Throwback NBA Playoffs ECSF 2006.5.21 Cleveland Cavaliers at Detroit Pistons G7 FHD
Mike Brown said that Larry Hughes would not start today, but he said that he will play. How much he will play in in what situations. Brown said, “That’s just going to have to be a gut call on my part.” I spoke to Larry just before the game, and it’s a really tough thing, Mike. His younger brother Justin was his best friend. He says, “I’m really confused right now. You can see how hurt he is. You can see it and hear it in his voice just how lost he is right now.” 84 points or lower. You’re playing right into their hands. Richard Hamilton, the leading score for the Pistons. Wallace kicks it out. Shot clock at one. Prince has to put it up and he drops in a three during the playoffs. And he’s played the entire game, the last two. Ben Wallace with the deflection. Here come the Pistons with the numbers and a quick five nothing lead. Now Nate, of course, the butterflies to both teams. Some of the players who’ve been in many games seven as they feel it. Murray trying to defend Prince. Big height advantage. Good help defense, but Prince a pretty play. Now that times was late on the double team. Now, in the last four games, the double teaming of Belgus with the first group and Veron with the second has really disrupted low post up play of the Pistons. James of course has been remarkable. Pass inside and part of his just spectacular ability. 20 and about 12 rebounds. That’s all because of action by LeBron James with the action there. Misses again. Another rebound. Puts it in. offensive boards. That was critical. The big thing right now is we know that they’re going to go up front at the uh all three positions with James and Elskas in goodus coming off his best game of the series at 16 points. Everyone else opens up because you always have a four on three. Cleveland got better as the series moved on in their spacing of their front court people to make the catch and get easy baskets. Shot clock winding down. Phillips with a hand in his face. knocks down the three. He needs that. Murray, although he has not shot well, has played solid defense. Murray goes right at Rasheed Wallace. Goodton with the rebound. Good block by Wallace. And Phillips with the save. The four-time defensive player of the year already with his presence. Hamilton [Music] a 10-point lead. Arm of Cleveland’s 15 points. And Detroit just slowly kept coming back. And that’s what they must do here this evening. Flip Saunders saying yesterday, “It bo oil bo oil bo oil bo oil bo oil bo oil bo oil bo oil bo oil bo oil bo oils down to our strength defense every game in the NBA the refs decide on the game ball as a courtesy they ask either a captain or a veteran to pick a good ball it’s never a big deal today game seven it was a big deal I you guys pick the ball out I want I don’t dribble it I don’t shoot it two for 10 with uh Ilgowskis the only player to score and you see they’re swarming on LeBron James. Well, he’s always has two or three guys always going to pick him up. Oh, and there he goes to the basket. That’s what he’s been able to do with composure. Just whittle your way back. Just remember game six, you jumped out with a quick 15. Detroit came back. Although, that was a quick read. You got as soon as you make that first catch, everybody is moving. This match with now on kicks it out. Ben Wallace flips it up and backs it in. That would score for them. Remember a year ago you used to average 22 a game in Washington. This year 16 here. So you know he’s improve and score. James looking to find somewhere to drive has to pull back and what a tough angle. Hamilton with Elgowskis in his face and James the rebound. That’s open. Anytime that Rip Hamilton comes off of the screen and Elgowskis is involved, he lays off. So you’re open. There’s the clean. Oh boy. And LeBron James has seen the double and triple teams. That’s now right here. Now once he turns this corner, see he’s going all the way and he’s going to finish. LeBron James off the dribble. You’re hoping that you can make a contribution not only smart but defensively for them. Here’s Rasheed Wallace. Had a huge game. Six. Snaps down the shot. You know they’re going to level off. You must hold him to one and then get out on the break. Wallace not that time and the ball knocked away by Prince or right to the hands of Larry Hughes. Hughes loss him in James. Nice catch. Yeah. And try to wear him down. That’s a That’s not a fun assignment as he picks up his second foul. And we go to Lisa Sus. Well, Mike, I talked to Lindsay yesterday about that assignment. He said that he believes from free throw line to Well, he’s trying to keep a positive attitude about it because Wallace can’t get the roll. But nice keeps it alive and points right there. That’s what I mean. But double teaming. Cleveland goes strong on the double team. When that happens, please crash the board. Your man leaves you to go on the double. Get to the front of the rim. Now look to James. Second time they’ve done that. Now he’s setting him up beautifully. Now LeBron is just going to accept it right here. He’s going to go knifing down and through. He caught them wide because of motion on both sides of the lane. Now right here you’re going to see the lob. Now, right there. Now, you can say, “Hey, that was a flop. Come on, Hunter. You’re up in there.” But he did get with the elbow in his chest. We’re just talking about Hunter strength. That’s how easily move. Oh, nice adjustment from Antonio McG can’t connect. Bring it up. Just over three minutes down by here in the second. With the move knocked out of his hands, but the broken play and a foul. See, he’s coming out here today. He’s looking for a shot. Mike James against Prince. Tony DS in the game looking to double. Lost it. Marshall puts it up and Marshall can’t get it to fall. James right there on the follow. See the three the three dark shirts. Marshall. James have put it in. Marshall have one. Now here it is. This was a a deflected ball. And then once again, James, they don’t give up on the ball. That That’s what you like. You like Phillips back in. had his best game in game six especially in the four triple it off his foot. Nice finish. Larry Hugh said he beat the point game. The Cavs weathering the early storm when they were down by 13 Wallace. Oh, the nice follow. That’s what we’re talking about. The double team coming at him. Turn away from the double team so you can at least get a good percentage shot. James for three. Oh, Larry. They’re going to count that. That may have been above the cylinder. Yeah, from here. From here on a first look without a replay. Thought the ball was definitely above the rim. You can’t touch it if it’s above the cylinder. And Larry Hughes tipping it in. Gets credited and it’s about to a two-point game. See, Larry Hughes is tough off the ball. Always one of the top 10 guys in the league for steals. Phillips misses. Still Marshall who’s done a good job on the boards. The rebound. James running the floor. There it is. And the Cavs have come all the way back to tie the game. Center and power forwards. Now, just keep an eye on this offensive rebounding work. Now, right there, that ball was up above the rim. All right, that should have been basket interference. Now, this is how about James with the push off. Okay, it’s just another game. Not to him. I could tell he was a little bit of butterflies, but you know, it’s what a what a wonderful stage for all already in these playoffs. Eight overtime games. Eight games decided by a point. 14 games decided by two points or less as James puts in another one. A throw like that. El Gowski’s trying to set himself up. Damon Jones blocked by Hamilton. Now shooting 41% from the field. Phillips knocks it down James. use blocked by Rashe Wallace. Still got it off. Phillips gets a running start. Hamilton will have a run. There it is. There’s the defense leading the offense. James had a big first half. Wallace on him again. The pull up. That’s the shot. He hasn’t been knocking down as much in this series. James has 20 of their 35 points. And good faith honor help. He was fouled as Prince off nicely by Gooden. Shot clock down to seven. Prince on the pull up. Just as a sign of unity for the Cavaliers, a lot of them having the playoffs. Says he has to comb it every point and he’s going to stop soon as the season’s over. Hamilton misses. O Gas the rebound. I’d like to see them go back to more of that baseline action where they get the screen, a single screen or a double screen for Rip Hamilton. Mainly because the defender’s cheating and he’s open. James fouled. Shot won’t go. Then Wallace when he goes strong to the basket here right now, he can release it at so many different areas. And then he has such great body control because of the upper but the development of their front line and the fiveman rotation that they use because nobody comes in for LeBron but they rotate four guys in center and power forward. They all understand their roles. Murray knocks down the shot. Murray knocked off the San Antonio Spurs to six tough teams. Shot clock down to five. Phillips nice fake toy Phillips with eight points. Shot clock winding down. Snow wants to take Phillips one-on-one. Snow inside. Flips it up and gets their own. Eric Snow who’s playing in some finals. Wallace. Single coverage with good. They got to get him going. Another rebound is six. You can feel the crowd very anxious right now, especially where the Cavs have hung in there and taking the big punches early. [Music] Gooden on the move inside. Block with a foul. Third Pistons lead is just one against Murray. Quick pull up was thinking of taking it in but he didn’t. Hamilton nice through the foul. Can’t get it to go down. And then once he get now watch it watch all this deep Murray’s right with him now. Now once he goes in here look to the left. Ah Prince running without the ball. 70 74 shot attempts. They reduce it. So now things you know statistics now you’ve got to make your foul shots and layups. Prince blocks it again. He shakes his head at snow. That’s reflects the rebound. Shot clock at five. Hughes dribbles it off his foot. Good defense. Have scored eight. Detroit has scored nine. Cavs are two for nine from the field. Detroit 3 for 12 in this quarter. Lindsay Hunter. Oh, shot from Hunter. Neededly although the bench hasn’t played big minutes in this series. Larry to the basket. Good shot now. Bad shot. Bad angle. Hamilton surveys the scene. Oh, he has a mismatch. She wants to go off the dribble here. Wanted to put it up. The game’s extended. Shot clock winding down. Hunter gets past him. Oh, nice move from Lindsay Hunter. That’s an old veteran guy. 13 years in the league. Six on the shot clock. Pay attention here. James first one up way off and Rashid Wallace the rebound now big team in this quarter there been a lot of misses but the Pistons doing a great job on their defensive board a nice feed Wallace the perfect setup and they have to understand that that there’s plenty of times always look so poised in these pressure situations gets inside tough shot and it gets the ball go Great shot. He had plenty of time here. Watch the trap. G force to give it up. James the drive puts it over the buzzer and short. He felt he was fouled. Mike Brown screaming. He made a team was a 12th man and he’s made himself into a perennial allstar. One of the great defensive players in the history of the game. And it’s all about effort. Here’s an intangible. Now you see this is where they squeeze him on this foul shot. Now, as the miss comes off, watch the upper body strength where he gets up and he gets a deflection and the ball comes right back to the shooter, Rasheed Wallace. Now, I just want to give you an amazing stat here right now. LeBron James is 10 for 18. The rest of the team is 7 for 34. That is 21%. If they’re going to get it done here, come on. Everybody’s got to step up and help, especially if the Pistons continue to get the ball out of his hands. They only had 10 points in the third quarter. Damon Jones Hughes for three. Larry Hughes, big shot right there to start openings. They’ve done such a great job defensively on him in the second half. He’s 0 for four from the field. Just one point in the second half. It’s his drive. Offensive foul. This time Ben Wallace does the dirty work. Good defense. This is what they’re known for. This is what the Pistons, you say, in the fourth quarter, especially in this building, they will sacrifice their bodies. They’ll make the proper rotations. Now, you’ve just seen it too. Looking for Prince this time against Larry Hughes. Use a very good defender, but good advantage for Prince. Kicks it out. Lindsay Hunter. It’s a three. Hunter from downtown. And it’s back to 10. [Music] [Applause] James trying to clear it a bit with the screen. LeBron James way off. You need him to get back to driving to the basket and it’s you have a tendency to look for the three. You’re looking at the clock. You’re right at 9 minutes inside the nine minutes, but you just got to come back two at a time. Don’t don’t try to do something. You’re now 0 for seven in threes. It isn’t like the team is on fire. Prince, tough shot. Oh, the check. Great second effort for Prince and the Cavs need a timeout. Bruce to get him shot attempts when he had such a spectacular first half. Now he’s not just scoring. He’s not getting the attempts. Blocked by the foul misses right back to Prince. The offense running through. Pretty move. Can’t finish but rips down the rebound. That’s smart. They all set up and run clock time on the Piston side right now as we’re past the midway point of the fourth and they’ve got a comfortable 13-point lead. Hamilton largest lead of the game for Detroit. Second half being dominated by the Pistons with all the white shirts around them. Flips it up again. Won’t go. He’s trying to do it again. So often they’ve been down in series down 3-2 in each of the last three postseasons yet. They’ve come back and won the series. Phillips had to shoot it with the shot clock winding down. Here comes James. Drives at Wallace is fouled and Paul continuation. Yes, absolutely. Count it and one. I just keep an eye on this. There’s the foul and he goes right up in the air and he takes it. Now that was Paul. It’s all about LeBron James and the difference first half, second half, Yubie. Well, we know he dazzled everyone in that first half with 21 points and then shot a great percentage, 10 for 15. Now, the second half, it’s just been a tough night, not only for LeBron James, but the entire team. The team is 4 for 21 in this half, just out in the open floor. Wallace calling for its gets inside, flips it up, and gets the roll. They needed that. and Rasheed that he’s now four for 15 in this game. David going to and he’s had plenty of opportunities. James takes it to the basket and he draws the foul. This is upset with that ball as well. Just can’t do it. All right. Right here now. This is You can see now right there Taan Prince was backing up. Was there contact an excellent job adjusting slowing down LeBron James. Well, the tempo is definitely in favor of Cleveland and also the score is in favor of Cleveland. The problem is that Cleveland cannot make a shot today. There’s a double foul after the free throw. Take a look. Yeah, it’s uh Jean, you see Brjan tried to get up over the top and break out here. Double foul. Each player gets a personal, but it’s not considered a team foul. So, the team that had possession keeps it. Wallace and he’s hammered as he goes to the basket. Clo this year about their improved offense and it certainly was, but it’s their defense that has powered them here in the second half of this game. Hughes, nice pass to Will Gowus in a rare easy bucket for the run. They are now 1 for 11. And you know when you stretch Marshall and Damon Jones out and the rest of the team, you’re looking for your two main guys, Marshall and Damon Jones to shoot a percentage for you. Phillips knocks it down and the Pistons pulling away their largest lead of the game as Oklahoma. 2 minutes remaining and the crowd starting to celebrate as Yuse is fouled on his drive to the best Pistons after losing game five. They were down 3-2, but here they are ready to advance to another Eastern Conference final. Ben Wallace and tracks down another board. Game seven once again getting a standing ovation from the sellout crowd of the Palace. The Detroit Pistons advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. Game one will be Tuesday against the Miami Heat right back here of the Palace as the two coaches showing their respect. [Applause] A tough second half for LeBron James, but a brilliant postseason for the 21-year-old.
