| Foster Dominates Wallace In Game 2 Loss Authored by Daniel Sonnenberg - May 12, 2005 - 12:11 am
After losing 92-83 to the Indiana Pacers in Game 2, the Detroit Pistons can only be happy about one thing and it is that Ron Artest will not be playing in this series.
The Pistons will look to regain home-court advantage of their best of seven series with the Pacers, which is currently tied at 1-1. The difference between game 2 this evening and Monday’s game 1 was that Ben Wallace was nowhere to be found tonight on offense.
The Pistons’ Defensive Player of the year only scored three points after postering the Pacers for a hugely unexpected 21 points and 15 rebounds. In Game 2, the Beast of the East only had a seventh of that point total. He grabbed the rebounds, but didn’t score the points and the Pistons definitely could have used those points.
Another key for Game 3 will be limiting the amount of offensive rebounds that the Pacers get. In Game 2, the Pistons allowed the Pacers to get 19 offensive rebounds, which is huge considering the Pacers shot a shade under 39% for the game.
In addition to limiting the Pacers’ offensive rebounds, the Pistons will need more than 14 points from Rip Hamilton, who seemed like he couldn’t hit Lake Michigan shooting 6-17 from the floor. Look for the Pistons to clamp down on defense and get a lot more offensive production out of Rip Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace, and Chauncey Billups.
They will also improve upon their 6-17 from three point land. The Pistons seemed to look ahead to Miami after game 1, but look for them to stare down the Pacers in game 2 and for Ron Artest not to be a factor in Game 2 or any other game for that matter.
Who knows what this series would have been and will, but rest assured that Detroit is happy that one number 23 is retired and that another, who used to wear the 2-3 is suspended. |
