When you add up our inside scoring, the free throws made when getting fouled going inside, and the scoring from going inside and kicking the ball out to an open man, the Pistons got more inside scoring than Miami in this game. Hard to believe. All game long I am tallying inside scoring for Miami. But only 4 points off kickouts. Thats right, Eddie and Damon Jones work elsewhere.

Here is the data:

Scoring inside, Mia. 52 points on 45 shots Det. 38 points on 28 shots

Misc. F/T's Mia. 2 points Det 9 points

Inside F/T's Mia. 11 points Det 16 points

Kickouts Mia. 4 points on 5 shots Det 17 point on 12 shots

Non-inside Mia. 32 points on 23 shots Det 26 points on 33 shots

Total inside Mia. 67 points on 59 shots Det 71 points on 49 shots

Surpringly, Miami was less efficient with their inside scoring than we were. Miami had 10 more shots either inside the square or from kickouts after the ball went inside the square. But Miami scored less points from their inside play, after you count us getting a more points at the line from busting it inside and forcing the foul.

Conversely, it turns out that Miami was more effiecient from their outside shooting. What gives.

Pretty simple. The Pistons were focusing on their perimeter game, forcing Miami to come out and guard the perimeter. So when we went inside, it was easy buckets for us.

And, on the flip side of things, Miami, due to Shaq especially, forced us to really concentrate on our interior defense, leaving plenty of easy shots for Miami on the outside.

Now, a lot of this was simply Miami shooting better from the outside than we did. I don't think our outside shots were that heavily contested.

Bottom line though, no way you can complain about lack of inside scoring in this game when we outscored Miami from inside play. Despite all the fireworks from Wade, Shaq, and Williams, we used going inside to better advantage than they did.