Miami – The Detroit Pistons can tell numerous nail-biting stories about how they have overcome this challenge and that challenge in recent years.
But the latest challenge?
If the two-time defending Eastern Conference champions can figure out a way to overcome this one, it would be the best tale of them all.
The Miami Heat took a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference finals Monday night with an 89-78 victory over the Pistons in Game 4 of the best-of-seven series, which continues Wednesday on Detroit’s court.
To get back to the NBA Finals for the third consecutive year, the suddenly struggling Pistons have to win three consecutive games. The Heat is one win from going to the franchise’s first NBA Finals.
“Every game now becomes like an NCAA Tournament game,” Detroit coach Flip Saunders said. “We just have to understand that we’re going home and our crowd is going to have to give us that adrenaline push. As I said, strange things happen. One play can change a game, one game can change a series. Basically, what we’ve got to do is come up with that play at home and try to change the series.”
The Pistons do have their past to draw from as motivation.
After being down 3-1 to Orlando in a first-round series in 2003, the Pistons came back to win the final three games. In 2004, the Pistons were down 3-2 to New Jersey in the second round before coming back to win the series. Detroit won a Game 7 on the road at Miami in the Eastern Conference finals last year. And in the Eastern Conference semifinals this year, the Pistons won two do-or-die games to knock off Cleveland.
“We have to look at it as a one- game series the rest of the way,” said Detroit guard Chauncey Bill- ups, a Denver native who had 14 points and seven assists Monday. “We’ve got to play one game and then think about the next one. If we don’t focus on that one game, the season will be over.”
Making the challenge tougher is the Heat being a much different team than a year ago.
Miami is led by all-stars Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal. The Heat has two Hall of Fame candidates hungry for their first championship ring in veterans Alonzo Mourning and Gary Payton. The Heat has won seven of its past eight games in the playoffs. And the Pistons seem to be falling apart mentally; Sunday, several players took shots at Saunders for his philosophy that favors offense, as well as substitution patterns and not having enough playoff experience.
“We’re going to do everything in our power not to have that feeling of noncompetitiveness that we had last year,” said Wade, who scored a game-high 31 points Monday. “We’re on the right page. But we’ve still got a lot of basketball left.”
The Heat shot 53.8 percent Monday in the first half (14-of-26) and made 14 free throws. Its biggest lead was 14 points. The Pistons shot 38.9 percent in the first half (14-of- 36), made seven free throws and had no scorer with more than 11 points. Although it seemed to dominate the first half statistically, the Heat was up only 44-38 at halftime.
Miami was outscored 22-18 in the third quarter, but still owned a 62-60 lead. The Heat opened the fourth quarter with a 17-6 run to take a 79-66 lead with 5:01 remaining after an hook shot by O’Neal, who finished with 21 points.
Detroit’s frustration showed with 52 seconds left when Richard Hamilton flagrantly fouled Wade. Soon after, the final buzzer sounded and the Pistons were left with an extremely tough challenge.
“We have great respect for the Pistons, but I think our hearts are into moving on and we’re going to go up to Detroit and try to close them out and move on to the Finals,” Miami coach Pat Riley said.
Staff writer Marc J. Spears can
be reached at 303-820-5449 or mspears@denverpost.com.
