[Detroit News]

ROB PARKER: Rasheed might go Buck wild tonight
When you look up "mismatch" in the dictionary, there's a picture of Wallace and Bucks power forward Andrew Bogut, a poor rookie, no less.

"We have to get him the ball," point guard Chauncey Billups said. "He presents a matchup problem for them. No one can guard him."

Pistons Notebook: McDyess' extra playing time doesn't bother Ben Wallace
"McDyess was loose and he was playing well," Wallace said. "We don't need me going out there. I thought he was doing a nice job on the boards, he was playing well on the defensive end. The group that was out there was playing well, they were feeding off each other. So I didn't think I needed to be out there and shake things up a little bit or change up the rhythm of the game."

.... [Amir] Johnson, who is 6-foot-9, came behind Wilson, put his hands on his shoulders, and jumped straight over an unbowed Wilson with ease. Johnson had enough clearance to get his baggy shorts well over Wilson's head. And Wilson is 6-4.

"That was pretty impressive," Wilson said, laughing. "I'm glad he made it, otherwise I would be pretty unhappy with him crashing down on top of me." [Belated Happy Birthday to Amir, who turned 19 on Wednesday.]

Chris McCosky's Game 5 Preview
Over the last two games Bucks rookie Andrew Bogut has taken several shots away from the play at Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess. He elbowed McDyess in the throat after a made free throw late in Game 4. McDyess retaliated by throwing an elbow of his own and drew a technical foul.

Bobby Simmons, who is playing despite an injured leg and clearly not up to game speed, has had do a lot of clutching and grabbing to keep up with Tayshaun Prince or whoever he might be guarding. Michael Redd , too, has been a pest. He and Richard Hamilton have been exchanging elbows and knees all series. In Game 4, Redd, driving in for a layup, led with his feet, Bruce Lee-style and kicked Prince hard in the groin.

[Detroit Free Press]

Pistons would dearly love to finish off the Bucks tonight
"When you get the opportunity to close a team out, you just have to come out with a lot of energy early," Ben Wallace said. "You just have to go out there and withstand some of their energy, play through it, and hopefully they'll wear themselves down."

A victory tonight would bring the Pistons a lot of positives. Not only would they win the series and move one step closer to their goal -- getting back to the NBA Finals -- they would get extra rest while the other three East series stretch to at least six games.

Pistons Corner: Foul trouble plagues Big Ben
As playoff series go deeper and deeper, opponents can get mighty sick of one another. That's where the extra chippiness -- the pushing, the shoving, the smack talk and even the flagrant fouls -- suddenly appears.

Four games in, though, Pistons center Ben Wallace has yet to feel any animosity toward the Milwaukee Bucks.

Bucks Corner: Crosshairs don't faze Bucks
"It's kind of the story of the season," backup guard Charlie Bell said. "Have a great game and not being able to build on it."

[Bucks Diary]

Bobby Simmons steals money
Just out of curiosity I looked up the salary information for the Detroit Pistons and the Milwaukee Bucks. Half surprisingly, I found out the Bucks have a slightly higher payroll than the Pistons. What a bargain those Bucks were. For roughly one million dollars more, they delivered 22 less wins than the Pistons. The Senator must have fun writing some of those payroll checks. No wonder no one will buy the team.

Pistons free throw paradox
Three things are making the difference for the Pistons in this series: deadly jump shooting, terrific interior defense, and by far the largest free throw disparity in the 2006 NBA playoffs.

Amir Johnson can jump

It'll be a surprise if Amir Johnson is active for a single game in the playoffs, let alone plays a meaningful minute, but that doesn't mean that he's not making the news. Joanne Gerstner from the Detroit News reports:
For Pistons rookie Amir Johnson , it was no big deal. But it was a different story [...]

They got their game in

Said Rasheed Wallace to the Associated Press, "Like I said before, today [Monday] was the last game in this building for this year. I told you all that before: They got their game in."

Just hanging out at the Buck pole

Game 5 is moments from tip-off! Feel free to make your in-game comments here — hopefully a combination of some Pistons banter and ESPN's GameCast will help out those unlucky fans stuck by a computer without any access to a TV.




Ball Don't Lie Bogut

Everyone knows Sheed's "Ball Don't Lie" catch phrase, but each time he says it, it comes out with a little more flair than the last time. You know your saying is getting big when your own coach adopts it. Click here to see Flip in action.




Pistons count on experience to win close-out games
Next game: Tonight vs. Milwaukee, 6 p.m. TNT and Channel 20
By A. Sherrod Blakely

AUBURN HILLS -- The Detroit Pistons can be a greedy bunch at times, often gobbling up wins like a school of piranhas trapped in an all-you-can-eat meat market.


Pistons 122, Bucks 93
By LARRY LAGE
The Associated Press

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) — Richard Hamilton played like he desperately wanted a break.

The guard with the face mask had a playoff-career high 40 points Wednesday night and the Detroit Pistons tied a franchise postseason scoring record in the first quarter in a 122-93 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 5.

Rasheed Wallace scored 22 points and keyed an 18-2 run after halftime for the two-time defending Eastern Conference champions, who won the best-of-seven series and advanced to the second round of the playoffs.





Foul trouble is keeping 'Big Ben' fresh
By DAVID BIRKETT

AUBURN HILLS - It's a week and a half into the playoffs, the Pistons are on the verge of closing out their first-round series with the Bucks, and Ben Wallace feels as fresh as a bed of roses. What gives?

"I only played two games," Wallace said.

Actually, Wallace has played four, but it doesn't seem like it, considering foul trouble limited him to 56 minutes in games 3 and 4 combined.

Wallace played just 27 minutes Monday, and not at all in the fourth quarter, when the Pistons pulled away for a 109-99 win. He played 29 minutes in Game 3. In both games, he picked up two fouls early in the first half and finished with one point overall.


Pistons look to move on
By DANA GAURUDER

AUBURN HILLS - The Pistons can reap numerous benefits by finishing off the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 5 tonight.

They can give themselves at least three days off to prepare for the Eastern Conference playoff semifinals. They can give Richard Hamilton's sore ankle and thigh some extra rest. They can decrease the chances of Rasheed Wallace receiving another technical. And they can avoid another trip to Milwaukee, where the sun apparently never shines.

[NBA.com]

Hamilton Sends Pistons to Conference Semis
AUBURN HILLS, Mich., May 3 (Ticker) -- Richard Hamilton delivered an early knockout blow to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Hamilton scored a playoff career-high 40 points as the Detroit Pistons coasted to a 122-93 rout of the Bucks to close out their Eastern Conference first-round series in five games.

Postgame Quotes
Rip Hamilton: “Before the game Arnie (Kander) told me ‘Rip, I’m not going to tie you up as tight’. We went with no patch on my thigh. My ankle, we kind of taped it just like a normal tape job. He said he didn’t really want to have me restrained. He wanted me to just go out there and play and don’t worry about it and just have confidence in it. I think that really gave me a whole lot of confidence for me to go out there and make plays and make moves and do stuff that I was usually doing.”

Terry Stotts: “They’re the best team in the league during the regular season. Like Flip said earlier in the season, they weren’t playing against us, they were playing against themselves. I think from a basketball standpoint, they have everything you need to win a championship. Obviously they’ve been in the Finals two years in a row. Defensively, they create a lot of problems. Offensively, they have a lot of weapons.”

[CBS Sportsline]

Series: Pistons vs. Bucks
Detroit's first step toward its goal of regaining the NBA title went smoothly, as they looked sharp in all four victories and learned it wasn't invincible in a humbling 20-point defeat. Rip Hamilton's ankle and thigh were the lone health concerns, but he looked pretty loose dropping 40 on the Bucks to close out the series.

[SI.com]

KELLY DWYER: Stotts did little to advance Bucks' cause
Clearly, the Pistons have proved that they're prone to defensive lapses, but -- in terms of potential, at least -- Detroit is still second only to San Antonio when it comes to shutting down the opponent's offense.

Milwaukee also didn't teach us anything in its loss, which is much more distressing. We were hoping the Bucks would find some sort of defensive spark or offensive flow. Instead, coach Terry Stotts' crew cemented its reputation as a bunch that has a lot to figure out -- from the front office on down.

[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel]

Wednesday game report
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Rip Hamilton got on a roll early, scoring 15 of his 40 points in the first quarter. He joined Kelly Tripucka, Dave Bing, Isiah Thomas and Chauncey Billups as the only Pistons players to score 40 or more points in a playoff game.

PLAY OF THE GAME: A three-point basket by Rasheed Wallace with 6:19 left in the first quarter gave Detroit a 15-14 lead and ignited the Pistons' 24-4 lead.

Back to the drawing board
"I'm not in a GM position, but obviously we have to build on what we did this year," Redd said. "We improved from last year to this year, by 10 wins and getting back to the playoffs.

"We ran into a buzz saw in the Pistons. I'm sure management will re-evaluate this summer."

[Bucks Diary]

Live Blog: Third Quarter, Game 5
Turn out the lights, the party's over la la la la.... The Bucks have obviously raised the white flag, they're out there just dickin' around, lolligagging... I knew Hamilton was going to break out, damn it, I should have got it on the record... This thing is pathetic... Have you ever seen such a half effort?... Well, its good to see Hamilton get his game going because I'm pulling for the Pistons the rest of the way... Congrats, Detroit... I think I'm going to go to the Brewers-Astros game... I'll give my end of season recap late tonight... I'm out... Thanks everybody.

[Need4Sheed.com]

Bye Bye Bucks, Pistons Take the Series 4-1
The Pistons now await the winner of the Cleveland - Wizards series, the Cavs leading 3-2 on a overtime buzzer beater by Lebron. Detroit now gets some much needed rest and will play no earlier than Sunday.

I have a couple of gems from the game. First off is Sheed making faces behind Reggie Miller while he does on court pre game commentary. Gotta Love SHEED! The second clip on the video is Tayshaun's little dance he did after he hits the half court shot.

[Fox Sports]

MIKE KAHN: Pistons take care of business at home
Realistically, there was not much more that could have been expected from the Bucks, who barely slithered into the playoffs at 40-42. The Pistons needed them just to keep playing and get some focus as they move on. Short of horrible injuries, little else could have happened to the Pistons.

It's hard to fathom any of the teams in the East giving the Pistons a real run for their money, not with their experience and versatility. Perhaps the only issue they may have is complacency, and that will fall on the shoulders of Flip Saunders in his first year as Pistons coach.

[Detroit News]

R.I.P., Bucks
AUBURN HILLS -- The Bucks tried to punk the wrong guy.

Late in Game 4 on Monday night, Michael Redd, as his team was calling a timeout, ran at an unsuspecting Richard Hamilton and shoved him in the chest.

Pistons game report
The dagger: As if the Bucks weren't demoralized enough, Tayshaun Prince stuck the dagger in deeper at the end of the first quarter and twisted it. Toni Kukoc 's jumper with 1.7 seconds left made it 36-23, but the Pistons weren't through scoring.

Chauncey Billups flipped the ball ahead to Prince, who caught it two steps in front of the timeline. Prince launched a 49-footer that went in -- a three-pointer for a 39-23 lead.

BOB WOJNOWSKI: Good news: Hamilton's hot
The series began with Hamilton wincing and hopping, and some wondering why Flip Saunders wouldn't sit him.

It ended with Hamilton smiling and popping, and Saunders vindicated.

ROB PARKER: They brushed off Bucks, but Pistons can still raise game
As well as the Pistons played in the series, they can play better. That's the scary part. You don't want your team to peak too early in the postseason. You want it to improve during the two months.

Pistons Notebook:
Coach Flip Saunders took a little jab at the networks, as well.

"I think the way we play is ideal for playoff basketball, but maybe it's not the ideal team to put on network television," he said. "It's funny, we've changed the rules the last couple of years to get a game that's more team-oriented, a game where you pass the ball and share the ball, where people aren't standing around watching one guy. We are a team that does that and we always seem to be on the (networks') JV schedule."

Said Rasheed Wallace : "I don't care about that. We ain't got no poster boys, no high fliers like that. I wasn't expecting to be on TV tonight."

Mike O'Hara grades the Pistons
Guards: A
The raw numbers are one-sided: 40 points for Rip Hamilton, 17 for Chauncey Billups, and they outscored Bucks starters Michael Redd and T.J. Ford 57-33. Rip and Chauncey combined to go 5-for-5 on three-pointers, 18-28 from the field and 16-17 from the foul line.

Prince hits Bucks where it hurts most
AUBURN HILLS -- There's a simple barometer to gauge how well the Pistons are doing in a playoff game. Watch Tayshaun Prince.

Pistons rock!
While all sports have tried to broaden interest by fans through game-related entertainment, the NBA has turned its games, especially the playoffs, into one of the greatest shows in an athletic arena.

The Pistons put on a veritable Busby Berkeley-style production replete with dancing girls and dancing smoke, knee-buckling explosions and stuttering announcers.

[Detroit Free Press]

Venison sausage
Like Joe Louis knocking out Max Schmeling, or Aretha Franklin bringing down the house with a throaty wail, the way the Pistons win closeout games has become a part of Detroit lore.

The Pistons never let the Milwaukee Bucks find their rhythm Wednesday night in Game 5 of their first-round NBA playoff series. They never let their scorching shooters find their timing. They never let their runners see open floor. And they never let the Bucks' final hope find reality.

Pistons Corner: Looser bandages let Hamilton rip
"Arnie told me, 'Rip, I'm not going to tie you up as tight,' " Hamilton said. "We went with no patch on my thigh. My ankle, we kind of taped it just like a normal tape job. He said he didn't want to have me restrained. He wanted me to go out there and play and not worry about it and just have confidence in it."

MITCH ALBOM: This time the best team actually won
This is why basketball isn't hockey. Because the No. 1 seed really is better than the No. 8 seed. Because while major upsets are possible, they are not expected. Because the game doesn't hinge on one suddenly hot goalie, but on a team that puts it together as a team -- and puts the lesser team away.

DREW SHARP: Rip's outburst makes the Pistons even scarier
The Pistons don't need one guy beating you, and they would prefer that such responsibilities never fall upon a single individual. But they unleashed another dimension in their Game 5 clincher Wednesday -- the lone unstoppable force.

"It might turn a few heads if people see somebody on our team scoring 40," said Lindsey Hunter. "That's not what we're usually about. But he did it all within the flow of our offense, which feeds off our defense. It makes it fun, doesn't it?"

Delk is riveted by compelling playoffs
"I've been watching all the games," Delk said. "I don't think there's one particular series that stands out. You don't know who you might play. We have to take care of tonight's game, then worry about watching tomorrow or whenever for the next team we have to play."

[NBA.com]

NBA Finals: Pistons lose in 7 games
[Okay, so it was the Fort Wayne Pistons and the 1955 Finals. But NBA.com has added some pretty cool stuff under their "Encyclopedia" home page tab, and you should check it out. Player fights! Fan fights! Colorful coaches! Referee screw jobs! And the Pistons done in by a bowling tournament!]

Jerky for everyone! Pistons hunt down Bucks

Detroit's complete domination in Game 5 was one of the most predictable events in recent memory. No offense to the Bucks, who were quite competitive in Games 3 and 4, but the Pistons don't believe in second chances when a series is on the line: Wednesday's win marked the 11th time in 12 opportunities that [...]




Let 'er Rip!
Hamilton puts hurt on Bucks in easy clincher
by DANA GAURUDER

AUBURN HILLS - His left ankle rested in a tub of ice water. His right thigh was tightly wrapped in a bandage. Richard Hamilton's body throbbed Monday night and his spirit was only slightly less wounded. "I'm beat up," he said then in the visitors' locker room at Milwaukee's Bradley Center. "I'm just trying to fight through it." Some 48 hours later, the words battered, bruised and defeated could once be associated with Hamilton. The difference was that Hamilton transferred the pain to Milwaukee. Pummeling the eighthseeded Bucks with a playoff-career high 40 points by the end of the third quarter, a re-energized Hamilton carried the Pistons to the Eastern Conference playoff semifinals. With their top offensive threat back in top form, the Pistons pounded the defenseless Bucks, 122-93, and knocked them out the playoffs.


Pistons don't care who they play
by DANA GAURUDER

AUBURN HILLS - The Pistons don't care which team they play in the Eastern Conference semifi nals. They just want their opponent to be worn out by the time the second round begins.

They will play either Cleveland or Washington in the semis. That series will last at least six games, with Game 6 scheduled for Friday and a possible Game 7 on Sunday.

"They both have great scorers in LeBron (James) and Gilbert Arenas," Richard Hamilton said. "To us, we just want to sit back and let them beat each other up. It doesn't really matter who we play, just let them beat each other up."





Pistons Playoff Primer
PISTONS PLAYOFF PRIMER

Highlights of the Detroit Pistons' 122-93 NBA playoff victory against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday night:

Key play: With less than a second to play in the second quarter, Tayshaun Prince nailed a 3-pointer from beyond halfcourt. It was one of the first of many big shots made by the Pistons.


Rasheed Wallace again shows why teams struggle to defend him
by A. Sherrod Blakely

AUBURN HILLS -- The Detroit Pistons had plenty of mismatches to exploit during their first-round playoff series with the Milwaukee Bucks.

However, there was one player, Rasheed Wallace, who seemed to present the greatest challenges for the Bucks throughout the series.

And Wallace, true to form, had another strong performance in Detroit's 122-93 series-clinching win.


Hamilton just keeps on shooting
by Bill Khan

AUBURN HILLS -- The shots weren't falling, but neither was Richard Hamilton's confidence.

His mindset remains the same, regardless of his shooting statistics. After all, he's been filling up NBA nets for too long to let a few shaky games get to him.

Hamilton's belief in his ability was rewarded handsomely Wednesday night, as he scored all of his career-high 40 points in the first three quarters of the Detroit Pistons' 122-93 rout of the Milwaukee Bucks at The Palace.


Pistons show the Bucks they're tough to beat, advance in playoffs
by A. Sherrod Blakely

AUBURN HILLS -- When the Detroit Pistons play well offensively, they can make life miserable for their opponents. When they crank up the defense, they become downright unbearable.

The Milwaukee Bucks felt the brunt of both on Wednesday, as Detroit put together its most complete performance of the postseason in a 122-93 pummeling of the Bucks that closed out their first-round playoff series. The 122 points were the most by a Pistons team in the playoffs since they scored 145 against Boston on May 24, 1987.

"We knew what we had to do," said Rasheed Wallace, who had 22 points, seven rebounds and four assists. "We just went out there and did it."




Detroit Pistons Second Round Playoff Tickets On Sale Friday

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. --- The Detroit Pistons announce that tickets for Games One and Two of Round Two of the 2006 NBA Playoffs, including 500, $14 tickets for each game, will go on sale Friday, May 5, at Noon. The Pistons will use a random numbering procedure to select the first person in line from those on-site, beginning at 11:30 a.m.





Pistons get 'swept' away in Game 4
by Dan Chalk


Don't worry, Pistons' fans. Your team has not left the television screen.

WNEM-TV5 was able to show Games 2 and 3 of the Detroit Pistons' first-round series with the Milwaukee Bucks, but sweeps month prevented the station from airing a third game on its regular channel. The game was aired, however, on WNEM-HD.

"WNEM is the hero in all this. WNEM took three of our games," said Pistons' senior vice-president of broadcasting Pete Skorich.




An early (and relaxing) summer begins for Bell
by Bill Khan


AUBURN HILLS - Charlie Bell had been one of the Milwaukee Bucks' most reliable scorers in the first four games of the playoffs against the Detroit Pistons.

Why, then, was he sitting at the end of the Bucks' bench in warmups until midway through the third quarter? Bell was wondering the same thing.

"I really don't know what happened," the former Southwestern Academy and Michigan State standout said. "I think the coach was trying to go with the starters a little more, go with Michael (Redd) a little more and try to get this game. We're playing to win. I just had to be ready for whenever he called my name."