Basketblogging Go! Form of...Pistons/Cavs Game 2!

The lede: LeBron played much more aggressively this game and still wound up with the same result.

The game's final play reveals, I think, just why all the hoopla over LeBron's decision to pass rather than shoot in the same spot in Game 1 was so misguided. There's no guarantee his shot goes in. Not with the kind of coverage he's getting. And there's no guarantee he's getting the call either. Not with the refs being inclined to swallow their whistles and “let the players decide the game” (Which is something I've never gotten. If the refs decide not to call a foul, aren't they deciding the game just as much as if they actually do make calls? They're refs, they're paid to influence the game by keeping people from cheating around the rules. By taking away all but the most blatant fouls they give the advantage to a certain kind of play – and the kind that's all about mugging and clutching and grabbing. You know, the dirty stuff. But, I guess they're not going to get as much criticism for a call they didn't make as opposed to one they did.).

The Pistons managed to pull it out thanks to a monstrously clutch performance by 'Sheed. But, really, that game did not leave me with a good feeling about the rest of the series. A game where Maxiell is the best player on the floor (He nearly wound up as Detroit's leading scorer if not for that late spurt by Rasheed.) is not a good one for the Pistons. They kept to the pace they wanted (Nice and slow which is better than trying to run and gun with a team with a player like LeBron.) and, it's true, Cleveland's pretty good defensively (And, for whatever reason, Billups really struggles agaisnt them.) but they're not dominating. And they're certainly capable of it.

We're headed to Cleveland now and with home court advantage, the Cavs could easily have had both of those first two games. The Pistons need to play the way they did in the 3rd quarter the whole game or they could let the Cavs up off the mat. And, you know, actually make some baskets to close the game out at the end.