Posted on Mon, Feb. 27, 2006
Pistons make it rough on Cavs
Losing streak hits three after thorough beating
By Brian Windhorst
Beacon Journal sportswriter
<!-- begin body-content -->AUBURN HILLS, MICH. - There were flying elbows, technical fouls and Cavalier blood spilled on the court. And that was all before the game was two minutes old.
When you visit the Detroit Pistons in their pulsating environment and taste their no-nonsense will, it promises to be an unpleasant experience whether it's a warm June evening or a chilly sunny Sunday afternoon in February. The Cavs took it like men, falling 90-78.
The Pistons (46-9) made everything uncomfortable, as is their style, not allowing so much as a pass, forget a shot, to go uncontested. It did more than fluster the Cavs (32-24), who have now lost three in a row; it discombobulated them.
For much of the game, the Cavs' offense was a mess, not unlike the top of Zydrunas Ilgauskas' head. After hitting the always volatile Rasheed Wallace with an elbow fighting for position in the game's early going, Wallace slammed Ilgauskas on the head as he tried to get to the basket.
Ilgauskas appeared to catch the edge of some tape on Wallace's arm as it swiped by, ripping two gashes in his head and opening a river of crimson down his forehead and cheek. The officials called a flagrant foul and Ilgauskas headed off for five stitches as ballboys mopped up the carnage.
Consider it a metaphor for what followed.
With Rasheed obviously meaning business and Ben Wallace patrolling the basket with the ferocity of a wet and hungry junkyard dog, the Cavs were not exactly inclined to swarm around the hoop. The result was some sloppy play and sometimes mindless and defensive-looking jumpers. It took the Cavs 15 minutes of court time just to score their first 20 points.
Had the two sides not cleared the benches to be ready for tonight's rematch in Cleveland, the Cavs might not have cracked the 70-point barrier.
``They did a nice job of taking us out of our offense,'' Cavs coach Mike Brown said. ``We're going to have to do a better job of execution in the halfcourt and taking care of the basketball.''
The details are devilish if you're a Cavs fan. The Pistons forced 20 turnovers about 10 different ways. Sometimes it came by trapping an unsuspecting Cavs guard when he crossed halfcourt. Sometimes it was theft of a loose bounce pass. Sometimes it was just pure highlights and hustle.
Ben Wallace was always involved, blocking five shots to go with four steals, 19 rebounds and 11 points.
``He's quick, he's athletic, he's strong, he's tenacious,'' Brown said of Big Ben. ``When you have that type of athlete with that type of killer instinct, it's tough. You're afraid to drive the basketball because he's in there.''
Guards Lindsey Hunter, Richard Hamilton and Chauncey Billups combined for five steals with starters Billups and Hamilton combining for 41 points as well.
However, Tayshaun Prince owned the memorable defensive play, bursting from behind to swat the ball away from Eric Snow as he thought he was harmlessly going for an uncontested fast-break layup.
Prince also inadvertently kicked LeBron James in the right shin in the third quarter, briefly knocking him from the game. James had 22 points, nine rebounds and seven assists but he got little help from his teammates.
The Cavs couldn't get Ilgauskas into the game until too late, with nine of his 15 points coming in the fourth quarter. The rest of the starters combined for just 14 points. Flip Murray had 17 points off the bench, but it was far from enough to save the day.
It also didn't help that the Cavs had a second consecutive dreadful game at the foul line, making just 13-of-23 tries.
