While much of the spotlight is placed on thunderous slam dunks, mesmerizing handles, and jaw-dropping acrobatic layups, there’s no denying the impact defense has when it comes to winning NBA titles.
Without LeBron James’ unbelievable block of Andre Iguodala’s breakaway layup in 2016, the Cleveland Cavaliers wouldn’t have been able to complete their comeback from a 3-1 series deficit in the NBA Finals and stun the Golden State Warriors for the championship.
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The same can be said for the 2004 Detroit Pistons, as Tayshaun Prince’s chasedown swat of Reggie Miller’s open layup late in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals typified that team’s “Goin’ to Work” mentality en route to its upset of the heavily favored Los Angeles Lakers.
A fraction of an inch from hitting the backboard
On May 24, 2004, the Pistons and the Indiana Pacers fiercely battled in Game 2 with the latter looking to take a 2-0 series lead. Detroit, though, had other plans as they took a 69-63 lead with 1:38 to go. However, Miller, the Pacers’ icon, swished four straight free throws to pull Indiana to within two.
Indy even had a shot to tie the game up after Jamaal Tinsley stripped the ball away from Detroit All-Star Chauncey Billups and threw the perfect outlet pass to a streaking Miller, who had a clear path to the basket. Unfortunately for the Pacers, Prince didn’t think it was “Miller Time” as he pursued “Uncle Reg” and swatted his layup away at the very last second.
Tayshaun’s teammate, Rasheed Wallace, has a picture of that memorable block at home and shared on “All The Smoke” that had his teammate been a fraction of a second late, it would have been called a goaltending violation.
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“I swear to goodness, y’all, that ball is like a fraction of an inch away from the backboard,” Wallace shared. “And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh.'”
Tay was an unassuming 6’9″ forward from Compton who Detroit picked 23rd in the 2002 NBA Draft. After a rough rookie season, Prince eventually earned a spot on the Pistons’ starting five and became one of the league’s elite perimeter defenders. He was named to the league’s All-Defensive Team four times in his 14-year NBA career.
A bona fide playoff moment
When players are in the heat of battle, they don’t have time to contemplate about a previous play, especially with the next one coming up. However, a few years after that play occurred, Sheed realized that it was a bona fide playoff moment — one that can rival Michael Jordan’s 63-point explosion against the Boston Celtics or Kyrie Irving’s game-winning triple in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals.
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“I was like, “At the time, I was like, all right, good block or whatever.’ You know, we got it,” Wallace said as the Pistons went on to win Game 2, 72-67. “But reminiscing about it, you know, maybe a year or two after that, I was like, ‘Damn. That was a great playoff moment.'”
“We all know playoff moment: Jordan scoring 63 in Boston, playoff moment. You know, Reggie hitting, what was it? The scoring nine points or eight points in like three seconds or some s**t like that in New York. You know, great play, that was a great playoff moment,” he added.
The NBA has many “what-if” moments, and Wallace believes that if Miller had gone up to dunk it, it could have altered the course of the 2004 playoffs’ history.
“If he would’ve went up there to dunk it, that would’ve been game. And that could’ve changed the series. But Tayshaun gave that extra effort. And man, just to watch that, he ran down from, from damn near the corner. It’s like, no, you’re not getting this. And I think that, that sparked us and saved it,” the sweet-shooting big man stated.
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“Tayshaun was kind of transparent. He’s the same color as the court. So he might have never seen him,” Matt Barnes joked.
The Pistons triumphed in that series and overcame tremendous odds in the 2004 NBA Finals, beating a stacked Lakers team that included Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, and fellow Hall of Famers Karl Malone and Gary Payton.