來源: http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2007/insider/ columns/story?columnist=thorpe_david&page=ScoutingMagicPistons-Game4 Scouts Inc. update: Magic vs. Pistons, Game 4 Insider Thorpe By David Thorpe Scouts Inc. Archive ‧ Magic-Pistons series scouting report | Series page With his team up one point as the second quarter was coming to a close, Tayshaun Prince of Detroi hit a long shot that went through the net with two seconds left on the clock. Instead of just trotting back on defense to passively watch the Magic chuck up a long-shot heave, Chauncey Billups sprung up to the baseline to deny the easy inbounds pass to Jameer Nelson. Hedo Turkoglu, trying to make a play, threw the ball down the floor, only to see Prince hustle to intercept it. Billups, seeing the steal, quickly popped out to the wing and then took the pass from Prince, launching the shot just before the buzzer sounded. Swish ... and the Pistons went from up one to up six. The Magic never got closer than three the rest of the way. Why am I even describing this play, when the Pistons ended up winning by double figures? Because that is exactly the kind of play that this Pistons team must make to reach their potential, and quite possibly, gain another shot at a ring. The Pistons on cruise control is a recipe for failure, but the Pistons alert and focused with every clock tick is a dangerous and talented team. Orlando started the game well, getting Howard dunks in transition and using ball-screens to open up lanes for Nelson. And the game "felt" uptempo to those of us who were there ... exactly what Orlando needed to give themselves a chance. The Pistons got sucked into that tempo, then resorted to referee-bashing and even some coach bashing on their own sidelines. But Prince did a masterful job calming his teammates while slowing down Grant Hill. And Detroit might have learned a valuable lesson in the first half ... they are not a team that needs to play with lots of emotion. In fact, it ends up hurting them as guys like Rasheed Wallace lose their sense of purpose and get caught up in the energy of the moment. After halftime, Coach Saunders did an excellent job of mixing up his zone and man looks, throwing the Magic off and settling the Pistons down into a bump-and-grind affair, focused on one possession at a time. Few teams can beat the Pistons in a game like that, and the Magic are not one of them. The series is all about Detroit now. The Magic have lost when they played well, and were beaten badly when they didn't. Detroit, for the first time this series, had the look of a team on a mission. They are keenly aware of their collective age, and the importance of getting rest during the playoffs. As much as Orlando will "play for pride," and as loud as their fans can scream and yell and boo Wallace, Detroit is equally interested in going home and rooting for the Bulls-Heat series to last awhile. Dwight Howard seems particularly dejected, though I expect him to bring his best game on Saturday. The trouble is, Detroit has so many big bodies to crowd him. After playing just four minutes in Game 1 and getting a DNP-CD in Game 2, Dale Davis was given 15 minutes to slog around with Howard, giving the other bigs some needed rest. After being outscored by Orlando in the fourth quarter of both games in Detroit, the Pistons won the fourth quarter of Game 3, in some part to the rest that Davis afforded Chris Webber and Wallace. This will be a key in Game 4, as Orlando's crowd will work to will their team to avoid a sweep if the game is tight down the stretch. A rested Pistons crew can again dominate in crunch time, and earn even more rest next week for this older and experienced team. Although these Pistons players have never swept an opponent, which led me to predict a five-game series, Detroit's businesslike approach to the second half of Game 3 has influenced me to conclude that they have no interest in playing a Game 5. Detroit will come out sharing the ball and competing as a single unit, ending the series before sundown Saturday night. PREDICTION: Detroit wins Game 4 -- "We'll see them bandwagon ass-cats come May and June," - Rasheed Wallace --

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