Spurs Can Close Out Pistons for NBA Title

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Posted 4:27PM on Tuesday, June 21, 2005

SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- The San Antonio Spurs can win their third title since 1999 when they face the Detroit Pistons in Game 6 of the NBA Finals Tuesday night. But if history is any indication, the defending champion Pistons won't go quietly. They do, however, face long odds. They must win twice in a city where they've been beaten 10 straight times since 1997 - in a building where the Spurs are 45-5 this season. Though Detroit coach Larry Brown claimed to be exhausted after a sleepless night contemplating the Game 5 twists that culminated in Robert Horry's incredible game-winning 3-pointer, he seemed alert and anxious - even a bit excited. He believes Detroit still has a chance to defend its title in highly unlikely circumstances. "You have to look at it as a great opportunity," Brown said Monday before the team's flight. "This team has always fought back. It happened to us last year. We had some bumps along the way. I remember Game 5 against New Jersey, losing in triple overtime. I felt the same way I do now. We managed to bounce back and do it again." Detroit was down 3-2 to the Nets in last year's Eastern Conference semifinals before winning the final two games. The Pistons also came back from a 3-2 deficit against Miami earlier this month in the Eastern Conference finals. Two years ago, they even rallied from a 3-1 deficit in a series against Orlando. Theories abound on the Pistons' tenacity under pressure. Their unsung seven-man rotation thrives on long odds and a shortage of respect, counting on each other when everybody is counting them out. Their us-against-the-world mentality isn't unique in pro sports, but it's taken to an extreme in blue-collar Detroit. And if that's not enough motivation, the Pistons also could be entering the final days of Brown's tenure with the club. The coach's health problems resulting from hip surgery last season could force him to retire - or move to a different job in another organization. "I haven't even thought about that," Brown claimed. "My whole thought process is the opportunity that lies ahead. It's about them, it's not about me." After victories in Games 4 and 5, the Pistons could have returned to Texas with a 3-2 series lead. But Horry scored 21 points after the final second of the third quarter in a climactic Game 5 victory, which removed most of the pressure from San Antonio for Game 6. San Antonio clinched the 2003 title at home in Game 6 against the Nets, rallying in the fourth quarter. The Spurs can play comfortably for a clinching win in front of fans smelling a championship. After a week in Michigan, the Spurs were greeted at the airport by an estimated 5,000 fans upon their predawn arrival Monday. Horry obliged the screaming masses with an impromptu 3 a.m. speech. "If you can't beat 'em, join 'em. And I joined the Spurs," shouted Horry, whose career with the Los Angeles Lakers ended after he missed a shot against San Antonio in Game 5 of the 2003 playoffs. A shot that was very similar to his game-winner on Sunday. The Pistons kept to themselves before and after their flight Monday. Rasheed Wallace, whose foolish attempt to double-team Manu Ginobili left Horry wide open for the winner, is the Pistons' emotional leader, and he's expected to get Detroit ready for Game 6. So is Chauncey Billups, last season's finals MVP who scored 34 points in Game 5. "I expect we'll do what we always do," he said. "We're going to come out, (and) our backs are definitely against the wall. We're going into a hostile environment. ... If we can't have energy down 3-2, facing elimination, we shouldn't be there." This will be a defining night for the Pistons, whose title last season was criticized as a fluke of opportunity against the collapsing Lakers. If Detroit could force a seventh game, its reputation will be cemented as a superior team under pressure. "We've got a tough task, but we've been in tough situations before," Ben Wallace said. "We're going to fight till the end. We're a tough-minded team, and we have some tough guys in the locker room. We'll bounce back." © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.