my footprints on the game.”
Wallace, while contributing more than his usual helping on offense, also had his best defensive game of the series, helping hold Spurs star Tim Duncan to 5-of-15 shooting and 14 points.
He’ll likely need a similar effort for Detroit to win tonight.
“How Ben goes, we go,” Prince said.
Marc J. Spears can be reached at 303-820-5449 or mspears@denverpost.com.
