2005 NBA Finals
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Dates | June 9–23 | |||||||||
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Western Finals | Spurs defeated Suns, 4–1 | |||||||||
The 2005 NBA Finals was the championship round of the
The Spurs won the series four games to three in the first NBA Finals to go to a Game 7 since
Background
This series was not only the first matchup of the previous two NBA champions since the 1987 Finals (Lakers d. Celtics, 4–2), it was a match up of the two premier defensive teams of that era: from the 2002–03 season to the 2004–05 season, the Spurs and Pistons routinely finished in the top three in Points Allowed: in 2003, Detroit was #1 and San Antonio #3; in 2004, the teams finished in a tie for the #1 spot; in 2005, the Spurs were #1 and the Pistons were #2. The Spurs were considered more capable of playing at a faster pace, as evidenced by their convincing win against the high-scoring Phoenix Suns during the Western Conference finals. However, both teams performed exceptionally well when scoring over 100 points (Detroit was 22–3, San Antonio was 28–2).
Going into the 2005 Finals, the Spurs had won two championships (1999 and 2003), while Detroit had three (1989, 1990, and 2004). The 2004 Championship was considered a major upset by some sportswriters because of the Lakers' big name talent. Others saw the result as fully legitimate, pointing out that Detroit's defense outplayed the Lakers' offense. Further, the balanced Detroit offense proved especially difficult to deal with when Karl Malone's injured knee left the Lakers without a reliable presence to slow down the Pistons' Rasheed Wallace. Many thought that a contributing factor to the Lakers' loss was the well-publicized tension between superstars Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.
Both the Spurs and the Pistons were ranked number two in their respective conferences, with the Phoenix Suns ranked number one in the West and the Miami Heat ranked number one in the East.
Sportswriters all across the country generally considered this one of the few too-close-to-call series to occur. Most picked the series to go to six or seven games.
The Spurs breezed through the
The Pistons had a slightly tougher road back to the Finals. The opening round was a fairly easy five-game victory over
Road to the Finals
San Antonio Spurs (Western Conference champion) | Detroit Pistons (Eastern Conference champion) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Regular season |
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Defeated the (7) Denver Nuggets, 4–1 | First Round | Defeated the (7) Philadelphia 76ers, 4–1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Defeated the (3) Seattle SuperSonics, 4–2 | Conference semifinals | Defeated the (6) Indiana Pacers, 4–2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Defeated the (1) Phoenix Suns, 4–1 | Conference finals | Defeated the (1) Miami Heat, 4–3 |
Regular season series
Both teams split the two meetings, each won by the home team:
Rosters
San Antonio Spurs
2004–05 San Antonio Spurs roster | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Detroit Pistons
2004–05 Detroit Pistons roster | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Series summary
Game | Date | Road team | Result | Home team |
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Game 1 | June 9 | Detroit Pistons | 69–84 (0–1) | San Antonio Spurs |
Game 2 | June 12 | Detroit Pistons | 76–97 (0–2) | San Antonio Spurs |
Game 3 | June 14 | San Antonio Spurs | 79–96 (2–1) | Detroit Pistons |
Game 4 | June 16 | San Antonio Spurs | 71–102 (2–2) | Detroit Pistons |
Game 5 | June 19 | San Antonio Spurs | 96–95 (OT) (3–2) | Detroit Pistons |
Game 6 | June 21 | Detroit Pistons | 95–86 (3–3) | San Antonio Spurs |
Game 7 | June 23 | Detroit Pistons | 74–81 (3–4) | San Antonio Spurs |
Features
This was the first NBA Finals to have the sticker version of the
Game summaries
- All times are in UTC−4). If the venue is located in a different time zone, the local time is also given.
Game 1
June 9
9:00 pm (8:00 pm CDT) |
Recap at the Wayback Machine (archived March 16, 2009)
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Detroit Pistons 69, San Antonio Spurs 84 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 20–17, 17–18, 14–20, 18–29 | ||
6 | Pts: Manu Ginóbili 26 Rebs: Tim Duncan 17 Asts: Horry, Parker 3 each | |
San Antonio leads series, 1–0 |
SBC Center, San Antonio Attendance: 18,797 Referees:
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Manu Ginóbili was the star of Game 1, turning in a virtuoso performance in the fourth quarter to lead the Spurs to victory. Ginobili scored 15 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter to complement a huge game by Tim Duncan (24 points, 17 rebounds).
Ginobili, who in the previous summer led Argentina in points and assists en route to Olympic gold, took over in the final period. He scored eight points in a decisive 12–2 surge that gave the Spurs a 67–55 lead, then throttled a push by the Pistons with a swooping dunk, 3-pointer and running hook for an 81–67 advantage with less than two minutes to go.
Having been idle for a week, the Spurs opened the game in lackluster fashion – in the first eight minutes the Spurs trailed 19–7 – but were able to fight back and stabilize the game. It may have happened that Detroit's more recent play led to fourth quarter fatigue which enabled the Spurs' strong fourth quarter; in any case, the Spurs prevailed in the first contest.
Game 2
June 12
9:00 pm (8:00 pm CDT) |
Recap at the Wayback Machine (archived February 19, 2009)
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Detroit Pistons 76, San Antonio Spurs 97 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 19–30, 23–28, 21–21, 13–18 | ||
4 | Pts: Manu Ginóbili 27 Rebs: Tim Duncan 11 Asts: Manu Ginóbili 7 | |
San Antonio leads series, 2–0 |
SBC Center, San Antonio Attendance: 18,797 Referees:
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The resilient Detroit Pistons were expected to play a stronger Game 2 in response to their fourth-quarter letdown in Game 1. Exactly the opposite occurred. From the opening tip, Game 2 was all San Antonio as the Spurs got out to a quick lead and never looked back.
The Spurs took advantage of Detroit's uncharacteristic mistakes throughout the night, which included missing nine shots from inside four feet from the basket. While the Pistons went cold (0-6) from behind the three-point line, the Spurs made 11 3-pointers, including four each by Manu Ginóbili and Bruce Bowen, who did not score a point in Game 1. Ginobili again led the Spurs with a 27 points, while Tim Duncan finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds. Antonio McDyess was the high scorer for Detroit, scoring 15 points off the bench.
The 2–0 lead was a big advantage for San Antonio. In the history of the NBA, the team with home-court advantage started a series with a 2–0 lead 153 times. On just seven occasions, the trailing team rebounded to win the series.
Game 3
June 14
9:00 pm |
Recap at the Wayback Machine (archived March 16, 2009)
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San Antonio Spurs 79, Detroit Pistons 96 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 27–21, 15–20, 23–29, 14–26 | ||
4 each | Pts: Richard Hamilton 24 Rebs: Ben Wallace 11 Asts: Chauncey Billups 7 | |
San Antonio leads series, 2–1 |
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076 Referees:
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In NBA history, only two teams had ever won a Finals series after facing a 2–0 deficit—the Boston Celtics in the 1969 NBA Finals and the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1977 NBA Finals—however, just one year later the Miami Heat would accomplish this feat against the Dallas Mavericks in the 2006 NBA Finals.
With that task looming ahead, the Pistons responded in tremendous fashion. Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton combined for 44 points, while Ben Wallace (15 pts, 11 reb, 5 blk, 3 stl) together with Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess harassed Tim Duncan into a 5–15 shooting night. The Pistons dominated the second half, outscoring the Spurs 55–37.
The Pistons became the first team to score more than 90 points in a Finals game against the Spurs during this game.
Game 4
June 16
9:00 pm |
Recap at the Wayback Machine (archived March 16, 2009)
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San Antonio Spurs 71, Detroit Pistons 102 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 17–23, 19–28, 21–23, 14–28 | ||
4 each | Pts: Billups, Hunter 17 each Rebs: Ben Wallace 13 Asts: Chauncey Billups 7 | |
Series tied, 2–2 |
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076 Referees:
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The pattern of the first two games held up in games 3 and 4: home team wins big in the first one and even bigger in the second. And Game 4 was the most lopsided of all during the 2005 NBA Finals; the Pistons' 102 points were the only time either team reached triple digits in the series.
Seven Pistons scored in double figures, especially efficient bench performances by Lindsey Hunter and Antonio McDyess. In 22 minutes, Hunter scored 17 points and dished out 5 assists; McDyess scored 13 and grabbed 7 rebounds in just 19 minutes.
Conversely, only three Spurs scored in double figures (Ginobili, Duncan, Parker), and among all Spurs attempting five or more field goals, only Tony Parker (6-13, 46.2% shooting) managed to surpass the 45% mark. Collectively, the Spurs shot 37% and committed 17 turnovers to the Pistons' NBA Finals-record four.
Hunter's and Billups' 17 points were the fewest to lead an NBA Finals game since George Yardley of the Fort Wayne Pistons led all scorers with 16 points in the fifth game of the 1955 NBA Finals.[2]
Game 5
June 19
9:00 pm |
Recap at the Wayback Machine (archived March 11, 2009)
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San Antonio Spurs 96, Detroit Pistons 95 (OT) | ||
Scoring by quarter: 21–23, 21–19, 22–21, 25–26, Overtime: 7–6 | ||
9 | Pts: Chauncey Billups 34 Rebs: Ben Wallace 12 Asts: Chauncey Billups 7 | |
San Antonio leads series, 3–2 |
The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan
Attendance: 22,076 Referees:
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With the first four games of the 2005 Finals being blowouts by the home team, Game 5 was the close game everyone was waiting for, and it went down as one of the more memorable games in Finals history.
The game was closely contested by throughout the night as the lead changed 12 separate times, and the game was tied on 18 occasions. Regulation was not enough to settle this game, so the game went into overtime. The Pistons streaked out to a quick lead in the first few minutes of overtime, and seemed to have the game in hand. However, a missed layup by Chauncey Billups with Detroit ahead 95–93 with nine seconds left San Antonio with a chance. On the Spurs' next possession, Robert Horry inbounded the ball to Ginobili, who headed for the left corner and dished it right back to Horry. Rasheed Wallace had left Horry to double-team Ginobili, and Horry was left alone to sink the game-winning basket with 5.8 seconds remaining in the OT. Horry was already famous for nailing last-second shots in the playoffs, including Game Four of the 2002 Western Conference finals between the Lakers and Sacramento Kings.
Horry went 5 for 6 from beyond the arc, including the game-winner, and scored 21 points coming off the bench. He hadn't scored a point until the final play of the 3rd quarter. He carried the team in the fourth quarter and overtime as his teammates struggled with the weight of a must-win game on the road against an accomplished adversary. In addition to the game-winning three-pointer, late in overtime Horry made a spectacular left-handed dunk while being fouled as the shot clock wound down.
Tim Duncan, despite struggling from the free-throw line, finished with 26 points and 19 rebounds for the Spurs. Chauncey Billups was the high scorer for the Pistons, finishing with a game-high 34 points in the losing effort.
Game 6
June 21
9:00 pm (8:00 pm CDT) |
Recap at the Wayback Machine (archived March 16, 2009)
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Detroit Pistons 95, San Antonio Spurs 86 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 23–23, 23–24, 25–20, 24–19 | ||
6 | Pts: Duncan, Ginóbili 21 each Rebs: Tim Duncan 15 Asts: Tony Parker 5 | |
Series tied, 3–3 |
SBC Center, San Antonio Attendance: 18,797 Referees:
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Game 6 was a close game all along, and the lead kept fluctuating between the two teams. Again, the leading stars on both teams played big games. Detroit pulled away early in the fourth for an 80–73 lead with five minutes to go, but the Spurs continued to threaten them. Soon, it was back to a one-point game.
Then, Rasheed Wallace planted a three-pointer to pull away, and even with a resilient game by the Spurs, the Pistons had clinched the victory.
Nevertheless, several Pistons free throws were necessary in the final moments of the game to put a win out of reach for the Spurs.
Rasheed Wallace had a big game to atone for the mistake he made for leaving Horry open in Game 5. Despite his mistake, Wallace was nonchalant about the play, even commenting incorrectly that he left Horry to guard Duncan.
Billups and Prince again led the Pistons with steady, unwavering defense, which is the key, as it is often said, to victory. Although Duncan and Ginobili finished with 21 points each, neither was able to seriously threaten the strong Pistons defense enough to win the game. Detroit thus won its fifth consecutive game facing elimination. The Pistons became the first road team to force a Game 7 in the NBA Finals.
Game 7
June 23
9:00 pm (8:00 pm CDT) |
Recap at the Wayback Machine (archived February 19, 2009)
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Detroit Pistons 74, San Antonio Spurs 81 | ||
Scoring by quarter: 16–18, 23–20, 18–19, 17–24 | ||
8 | Pts: Tim Duncan 25 Rebs: Tim Duncan 11 Asts: Manu Ginóbili 4 | |
San Antonio wins NBA Finals, 4–3 |
SBC Center, San Antonio Attendance: 18,797 Referees:
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External videos | |
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Full game broadcast by ABC on YouTube |
For the first time in eleven years, the NBA Finals came down to a decisive Game 7. Momentum was on Detroit's side, but the Spurs had home-court advantage. The Pistons were looking to become the first team to ever win the last two games on the road after being down 3–2. NBA history was heavily in favor of the Spurs, who were looking to celebrate a title at the SBC Center for the second time in three years. NBA teams are 74–17 all-time at home in Game 7, and 9-0 when leading 3–2 going home.
Entering this game, the Pistons tied the 1994 New York Knicks for most games played in a single postseason, with 25.[3] The Boston Celtics broke this record during their 2008 championship season.[3]
Like the previous two games of the series, Game 7 was closely contested throughout, but the Spurs fell into a nine-point deficit with 7:45 left in the third quarter. Though Tim Duncan was for much of the series unable to shoot for a high percentage against Detroit's front line, he led the Spurs out of that nine-point hole. In the final 7:45 of the third quarter, Duncan scored 10 of the teams' 18 final third quarter points and the game was tied to start the fourth. Behind clutch plays from Tim Duncan and Manu Ginóbili, the Spurs took control of the fourth quarter to earn an 81–74 victory, clinching the franchise's third Larry O'Brien Trophy. For the game, Tim Duncan finished with a game high 25 points and 11 rebounds, while teammate Manu Ginóbili pitched in with 23 points. Richard Hamilton, with 15 points, was the high scorer for the Pistons, who fell just short of winning back-to-back championships.
Tim Duncan won his third
Player statistics
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game
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- San Antonio Spurs
Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
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Brent Barry | 7 | 0 | 20.6 | .407 | .375 | .800 | 2.1 | 1.6 | 0.6 | 0.3 | 4.6 |
Bruce Bowen | 7 | 7 | 38.7 | .380 | .448 | .667 | 2.7 | 2.0 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 7.9 |
Devin Brown | 6 | 0 | 5.8 | .273 | .500 | .571 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.8 |
Tim Duncan | 7 | 7 | 40.7 | .419 | .000 | .667 | 14.1 | 2.1 | 0.4 | 2.1 | 20.6 |
Manu Ginóbili | 7 | 7 | 36.0 | .494 | .387 | .854 | 5.9 | 4.0 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 18.7 |
Robert Horry | 7 | 0 | 28.6 | .444 | .484 | .733 | 4.9 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 0.7 | 10.6 |
Tony Massenburg | 3 | 0 | 3.0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Nazr Mohammed | 7 | 7 | 22.6 | .433 | .000 | .727 | 6.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 4.9 |
Radoslav Nesterović |
4 | 0 | 6.5 | .500 | .000 | .000 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.5 |
Tony Parker | 7 | 7 | 38.1 | .458 | .143 | .438 | 2.4 | 3.4 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 13.9 |
Glenn Robinson | 3 | 0 | 4.7 | .200 | .000 | .000 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.7 |
Beno Udrih | 5 | 0 | 8.8 | .364 | .500 | 1.000 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 2.4 |
- Detroit Pistons
Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3FG% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
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Carlos Arroyo | 5 | 0 | 6.0 | .500 | .000 | .500 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 2.2 |
Chauncey Billups | 7 | 7 | 40.1 | .434 | .297 | .909 | 5.0 | 6.3 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 20.4 |
Elden Campbell | 1 | 0 | 1.0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Ronald Dupree | 5 | 0 | 1.6 | .000 | .000 | .000 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Darvin Ham | 5 | 0 | 2.2 | .500 | .000 | .000 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 |
Richard Hamilton | 7 | 7 | 42.0 | .386 | .167 | .750 | 5.3 | 2.6 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 16.7 |
Lindsey Hunter | 7 | 0 | 19.7 | .381 | .000 | .875 | 1.9 | 2.7 | 1.3 | 0.1 | 5.6 |
Antonio McDyess | 7 | 0 | 21.9 | .508 | .000 | .556 | 7.3 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 10.1 |
Darko Miličić | 3 | 0 | 2.0 | .333 | .000 | .000 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 |
Tayshaun Prince | 7 | 7 | 39.1 | .382 | .111 | .857 | 4.9 | 2.6 | 1.4 | 0.6 | 10.1 |
Ben Wallace | 7 | 7 | 40.0 | .569 | .000 | .429 | 10.3 | 1.0 | 1.7 | 3.0 | 10.7 |
Rasheed Wallace | 7 | 7 | 32.7 | .438 | .294 | .250 | 5.6 | 1.9 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 10.9 |
Broadcasting
The games were broadcast exclusively on ABC in the US. The featured song, aired throughout the
The 2005 Finals would be Michaels' last major NBA assignment with ABC, though he remained with the network until after
Aftermath
The Spurs won a franchise-record 63 victories to clinch the top seed in the West in the
As of 2023[update], this is the Pistons’ last appearance in the NBA Finals. Head coach Larry Brown sought and succeeded in buying out his contract as head coach after the season. He eventually ended up coaching for his hometown
The Pistons, guided by new coach
References
- ^ "2005 NBA Finals - Detroit Pistons vs. San Antonio Spurs". Basketball-Reference.com. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
- ^ "Syracuse Nationals at Fort Wayne Pistons Box Score, April 7, 1955". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- ^ a b Beck, Howard (June 17, 2008). "Celtics Remain Mindful Of a Missed Opportunity". The New York Times. p. D2.
The Celtics, who were pushed to seven games by Atlanta and Cleveland, are about to break the NBA record by playing their 26th playoff game. (The 1994 Knicks and the 2005 Detroit Pistons each played 25 games; both teams lost the finals in seven games.)
- ^ Heistand, Michael (June 16, 2005). "ABC's ratings for NBA Finals among lowest in history". USA Today. Retrieved June 10, 2011.
- ^ Romano, Allison (June 24, 2005). "ABC Rises on Falling NBA Ratings". Broadcasting & Cable. Retrieved June 10, 2011.
External links
- "Official website". NBA.com. Archived from the originalon December 3, 2010. Retrieved May 17, 2008.