Down To The Wire - Pistons Up 3-1

Despite having their All Star point guard on the sidelines in dress clothes, The Pistons took care of business to go up 3-1 on the Orlando Magic with their 90-89 win on the road. In a game that had 20 lead changes with Detroit down by as much as 15 and was tied 26 times, the Pistons made it clear why they have been to five consecutive Eastern Conference Finals. They know how to get it done down the wire.

Key Points:

• Tayrific Win!

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• With seconds left a Rasheed Wallace missed jumper and a HUGE rebound from Antonio McDyess, Tayshaun Prince hit a floating lay in with 8.9 second left in the game that ended up being the game winner.

Courtesy of The Detroit Pistons, The NBA and FSN Detroit

• Here is the whole play in it's entirety. Love Chauncey's reaction from the sidelines.
• Speaking of Chauncey's reaction, he looked like I do during games. The guy looked like his stomach was in knots from the third quarter on.
• How about the job Detroit (Rasheed) did on Dwight Howard. The Pistons took Dwight out of the game keeping him away from the rim and only allowing him to score 8.
• Iron man Prince logged almost 46 minutes on the floor.
• Detroit now has a chance to seal a trip to their sixth straight Eastern Conference Finals with a win at home on Tuesday.
• Dyess, who played with so much heart, was back in the starting lineup for Game Four.
• Richard Hamilton led the Pistons with 32 points on 12-for-24 shooting, with 6 boards, 3 assists and 2 steals. Credit Rip's hot hand for one of the reason why the Pistons came back from a 15 point deficit.
  

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• All hail Lindsey Hunter who came in and disrupted The Magic's offensive flow. Not to mention the key three pointer to give the Pistons the lead during their 15-0 run.
• Dwight Howard did not make a basket after the first quarter.
• "If you look, he got shots today," Van Gundy said. "Our shots were pretty balanced across the board. He got a dozen shots, he just couldn't get them in the basket. They were physical with him, and how the game is called is a huge thing." Via MLive Is that Van Gundy complaining about calls?
• Jameer Nelson is making a Guarantee. (Thanks to Umar R. for the link) "I'm not trying to be arrogant or cocky or anything like that," said Nelson after the Magic fell to the Pistons 90-89 Saturday in Game 4. "But tonight, we let it slip out of our hands. Game 2 we let slip out of our hands. "We're going to win this game in Detroit." Via The Orlando Sentinel Doesn't he know he's not Sheed? Silly little man.
• Rodney Stuckey started in place of Chauncey Billups, but early foul trouble limited his getting into the flow of the game. Stuckey finished with 6 points and 4 assists while still looking like a rookie at times.
• I just don't like Dooling, who fouled out and was given a technical foul late in the game after a hard foul on Rip.
  
• Surprised to see Jarvis dressed instead of Amir and even more surprised to see Hayes get time on court. Jarvis knocked down his first shot, a three pointer, but missed his next two and was soon pulled and didn't return. He played just four minutes.
• Tay was fantastic again finishing with 17 points, 5 boards and 5 assists and this signature block. If Tayshaun Prince plays the way he has been in the post season, it's going to be pretty hard to stop this team.

Courtesy of The Detroit Pistons, The NBA and FSN Detroit

• I knew you would want to see the block again and again and again. You have to love how excited my man Blaha gets when he squashes this one.
• Gutsy win by the fellas who didn't give up. It's nice to be up 3-1 going home.
  
• More rest for Chauncey along with a cushion.
• Ben Q Rock from Third Quarter Collapse, who's much classier than any of the Orlando Media, says this series is a wrap.
• "We've been through so much," Lindsey Hunter said. "We've let a couple of years slip away when we thought we had a chance to win another championship. This year, the only thing that's on our mind is getting back to the NBA Finals and not let another opportunity slip away. That's what this was about tonight." Via The Detroit News
• FSN Detroit Highlights of the game.
• The Magic led by as much as 15, The Pistons 7.
• Rebound war won 39-35 thanks to the 14 Antonio McDyess pulled down. Dyess was the key many times in the game giving Detroit second chances, but none bigger than the final play of the game. McDyess was just as responsible for the final bucket as Tayshaun was. And boy was he happy. A smiling Dyess can light up The Palace.
  

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• The old dog had a little bite left in him, but Lindsey Hunter still couldn't avoid the trappings of advancing basketball age. It was a "three-bagger" for him Saturday. Three ice bags, that is - one on each knee and another wrapped around his right ankle.Even worse, he couldn't get up from his seat at his locker room cubicle. "I'm as stiff as a board," he said with a wince, "but it's still worth it when you can show the young fellas around here that there's still some game underneath there." It was there, hiding behind cobwebs and dust, waiting to finally see the light of that inevitable day when the aging warrior is called upon for that final battle." From Drew Sharp of The Detroit Free Press
• Not a huge offensive game from Sheed. His 16 points and 8 boards weren't as important as his disruptive defensive game.
• Big minutes from both teams starters.
• Maxiell another zero in his 14 minutes on the floor.
• 11 points from the Pistons bench, 8 from Hunter and 3 from Hayes.
• I called it right before the end of the game, I knew if it was close at the end the Pistons were going to win. My confidence however didn't slow down my erratic heartbeat.
• Seems as though we aren't the only ones questioning Hedo's gamble on holding the ball and taking the last shot. "It was his one-on-one play," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. "I don't know why he held the ball as long as he did, but it was his play." Via The Detroit News
• Chauncey couldn't have been more excited when the buzzer sounded.

Courtesy of The Detroit Pistons, The NBA and FSN Detroit

• Tayshaun Prince's post game interview.
• Tons of Pistons fans in the crowd.
• Lindsey Hunter got the best of Jameer Nelson when he was on court.
• The Magic missed eight straight shots and committed two turnovers when Detroit was on their 15-0 run to get back in the game.
• Double techs for Howard and Dyess. Looked like a pretty hard pull down of Dyess by Howard if you ask me.
• Detroit's experience was evident.
  
• The Orlando Sentinel keeps stooping lower and lower! This sign is bad enough, but how do you print this picture on your website? I know for a fact that that sign wouldn't get into The Palace under any circumstances.
• I would love a convincing win on Tuesday at The Palace.
  
• The Movement is spreading.
  
• As always I would like to hear what the ESPN broadcasting had to say about the game since I was watching the FSN broadcast with Blaha and Kelser with delight.