Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Pistons power past Spurs

June 17, 2005 13:09 IST

Chauncey Billups and Lindsay Hunter scored 17 points apiece to lead seven Pistons players in double-digits as Detroit trounced the San Antonio Spurs 102-71 in Game Four of the NBA Finals on Thursday.

The Pistons dominated the Spurs for the second straight game, tying the best-of-seven series 2-2, with both teams recording lopsided wins at home to split the opening four games of the series.

For the second contest in a row, the Pistons broke out of their defensive mould to score heavily against a shell-shocked Spurs rearguard.

"That's really not us," Billups said in a courtside interview.

"But when our defense is clicking, you never know how much we can score."

Hunter agreed.

"We got a lot of guys that can score, so tonight was my night," he said.

Game Five of the series is at The Palace of Auburn Hills on Sunday before the teams return to San Antonio.

The Pistons grabbed a 23-17 advantage after one quarter and cheered on by a boisterous home crowd, pulled away to lead 51-36 at the half.

Detroit increased the margin to as many as 19 points in the third quarter and led 74-57 heading into the fourth.

The Spurs made 14 turnovers in the first three quarters to just three for Detroit as the Pistons continued to pour it on in the final quarter, stretching their lead to over 30 points.

Tim Duncan led the Spurs with 16 points and 16 rebounds.

 

Roger Lajoie
Source: REUTERS
© Copyright 2024 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of Reuters content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.