Detroit Pistons - Tayshaun Prince blocks the Magic way
NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball.
Tayshaun Prince blocks Hedo Turkoglu with the game on the line
Image details: Orlando Magic v Detroit Pistons, Game 5 served by picapp.com
Hard to believe it came down to Hedo Turkoglu at the top of the key and Tayshaun Prince guarding him with the game on the line.
In game 4 you will remember that Hedo Turkoglu went to his left after a jab step to the right and found his way blocked by Jason Maxiell in what looked like a charge. It was later noticed on tape that Maxiell had a foot on the circle and that would make it a foul on Maxiell. Turkoglu missed the shot and the Pistons won by 1 point.
This time with the playoff series on the line, Hedo went to his right on Tayshaun and there was no one waiting. The Pistons were up by 3 and Tayshaun was going for the block. It looked like Hedo was going to score the basket and get the foul. That would give him a chance to tie the game.
So Prince rose inch for inch with Turkoglu, as if taped to his body, and he pinned the would-be jam against the backboard and off the rim. It caromed away, the game was safe, and moments later, the Pistons were headed to a familiar place, the Eastern Conference finals, for the sixth straight year.
Defense.
Defense by the Pistons won the game.
At halftime the Orlando Magic were shooting 54%. You do not lose many games if you shoot 54%. By the end of the game the Orlando Magic were still shooting 48%. This did not include the multiple fouls on Dwight Howard taking away a lot of his misses and moving them to the foul line where he shot 6 for 15. That is right, 6 for 15 at the line.
Detroit only shot 36% for the game.
The Detroit Pistons missed 64 percent of their shots and had a rookie filling in for an All-Star at point guard.
It didn’t matter.
Detroit set an NBA playoff record with just three turnovers and made just enough shots and stops to advance to their sixth straight Eastern Conference final with a 91-86 win Tuesday night over the Orlando Magic in Game 5 of the second-round series.
Richard Hamilton scored 31 points, made victory-sealing free throws late in the game and Tayshaun Prince had a key block to help Detroit eliminate Orlando.
The Pistons are the first franchise to play in six conference finals in a row since the Los Angeles Lakers went to eight straight in the 1980s.
Rasheed Wallace made some huge shots and played excellent defense. Antonio McDyess was on fire with 17 points on 6 of 9 shooting mostly on set shots from the foul line extended.
NBA Playoffs Rip Hamilton factoid Rip became the all time Piston playoff scorer taking over that spot from Isiah Thomas.
With his 11th point, Hamilton broke Isiah Thomas’ career playoff scoring record of 2,261 points and he did it in 110 games—one fewer than Thomas needed to set the mark. “That’s a great honor because Isiah is Detroit basketball,” Hamilton said. “To pass one of his records is crazy because I haven’t been here that long.” … Hamilton is four games away from breaking Bill Laimbeer’s franchise record of 113 playoff appearances source
Now Chauncey Billups can heal up for the winner of the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers.
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POSTED IN: Chauncey Billups, Detroit Pistons, Dwight Howard, NBA Basketball, Orlando Magic, Rasheed Wallace, Rip Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince
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