Game Seven as Pistons pull out all the stops

RICHARD HAMILTON scored 23 points and Chauncey Billups added 21 as Detroit defeated San Antonio 95-86 to force the first Game Seven in an NBA finals in 11 years.

The crucial game will be played tonight.

Rasheed Wallace added 16 points for the Pistons, who staved off elimination and won their first game in San Antonio since 1997.

“We can fight against any odds,” Wallace said. “A lot of people thought we would be out of it tonight. I had to do it to push it to game seven.”

Manu Ginobili had 21 points, 10 rebounds for the Spurs, who were hurt by too many turnovers and poor three-point shooting.

San Antonio has also been unable to match the toughness of the Pistons who forced the first title series deciding game since 1994 when Houston beat New York.

Pistons last win in San Antonio was on April 27, 1997. But they are now faced with the task of doing it twice in three days to defend their NBA crown.

Detroit was in crisis mode in front of 18,797 boisterous San Antonio fans but they accomplished their goal which was to win and make this a one game, winner-take-all series.

“We are tough as nails and our motto is, ‘If it isn’t rough, it isn’t right,’” Billups said.

“We are always fighting and scratching and biting and pulled ourselves out of that corner.

“This means everything. It means we go back to the hotel rather than the airplane.”

Detroit overcame a 47-46 halftime deficit with a surge straddling the end of the third quarter and beginning of the fourth quarter.

The Pistons needed to shoot better from the three-point line and bring the same intensity they displayed in games three and four at home.

They shot 47% (8-of-17) in three-point field goals compared to the Spurs 28% (8-of-28) shooting.

Two time playoff MVP Tim Duncan was not allowed to dominate on the boards and Robert Horry was held to just two three-pointers after nailing five in game five.

“It is a disappointing loss,” said the 29-year-old Duncan, who is in his eighth NBA season. “We play all this year to have this opportunity (game seven at home). We have got to do some cleanup on Thursday.”

Extra motivation for the Pistons came from learning prior to game six that the Spurs had scheduled a victory parade in downtown San Antonio for Thursday.

That of course is now the day that game seven will take place at the SBC Centre arena.

Detroit will use that opportunity to try and become the first team in 28 years to win an NBA championship after trailing 2-0 in the series.

Only two teams have ever recovered from an 0-2 deficit to go on and win title.

The Boston Celtics and the Portland Trailblazers rallied after dropping the opening two games in 1969 and 1977 respectively.

“This is what our team is all about,” said Detroit coach Larry Brown, who is 5-0 with the Pistons in elimination games.

“I have been with these guys for two years and they didn’t disappoint me in terms of their desire to win and their respect for each other. So maybe that helped us to make some of those three pointers.”

This was just the sixth San Antonio loss at home this season.

“You are always disappointed when you lose a playoff game,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “We will look at the film and see if we can explain some of the things to the guys. We will come out and play on Thursday.”