Quote:
Wade hands Pistons a backhanded compliment
By Ethan J. Skolnick
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
May 26, 2006
AUBURN HILLS ยท Dwyane Wade took 20 shots in Game 1, making 11, for 32 points.
Then the Heat guard took a pair of pointed shots at the Pistons during his postgame news conference.
Asked what had contributed to his nine turnovers, Wade admitted that a couple were simply rushed passes.
"They did a good job with pressure," Wade said. "I'm not like them. I'm gonna give them credit."
So Wade doesn't think the Pistons give the Heat any credit?
"No," he said softly.
Pause.
"They was tired," Wade said, referring to comments the Pistons actually made after Game 1, in explaining their defeat. "That's what y'all said. That's why we won the first game."
Wade then was asked whether the Pistons changed their approach to him by becoming more aggressive. In only one way, he said.
"When you're coming up the court and Rip [Hamilton] is doing that bumping stuff, that's the only thing I've seen," Wade said. "Maybe I'll try it and see if I can get away with it."
Wade added that he "still got some shots I wanted." After missing all three in the first quarter and scoring only two points, he began driving to the basket and scored 14 in the second.
Forwards off the mark
The Heat's primary forwards took a step back.
They had more fouls (eight) than points (two) in the first half. They made only 6 of 21 field goals overall and attempted only four free throws. They were outscored by the Pistons' three primary forwards 43-19 and outrebounded 19-12.
Udonis Haslem endured an extension of his Game 1 struggle, when he missed all seven shots. In Game 2, he missed his first two before making a jump shot early in the third quarter. He played only 14 minutes, none late.
Antoine Walker was coming off his first solid performance in five appearances against the Pistons this season but made only 3 of 12 Thursday. "I had some good looks on 3s, and missed them," Walker said.
James Posey committed three fouls in his first four minutes, which compelled Pat Riley to sub in Shandon Anderson, before trying a three-guard lineup of Wade, Jason Williams and Gary Payton. That worked briefly, but the size deficiency was apparent on a putback by Pistons small forward Tayshaun Prince. Posey did have an impact defensively, drawing a charge and forcing an eight-second violation.
Riley even used a new forward: Alonzo Mourning. The coach inserted the backup center to play with Shaquille O'Neal for four minutes late in the third quarter. Pistons power forward Rasheed Wallace promptly made a long jump shot, then a 3-pointer, over Mourning.
"When he's making them from 27 feet or 28 feet, that's a long way to close out," Riley said of Wallace.
That wasn't Riley's only wrinkle. He went to a defensive zone for several minutes in the first half, with mixed results.
Remember Mourning?
Now that Mourning is almost recovered from his calf injury, Riley suggested he could get more offensive opportunities.
"I sort of forget about that because for eight years, I always threw him the ball all the time, and he still has the capabilities of doing that," Riley said. "He is a viable option for us to post-up when Shaq is out of the game against certain matchups."
