by SJ: June 15, 2004
SHOCKWAVES continued
The Pistons ran past LA and won in a rout
The Lakers were flat, mostly desperate, uncomfortable in the offense that supposedly fit them so snug. Why then was it Detroit who was dancing and not Karl Malone and Gary Payton, who looked miserable in purple and gold. Payton and Malone just didn�t look good in Laker unis. Payton was too good to be shadowed so darkly that all you saw was glimpses of negativity. Malone was so great for the Jazz, Stockton to Malone was virtually made a trademark. Malone though overburdened himself. He looked uncomfortable, at times lost, it was not the storybook tale that you wanted. So what�s next for him. He needs new surroundings and most importantly a new jersey. Malone always the focal point in Utah was just another toy in LA, for a team that finally had too many pieces for its mile long puzzle. The water which became murkier and murkier as this series went on was finally enough to see the Lakers crash and burn, and down they went, without merely any hope, little gas left in their tanks, disgruntled, puzzled, lost. Derek Fisher said after that the Lakers didn�t want it bad enough. That might of been the case. Detroit might have also been the better team on a Detroit night, where the Pistons puzzled a sure-fire Laker team who looked good early, but spilled its guts, and its poker face was gone halfway through the second. And the lead grew and grew and grew, and the crowd, standing, clapping, dancing, they didn�t know what to do, just kept chanting Beat LA, Beat LA. The game wore on and the Lakers looked slower, tired, ready to go home. Their expression matched the result. They were beat and they got beat, badly. Billups who has never even been an all-star, notched the NBA Finals MVP and who would of thunk it for a journeyman player who had the talents, yet it never fully came out. But finally with everyone watching everything came together. Billups was flat out terrific and his 21 points a game was even the half of it. Ben Wallace, such an inspiring player, un drafted, was special. His heart, determination was a thing to watch. He was one step quicker then any LA Laker and he scored too. Yeah, who would of said he�d help finish off LA partly because of his little-recognized O. Yeah me neither. And Rich Hamilton, clutch, brilliant, spectacular. He was the go to guy for the engine that kept going and going and going. And as the final seconds wore down, with the Palace more like a Kingdom, the Pistons smiled, they had a look that was unbeatable. Their faces beamed, and seemed to help light up the Detroit skyline. Their owner corralling his second title in 8 days. Not bad Mr. Davidson. And I think it was best summed up when Billups was handed the MVP trophy and out came the word �Wow!� Yeah it was a storybook season for a well-oiled machine. Just don�t tell that to the Lakers who face an extreme make over for next fall. And so the book closes on an NBA season. Priceless it was, the ratings were great, the fans were psyched, and in the end their was madness as well as the unthinkable miracle..................in Motown.
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SJ can be reached at [email protected] |
