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 Kobe Bryant and the STAPLES Center crowd celebrate Bryant's game-tying three. (Noah Graham/NBAE/Getty Images) |
"Aw, no. They're not going to lose two in a row at home."
Cesar, our elevator guy, knew. The Lakers don't lose consecutive games at home. It only happened once all year, in April. Until Game 1, they hadn't lost at home in the postseason. In Game 2, Kobe and Shaq and Luke Walton -- Luke Walton?! -- dragged the Lakers' season back from the abyss with a clutch 99-91 overtime win.
Let's hope the elevator operator at the Palace of Auburn Hills is as prescient.
As for Game 3 (June 10, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC), some adjustments need to be made by both teams. Let's take a look.
Tighten Up the D
The normally stout Pistons defense allowed the Lakers to shoot .475 from the field. Tayshaun Prince had more difficulty in Game 2 trying to stay with Bryant, who was 14-for-27 from the field.
The Lakers also shared the ball well, dishing 28 assists.
Hit the Glass
One reason the Pistons were able to make up for their .395 shooting from the field was that they had a lot of second chances. The Pistons grabbed 19 -- yes, 19 -- offensive rebounds. If the Lakers want to play the way Shaq thinks they're capable of playing, they're going to need to keep the Pistons off the offensive glass.
More of that please
After not showing up in Game 1, the Lakers bench came through large in Game 2 and none larger than rookie Luke Walton, who had seven points, eight assists and five rebounds. Phil Jackson called him the player of the game.
And while Walton kept the Lakers afloat, note who took over when it counted? Shaq, who converted a huge three-point play in regulation to bring the Lakers within three at 89-86, setting the stage for Kobe Bryant's game-tying 3-pointer.
Guarded optimism
Despite the loss, the Pistons backcourt ran the Lakers ragged again. Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton combined for 53 points, 12 boards and 11 assists. The Pistons tandem wasn't very efficient from the field (16-for-40, .400) but they were a deadly 17-for-19 from the free throw line. Billups' and Hamilton's ability to get to the free throw line almost got the Pistons a 2-0 series lead. Almost.
Keep the Confidence
During media availability between Games 1 and 2, the Pistons said that they have played with confidence all season and that they haven't let wins or losses change their demeanor.
After the Game, Brown addressed the Pistons' mood.
"Everybody's in that locker room is down," Brown said. "But, you know, we lost in triple-overtime to New Jersey, had to go up there and win [Games] 6 and 7. We talk about that. You know, you just have to bounce back.
"We came here, should have won two games, you know, gave ourselves a hell of a chance. I was so proud, you know, we were out of the game, came back in the game and got control."
And for those who like to think a game is over before the final horn, learn from me. This is what I wrote shortly after the Pistons took a six-point lead with 47.8 seconds left in the fourth quarter.
If anything epitomized the Pistons will to win Game 2 of the NBA Finals, it was Ben Wallace's monstrous rebound with 47.8 seconds left in the fourth.
Surrounded by three Lakers and with his right arm pinned to his side, Wallace out-jumped them all, grabbed the ball with his left hand, cupped it and then put it back in the hoop. He ran the length of the court making like a body builder, flexing his biceps. And it was perfect, because having a 2-0 lead heading for Game 3 at home, the Pistons will be playing from a position of strength.
See, Cesar was right. I was wrong.
See you in Detroit for Game 3.
If you were wondering where the latest blog update had been in the last 15 minutes, then you weren't paying attention to the game. To which we have one question: WHY?
Wow! Kobe's 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds sent the game into OT. He was just in front of the Larry O'Brien trophy decal in front of the Pistons bench when he hit it. He thumped his chest all the way back to the Lakers bench. He deserved to.
This is the first Finals overtime game since Game 1 of the 2001 Finals.
Maybe I should have stuck with my Chauncey boast for Game 2. OK, I will. I'm going to stick with Billups in perpituity. The man had 16 in the third.
As hard as the Lakers try to deliver a knockout blow to them, the Pistons keep coming back, absorbing blow after blow, only to deliver a few themselves. Down 56-45 at the 6:40 mark of the third, the Pistons are now down one 60-59 after Richard Hamilton's hit a free throw.
Right now, Karl Malone can't guard Rasheed Wallace as Sheed has had his way with the Mailman. In the last 30 seconds, Gary Payton has a turnover and a foul.
 Hamilton tries to stop Walton. (Stephen Dunn/Getty Images/NBAE) |
Goodness, what a game Luke Walton's having... and it's just what the Lakers needed.
After getting a measly four points from the bench in Game 1, Walton has seven in the first half to help the Lakers to a 44-36 halftime advantage. Named after Maurice Lucas, a teammate of his dad Bill's in Portland, Luke has also shown some muscle on the boards, grabbing three. Most impressive, however, are his five assists.
Did anyone see this coming? Even Walton himself didn't. Here's answer from his Finals mailbox:
"I have no idea, that’s the crazy thing about Coach – he’ll throw you in at any time. You may not play for a week and then he might throw you in in the fourth quarter. I learned that all year, just to stay ready and be ready whenever he calls."
Nice work by you.
Other first-half observations:
Has Showtime returned? Well, sort of. The Lakers have 11 fastbreak points and 13 assists, while the Pistons have two fastbreak points. I'm sure Pistons coach Larry Brown is addressing this in the locker room.
After getting two fouls in the first quarter of Game 1, Rasheed Wallace sat for the rest of the half. After getting two fouls in the first quarter of Game 2, Wallace sat for the rest of the half.
Again, poor shooting from the field (.350) and from the line (.545) is leaving the Pistons hamstrung on the scoreboard.
Richard Hamilton has a quiet 12 points. It looked like all of his early shots were short and it seemed as if he had a horrible shooting percentage. He's 5-for-11. Superstars usually do that.
Gary Payton can't seem to get a break. He picked up his second foul in the second quarter before the ball was even in play.
Thanks to your e-mails, we were able to get some pretty interesting answers from Bill Russell and Bill Walton, who, if his kid keeps playing well, will be known as Luke's dad.
Here are a couple of highlight from the conversations.
Q: Hi. What's the most memorable moment that you remember from your huge and brilliant career? (Andre, Lisbon, Portugal)
Russell: "When I made the junior varsity in high school. That was the beginning, and the rest can never pass that."
Q: Do you have one favorite moment from The Finals – either from playing or watching it? (Doug, New York)
Walton: "I have been watching The NBA Finals since I was just a young kid in San Diego, and my life has been built around it. I’d go every year, either as a participant, as a broadcaster, now as a fan and as a Dad, and there’s nothing like it on earth. And all the great teams, all the great players, really the history of my life is written right here at these NBA Finals. And to see Bill Russell and to be able to sit with him at the games and to hear all the stories about the incredible seven-game battles that they would have against (St. Louis') Bob Pettit and then the Lakers, and then the seventh game in ’69, Bill Russell’s last game, here in Los Angeles where they had the piece of paper, the handout from Jack Kent Cooke, the memo to instruct everybody how to conduct the celebration at the end, and Sam Jones brought it into the lockerroom and Bill Russell read out loud to all the team how the other team was going to be celebrating because they had already just figured that the championship was theirs… "
Read the complete transcript here.
Here's some other things to watch for in Game 2:
Sore knees
Can Karl Malone and Derek Fisher continue to bring it on gimpy knees?
Thrill of the chase
Who will have the job of chasing Richard Hamilton through picks and for how long?
Single coverage
How long is Larry Brown willing to let Ben Wallace, who doesn't want help, to guard Shaq alone?
Also, Chauncey Billups has broken down Gary Payton off the dribble and gotten deep into the lane on the Pistons last three possessions.
I have no Chauncey-like predictions for Game 2, but I can guess the Lakers will play with more intensity on defense.
As far as predictions, I'll leave that to Cesar, the gentleman who operates the elevator that takes us to the Bird's Nest high above the STAPLES Center floor.
"Aw, no way the Lakers lose two in a row at home."
Duly noted. And even the pre-game presentation noted the urgency of this game. Van Halen's "Right Now" blasted over the speakers with the lyrics, "there's no tomorrow." Agreed. The Lakers can't go down 2-0.
NBA Commissioner David Stern and Deputy Commissioner Russ Granik addressed the media at 5 p.m. PT tonight and talked about the state of the NBA.
Here's a Cliff's Notes version of the proceedings:
Watching on TV
Ratings are up across the board. This pleases us.
In-arena attendance
In Detroit for Game 3, the NBA will set a single-season attendance record. More people are going to NBA games in person than ever before.
Europe will need to wait
Until Europe gets "world-class arenas," overseas expansion will be slow to develop. Plans are in the works for arenas in London and Berlin, but the NBA will want more than two arenas in Europe before the NBA will go across the pond.
Playoff scheduling
It should be tighter next season by two or three days.
Low scoring
The rules committee met in Chicago on Monday and no one expressed a need to change the rules to boost scoring.
The Olympics
When players decline to play or drop out after committing, they have legitimate personal reasons.
There you go. Wasn't that almost like being there? Glad I could help.
We also ran into Josh Childress of Stanford. Childress, a junior, has entered the NBA Draft 2004. We asked him how things are going so far.
Have you had any workouts yet?
Childress: "I've had five workouts so far. I've gone to Charlotte, Cleveland, Atlanta, Philly and Washington."
Have you had one workout that stood out or have they been consistent?
Childress: "They've been consistent. That's me. I try to bring the same amount of intensity to every workout. and every game. It's a heck of process."
Is there anything about the process that has surprised you so far?
Childress: "No, not really. I knew going in it would be a lot of hard work. It's a job now, that's the biggest difference."
How do you keep it fun?
Childress: "Because it's basketball. It is a job, but it's something that I love to do. I've grown up wanting to do this all my life and I'm looking forward to it."
Can you compare your 'fro to Ben Wallace's?
Childress: "It's a lot more neat and it's a lot more compact. Plus, I don't wear mine in braids."
Childress will be in Chicago this week for the NBA Pre-Draft camp.
Here's something you don't see every day: Kurt Rambis draining threes. In an "Around the World" competition with 3-point shots against Duane Washington, Derek Fisher's half-brother, Rambis displayed a range very few knew he had. Considering he went 0-for-14 for his career from downtown, it seems Kurt kept his long-range accumen a secret. At one point, Rambis drained four straight.
Near the end, Bryon Russell tried to join Rambis and Washington.
"Can I get in?" Russell asked.
"No," Rambis said with a smile.
Russell can't seem to catch a break these days.
Early risers
Also, I talked with NBA.com Blog Squad member Yaron Talpaz of Sport 5 Channel in Israel before the game. Tipoff for Game 2 of The Finals is 4 a.m. in Israel. He noted how people will gladly set their alarm clocks and get up for the game. That's dedication!
Seen before the game:
Charles Barkley rushing into STAPLES for an interview.
Pistons radio announcer Rick Mahorn and Inside Stuff host Ahmad Rashad chatting.
We'll have more in a bit. Gotta leave the Bird's Nest and head down for Commissioner David Stern's annual Finals press conference.
 Can Malone make like Magic in Game 2 and help point the Lakers to victory at home? (NBA.com) |
NBA.com was at Monday's media availability at the STAPLES Center. While the topic on everyone's lips was Detroit's strong showing out of the gate, there were other subplots at play as well. From the Mailman's family walking on eggshells to Memo playing one-on-one with Jordan, here are a couple of the day's more interesting moments.
BUMMED OUT, HIDE THE DOG
Perhaps no one took the Lakers' Game 1 loss to Detroit harder than veteran forward Karl Malone, as he scored just four points on 2-for-9 shooting from the field. It's been well documented how badly Malone wants his first title, and on Tuesday he talked about how the loss even has his family steering clear of him.
"There's not a lot of talking around my house right now," said Malone. "The kids just left for school this morning without saying anything. I don't know if they're avoiding me or what."
Not only was Malone incensed with his own poor showing, but the Mailman and his Laker teammates were finding motivation in the fact that Pistons coach Larry Brown reportedly told his team during a broadcast that they could get off any shot they wanted against the Lakers.
"Coach (Jackson) played (the footage of Brown) back for us about four or five times today," Malone told the media.
This led Malone to suggest that the Lakers weren't the only ones who needed to make adjustments before the next game. If Malone had his way, the media would adopt a new gameplan as well.
"You guys need to show us what they're saying during the huddle," continued the Mailman, while pointing at the assembled cameras and microphones. "You show the people at home, but we're the ones who could really use it."
OVERHEARD
"He would've been here if he had 20 points last night."
--One sportswriter to another after Gary Payton didn't show up for his scheduled media availability
TAKE A MEMO: JORDAN SAYS BILLUPS IS BEST
 Memo got all he could handle from Jordan on Monday. (NBA.com) |
Media availability sessions can be a little boring for players not surrounded by reporters. Mehmet Okur, who only played six minutes in Detroit's Game 1 win, didn't face the media crush of, say, a Ben Wallace on Monday. So Memo used the downtime to go one-on-one against Jordan. Jordan Dumars, that is.
The 13-year-old is the son of Pistons legend Joe Dumars, and it shows on the court. While undersized, the young Dumars held his own against Okur, even though he gave up roughly a foot to the talented Pistons big man. At one point in the game after hitting a long 3-pointer, Okur turned to another young kid on the court and exclaimed, "Face! You saw that ... You saw that ..." (OK, so Okur was kidding. But he was still pretty fired up about the dialing in from distance.)
After the game ended, Dumars said that he wasn't sure who actually won. "We didn't keep score in that one," he said.
Jordan said he plays the various Pistons pretty often, and when asked who was the toughest to match up against, he was very quick to answer.
"Chauncey Billups is the toughest," he said. "He's too quick."
Considering that Billups torched the Lakers for 22 in Game 1, maybe Phil Jackson and company should consider bringing on the younger Dumars as a scout.
OVERHEARD II
"It's hell, it's torture. It's a funny feeling just to push a guy like that and realize you're not as strong as you think you are. I just cross my fingers and pray I don't get hurt."
--Detroit's Corliss Williamson on what it's like to guard Shaq
THE FRESH PRINCE OF COMPTON
Prior to Monday's practice, Pistons defensive wonder Tayshaun Prince paid a visit to his old high school in Compton, Dominguez High School. Prince led the school to the 1997 California state championship, and played his senior year ('98) with then-freshman, now-Bull Tyson Chandler on what could have been the longest boys high-school team since ... well, ever.
Prince, who played all four years at the University of Kentucky, talked to the kids about staying in school. He said he was most influenced by his older siblings who graduated from college.
Touring his alma mater accompanied by an NBA Entertainment TV crew, Prince ran into his old teachers and guidance counselors and also met up with his coach Russell Otis, who's still drawing up the plays at Dominguez.
Maybe Otis could give the Lakers some advice on how to score on Prince. Doesn't seem like they've been able to figure it out for themselves so far.
 All the Lakers had a tough time stopping Chauncey Billups in Game 1. (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty Images) |
Shaq may be Superman, but even he had Superfriends at the Hall of Justice.
As the Pistons showed with their 12-point Game 1 win, they're going to make Lakers other than Shaq and Kobe beat them. And that's smart, because the initial returns show that the other Lakers can't.
With a combined 59 points, Shaq and Kobe scored 78.6 percent of the Lakers' final tally of 75 points.
You couldn't fault Shaq. He scored 34 points on 13-for-16 shooting from the field, going 8-for-12 from the line and grabbing 11 boards, Shaq did everything he could. Kobe tried. As I mentioned earlier in the blog, the Lakers benefit when Kobe is efficient, opponents benefit when Kobe keeps chucking.
Kobe took 27 shots to get 25 points. And those were 25 tough points as Detroit's Tayshaun Prince hounded Bryant all night long.
And let's give some credit to the Pistons. They delivered a complete skull crackin' to the Lakers that few thought they could deliver.
Heading into Game 2 on Tuesday (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC), let's look at some the Game 1 storylines.
FOR THE LAKERS...
The ring's the thing
It is, is it? Simply put, if Karl Malone and Gary Payton want rings, they're going to need to contribute. Combined, Payton and Malone had nearly as many fouls (six) as they did points (seven).
Need some relief
Whither the Lakers' bench? L.A.'s reserves mustered only four points (two from Derek Fisher and two from Slave Medvedenko), were an anemic 1-for-12 from the field and could only provide the starters 46 total minutes of relief. Kobe played 47 minutes, Shaq played 45 and Malone played 44. That's a lot of work for a loss.
Dish and swish
The Lakers had a paltry 15 assists. The more the Lakers get everyone involved, the better chance they have at breaking down the Pistons defense. As it was, the Lakers appeared listless on offense and even less energetic on defense. An ugly display on both ends.
FOR THE PISTONS...
Maintain the status quo
If the Pistons can defend, shoot and hustle as they did in Game 1 for the whole series, they'll be holding a parade in Motown and not in Tinseltown.
That's a big if, of course. But this is what the Pistons have been doing all season long.
Get Hamilton going
Hamilton received the same treatment Bryant did. If it wasn't Bryant hounding Hamilton, it was Rush or Fisher. Or it was a double-team. The Pistons know they were fortunate to win with Rip being something less than rip roaring with 12 points on 5-for-16 shooting.
Billups fills it up
The Pistons didn't suffer from Hamilton's sub-par offensive night because of Billups. We said it before the game: Watch out for Billups (my last nyah-nyah of the night). Stronger and quicker than Gary Payton, Billups had 22 points, four assists and was able to get into the lane to break down the Lakers defense when he wanted to. The Lakers may want to concentrate on stopping the Pistons backcourt and let Rasheed Wallace and Tayshaun Prince beat them.
Déjà vu
Larry Brown finds himself in the same position this Finals as he did in 2001 when he was Sixers coach. Up 1-0, the Sixers would lose the next four. Brown addressed that after the game.
"I don't want them satisfied and feeling their oats because we won one game."
 Robert Parish and Clyde Drexler made time to talk to us. (NBAE/Getty Images) |
It's not often you get Hall of Famers to give you a minute, but Robert Parish and Clyde Drexler gave us -- and you -- a little more than that. They took the time to answer your e-mails. Here's a sample.
Robert Parish
Q: Since you played with both teams, between Larry's Celtics and MJ's Bulls, which team would win in a seven-game series and why? (Fahmid, Rochester, N.Y.)
Parish: "I think the Celtics would win, especially the '85-'86 team because of the talent and the depth. Michael Jordan basically had two, maybe three, players he could depend on night in and night out, while we had like five or six guys, including our bench. I think the bench would be the difference in that series."
Clyde Drexler
Q: What are the X-factors in the series? (Chris, Ky.)
Drexler: "The X-factors are going to be Elden Campbell, Corliss Williamson and Chauncey Billups for the Pistons. For the Lakers, Kareem Rush, Karl Malone and Gary Payton. If those guys produce for the Lakers, it's going to be a very easy series for them, because Kobe and Shaq are the two best players in the league. If they get any help, it could be really easy. But if they don't, and the guys from the Pistons step it up, I think the Pistons could actually upset the Lakers. Campbell's defense on Shaq is big, because if you double-team with a bigger guy, it's going to present problems for the Lakers."
You can read the rest here.
 Derek Fisher tries to make Chauncey Billups work on defense. (Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images) |
I know, I know, I sound like a Shaq groupie, but the man's a force. With 20 points and six boards, he's the reason the Lakers lead 41-40 at halftime. That's just typical Shaq. With a Finals 34.2 ppg average in The Finals, Shaq is second to Rick Barry's 36.3 ppg Finals average. (You thought it was Jordan, didn't you? He's third with 33.6 ppg).
What's not typical Shaq is his free throw shooting. Or shall I say shot-putting. Yet, Shaq has improved his free throw shooting each round of the postseason. He was. 295 against the Rockets, .435 against the Spurs and .452 for conference finals against the Wolves. He could reach the lofty 50 percent at this rate. If he keeps shooting 8-for-12, as he did in the first half, he could surpass it.
Pistons fans shouldn't despair, however. Rasheed Wallace picked up two quick fouls and played only eight minutes. Pistons coach Larry Brown may have been tempted to send Sheed back in, but he resisted the urge. They need Sheed in the second half.
Gary Payton has had trouble sticking with Chauncey Billups. Payton picked up his third just before halftime.
Other interesting stats from the first half:
Karl Malone and Gary Payton are scoreless, but not Corliss as the Pistons bench has outplayed the Lakers' bench. Corliss Williamson tallied seven points and Elden Campbell played 13 tough minutes in Sheed's stead.
The only Piston not to play. Darko Milicic.
The Pistons have eight assists, the Lakers four.
Let's see what the second half holds.
 Shaq Daddy or Mack Daddy? (Catherine Steenkeste/NBAE/Getty Images) |
Elden Campbell. Who knew? Chauncey Billups. I knew. (OK, I'll stop that.)
Anyway, the Pistons have missed a ton of easy shots (Ben Wallace, what's with the up and under on the break. Slam it!) and five free throws, miscues that teams rue when they lose by two. The Pistons should be up by 10.
Jen Nelson, my blog compatriot, noted that the Lakers have not held the lead in the first quarter. Also, I know the Lakers have classic gold home uniforms, but I find the white unis they're wearing tonight more striking.
By the way, if you get a chance, hop over to Victor Williams' blog, written today. It's hi-larious. By the way, Victor, the woman in Black Eyed Peas, that's Fergie and I agree.
Just some random observations at STAPLES Center just before game time.
God, I love basketball. One of the cool things about being at The Finals is the NBA.commers have media passes that give us access to everything short of team meetings. We can even walk across the court.
Am I telling you this because I want to make you jealous? No, that's not it. Well, not really. I just wanted to let you know there may be an opening here.
Whenever I get close to a court, I must resist the urge to ask (in this case it was Luke Walton) if I can shoot around. Before the game, a couple of Walton's errant shots bounded beyond the baseline and I retrieved them. It took every urge not to shoot it. Every urge. Because if I did, I'd be fired from the job that puts me close enough to do such a thing.
So, if you see an opening for features editor at NBA.com, you'll know why.
P.S. The difference in this series, besides Shaq for the Lakers, will be Chauncey Billups. If he can get going, that'll be trouble for the Lakers.
 Kobe, flying solo, meeting the media on Saturday. Sunday, he took the court alone as well. (Andrew Bernstein/NBAE/Getty Images) |
It's game day and we go from Purple Rain to where Purple reigns. (Sorry, bad pun.) We arrived at STAPLES Center in downtown L.A. around 3 p.m. PT, about three hours before tipoff, to find 21 people on the court: 20 Lakers Girls and one All-Star.
As the Lakers Girls shimmied and shook to Jet's "Are You Gonna Be My Girl?," Kobe Bryant was the lone player on the floor. Kobe alone? That's nothing new.
He shot and shot and shot some more. He shot from beyond the arc. He posted up an imaginary defender and sank turnaround jumpers. He shot free throws. Every once in a while he'd politely sidestep a Lakers Girl who had moved into his way and then calmly sink another jumper.
Then NBA TV's Fred Carter, a former teammate of Bryant's dad, Joe, in Philly, appeared. Kobe and Mad Dog man hugged (clasping right hands as if they were to arm wrestle and throwing their left hands around each others' back -- man hug). They chatted.
And then Carter asked if he could take a couple shots. Carter placed everyone in the wayback machine and took us a time when he was with the 1973 Sixers, who went an NBA-record worst 9-73. With his suit coat on, Carter clanked his first six shots from 15 feet as Kobe letting out an "Oh!" after each shot. Carter finally hit one before missing his last shot. Kobe said something to Carter and then moved out to 27 feet and swished a set shot. Carter bowed to Kobe, giving Jellybean's son his props.
As far as our position in the STAPLES Center, let's just say our seats are so high up in the rafters, our Sherpa guide had reservations about leading us to our seats. We do have a bird's eye view (we're about 100 feet above the STAPLES Center scoreboard), but we're not complaining. We're at The Finals. There's no place we'd rather be and we're honored to share this blog with you.
 Prince doesn't like the Lakers any more than ... well, Prince. But both are playing in L.A. this week. (Andrew Bernstein, Jesse Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images) |
We're hours away from tip-off of The Finals, and, trust us, there will be plenty of hoops to consume in the coming days. But seeing as how we're in Los Angeles, entertainment capital of the world, we decided to let someone slightly more adept at working a crowd than ourselves start the smack-talking.
None other than Prince rocked the STAPLES Center last night, and even the All-Star rocker had hoops on the brain last night. Here's how the Minneapolis native challenged the (ostensibly) pro-Lakers crowd to step up their applause last night, reporting courtesy of one of our intrepid .com reporters:
The packed house was generally boisterous and energetic throughout the show. But during one call-and-response segment when Prince felt the crowd wasn't being sufficiently vocal, the Minneapolis native playfully chided the STAPLES denizens in NBA terms, suggesting he knew they could be louder because he had been "watching on television when you whupped my Timberwolves!"
The decibels soon cascaded to the levels of a Kobe-Shaq alley-oop, at which point Prince indicated that that was more like it, but that he was "still mad at y'all for beating the Wolves."
Perhaps the Lakers should consider suiting Prince up for The Finals. Not only does he look good in purple -- and, if Chappelle's Show is any indication, he possesses a killer crossover -- but he might also have the stamina to help chase Rip Hamilton around the court, considering he followed up his STAPLES show with two more hours of funk into the wee hours at the House of Blues on Sunset Boulevard.
And don't forget to visit The Finals Blog throughout the Lakers-Pistons series. We'll be reporting from Los Angeles and Detroit, both out on the scene and live at the arena. In fact, during tonight's games, we'll be interviewing NBA legends Clyde Drexler and Robert Parish. So send your questions in now for Glide and Chief. We'll get answers to the best of the bunch.
