AUBURN HILLS, Mich. --
There are certain natural phenomena that can't be stopped, slowed or detoured by one human body. An ocean tide. A rock slide. Shaq's backside. Shaquille O'Neal getting the ball under the rim is just about the surest thing ever in basketball. One bounce? That's thunder's warning before lightning. So you knew something wasn't right in Wednesday's second half when O'Neal began to uncoil and Ben Wallace suddenly remembered, for the first time this series, that he's supposed to be the world's best defender. With the aid of a trampoline, a ladder and a jet pack during this 91-78 Detroit victory, Wallace climbed up into the atmosphere and came down cleanly with an angry palm upon the basketball.
Miami's path?
Blocked.
Miami's goal?
Postponed.
Miami's access to the championship round?
Temporarily denied.
What does that mean? More joy when Game 6 of this best-of-seven insanity resumes in Miami on Friday with the Heat leading, 3-2, and Miami having a chance to hold up the Eastern Conference trophy before its rowdy home fans.
After Wallace's block? O'Neal suddenly collapsed to the floor, not unlike his team. And while he got up fine, his Heat never quite did. Miami never had a lead after that moment.
Not much at stake Friday. Just the most important game of the season. Just the second-most important game in franchise history. The 99th game of this interminable season is especially critical because Miami doesn't want to play its 100th in Detroit with a loss ending the season.
''One game to win,'' Dwyane Wade said. ``That's all we need to do.''
Said O'Neal: ``We won't play like that on Friday. We'll be ready.''
A bit of perspective to calm the hyperventilating basket cases who make the most noise whenever there's a loss during the playoffs: There are four teams remaining for one throne and not a one of them today is in as good a position as your Miami Heat. Miami's 3-1 lead has shrunk to 3-2, but the last 16 teams to lead 3-1 in the conference finals are 16-0.
UNLUCKY PLAY
Detroit, trying to save its season, strangled Miami in its most important quarter of its season -- holding Miami to a microscopic 13 points in the desperate fourth. Miami went nearly five minutes without making a single basket. But Miami blew a perfect chance when trailing 79-76, after O'Neal's third block, when the rebound landed in the only Detroit hands Miami didn't want them in on this night.
It's not often Detroit wins while Richard Hamilton goes seven for 21, Chauncey Billups goes three for 12, Rasheed Wallace goes three for 11 and the team goes two for 15 from behind the three-point arc. But a Prince protected The Palace. Tayshaun Prince, the only Detroit starter who
wasn't an All-Star this season, scored 29 points, including a deflating three after that O'Neal block. Miami never got close again after that.
And Antonio McDyess threw in another crippling 12. Antonio McDyess? Five for five from the field? It was like watching that new Wayans brothers movie win an Oscar. ~Its actually not all that shocking but its a funny line IMO.
Wade, meanwhile, made only 11 of 20 shots and scored only a team-high 23 points, the bum. This one wasn't as easy for him as the previous four, when he blew bubbles while playing
and spread his legs upon dunks so all the flashbulbs could catch him in artistic flight. ~WTF? Anyone else think that sounds far too Brokeback?
The pressure is all on Miami now, several Pistons said, conveniently ignoring that only one team can have its season ended Friday and, well, it isn't Miami.
FREE-THROW WOES
It was long overdue for Miami to lose a game because of abysmal free-throw shooting. It hadn't happened once in the last two postseasons. Not once has Shaq's Achilles' heel crippled the entire team. But Miami made just six of 20 free-throw attempts. To understand how terrible that is, consider that Wade averages more than six makes per game all by himself. He made 15 Monday.
Hamilton, one of Detroit's best players, goes by the nickname ''Rip.'' It is supposed to be because he is such a clean shooter that ''rip'' is the sound the net makes when his shot goes through it.
But he and his teammates have shot crooked all series, this night included, and Miami is hoping Rip will have another meaning to Detroit come Friday.
As in R.I.P.
Bookmarks