Don't expect Detroit to play as poorly in game 2 as they did in game 1. The Pistons won the game, but after the game Chauncey Billups said they played bad enough to lose.
For the Cavaliers to have a chance of reaching the NBA Finals they need to steal the close games and especially on the road. The Cavs are 0-12 in game 1's on the road in playoff history, so losing Monday was no big surprise.
Despite making 6 three's in game 6 versus New Jersey, Donyell Marshall couldn't knock down the open look to put the Cavaliers up late in game 1.
Billups hit key baskets and free throws in the 4th quarter Monday, but will need to cut down on turnovers if the Pistons want to avoid another close game (Billups had 7 TO's and only 5 assists in game 1).
LeBron James didn't attempt a free throw, but that didn't change the overall outcome of the game. His free throw shooting is one part of his game that needs the most work. Let's face it; the Cavs should have the lead in the series even after shooting just 37% from the floor in game 1. The Cavs should have a lead in this series even without LBJ shooting FT's, being aggressive or only shooting 3 times in the 4th. The Pistons snuck out of game 1 with a win, and Marshall's miss could cost the Cavs a trip to the Finals.
The Detroit Pistons are 9-0 in their last 9 playoff series when they win game 1.
It's obvious that winning the first game of a playoff series is vital, not just psychologically but statistically. The Pistons want to go ahead 2-0 because 96% of teams a 2-0 advantage in a conference finals have won the series. 56 of the past 58. You could have pretty much punched the Pistons NBA Finals ticket after game 1. And if Detroit wins tonight - Pistons fans can rest assured their making it back to the Finals after missing out last year to Miami.
LeBron and Cleveland did get help from Anderson Varejao and Larry Hughes who each scored 13 points. And Zydrunas Ilgauskas contributed 22 points and 13 rebounds. But if the Pistons emphasize stopping James on defense, the Cavs role players need to step up.
In game 1 the Cavs bench raised concern. If Cleveland considers itself the best team in the Eastern Conference they need to get production from every guy on the roster. The loss in game 1 can be credited to a lot of things: James' lack of shots, James' lack of free throw attempts, Marshall's miss, Richard Hamilton, the Pistons defense, the Pistons in general.
It might have been a different story had Drew Gooden done more than score 6 points and pull down 5 rebounds (he leads the team in rebounds per game with 8.5). The Cavs also need a better game 2 from Sasha Pavlovic and Eric Snow. Pavlovic had 9 points on 14 shots in the first game, but didn't tally a rebound, assist, steal or block and was 0/2 from the FT line. Sasha leads the Cavs in 3 pt % at about 40% but has gone 10/33 in the post-season. Eric Snow had just 1 point and 3 assists in 16 minutes of action. Snow has Eastern Conference championship experience and must perform better if the Cavs want to even the series.
Despite the game 1 defeat, the Cavaliers have a lot to look positively on. They did grab 18 offensive rebounds leading to 17 second chance baskets. They did almost win even after LeBron's worst playoff scoring output in his young career. And if Marshall makes that 3 pointer with 3 seconds left, the Cavs win, LeBron gets a triple double and Cleveland leads the series.
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