New Orleans 102, San Antonio 84 (NO 2-0)
This is a series of absolute truths.
The Spurs are not done. This series is not over until the Spurs lose at home. The Hornets are clicking on all cylinders at just the right time. There is no other way to explain it.
If anything I sat and watched the second half in awe. You know the feeling that you had during the Spurs/Suns series where you just felt like the Suns looked old, beat up and couldn’t win. I had that feeling tonight in that third quarter. New Orleans just looks like a younger, deeper San Antonio squad. They have West as a poor man’s Duncan. Chandler is an upgrade over every Spurs accompanying big man since the Admiral left. Chris Paul as the PG, Peja as the shooter and bench players who all know their roles and bring energy. They play great team basketball.
If you told me David West was scoring 10 points tonight I say the Spurs win easy. He scores 10 and the Hornets still win big. San Antonio’s age and lack of depth is really showing, at least in these first two games. They look nothing like the team that played against Phoenix. They look like the team that stumbled in the last couple weeks of the season. And now they have to face adversity. The question is how does a team who has had so much success and has just won a championship find enough to overcome an 0-2 deficit.
The Spurs won’t panic. They are going home to take care of business. Manu won’t have five turnovers again and shoot 4-for-10. Ditto for Parker having as many turnovers as assists (3). But those two are going to have to play A+ games for the Spurs to have a chance. NO is not going to let Tim Duncan dominate. If Parker and Manu don’t play great the Spurs will lose every game because they can’t score enough. Bruce Bowen has to be on the floor to “keep up” with Chris Paul but he’s pretty much an offensive liability aka the 1-for-7 shooting night. Michael Finley can make big shots and big plays, but I’m not sure he can step up and drop 18-20. Their bench is at an all-time low, Udoka, Barry, Vaughn and the rest strike fears in the hearts of no one. If the Spurs are going to make this a series they have to win both games and Parker and Manu are going to have to carry the load.
Then again…are Peja and MoPete going to shoot that well in San Antonio? Will the bench be able to bring that same energy? Game 3 answers a lot of questions and if the Spurs don’t show up it will answer the riddle if they can win.
Detroit 100, Orlando 93 (DET 2-0)
Someone go ask the Pistons how that home cookin’ was?
Also someone go ask Theo Ratliff how he feels? Becuse Dwight may have ended his career. Damn.
I for one don’t buy into that being the ‘game-changing’ play that everyone is making it out to be. Sure it was a slight robbery, but I’d compare it to someone slapping you, taking your wallet and slowly walking away. If he gets away, yes he robbed you but you still could have stopped him. Yes the Magic got robbed but they still had chances to win this game. Turkoglu’s forced three, Rashard’s missed layup….they had their shots. So let’s not throw a pity party for the Magic.
Detroit showed that streakiness again. The first quarter they were lax, second quarter they were playing Detroit Basketball. Then the third they chilled again and tried to turn it on in the fourth. This Piston team that showed up tonight can’t win a championship. There are too many great players and great teams to play like that. There are two ways that the Magic can beat you, two ways only. One is Dwight Howard beasting. He had 22 and 18. The other is the three point shot. They hit 11 including a bunch in that third quarter rally. Kudos to you Detroit for taking Orlando’s strengths away. The playoffs are all about adjustments and to win you’ve got to take something from your opponent. Detroit didn’t and got lucky.
I hesitate to say that tonight was Orlando’s best chance to win….but let’s they definitely had a great shot. I’m not sure they are getting all those three’s and Dwight putting those kind of numbers every night. I definitely don’t think they can count on Jameer getting 22 again in this series or holding the Pistons without a field goal for the final 5 minutes of the game. Hedo has to step his game up, he’s playing like Peja normally plays in the playoffs.
Pistons have to go back to playing lockup D while the Magic just have to hope they get the same game at home.