About Hamilton on the Pistons

After the season, Hamilton and Kobe were invited to participate in the McDonald’s All-Star Game at the same time. Meanwhile, Hamilton decided to don the Connecticut blue and white Huskies jersey and play for Jim Calhoun. In a talent-rich UConn, Hamilton's performance was mediocre at the beginning. But then, relying on accurate and stable shooting and active and effective running, Hamilton began to stand out. Coach Jim Calhoun feels lucky to have a player like Hamilton. Since the team's super shooter and nationally renowned Ray Allen left school to participate in the NBA draft, UConn's backcourt was shared by Hamilton and Deron Shaffer***. Kirk King and freshman Kevin Freeman provided considerable defense and impact for UConn's basket. In the 1996-97 season, a good start of 11 wins and 3 losses made UConn full of confidence. However, as the season progressed, the shortcomings of UConn's youth and inexperience began to show. As a result, in the next 14 games, they achieved the same number of wins as they lost in the first 14 games. But one thing that has to be mentioned is that the absence of King and Moore caused the team to lose two leaders, which was a huge blow to the young UConn. In the NIT stage of the competition, UConn rediscovered itself. They won 4 of 5 games. Throughout the season, in the absence of King and Moore, head coach Calhoun gave full play to Hamilton's offensive ability, which allowed Hamilton to average 25 points per game and score 31 points in a single game twice. Performance. In a game against top team Kansas, he scored 21 points and a valuable 8 assists. This game showed just how versatile Hamilton is.

At the end of the season, the freshman scored 509 points, which was the highest score by a freshman since UConn joined the Big East. In the 1997-98 season, UConn relied on its excellent performance in the NIT to flex its muscles this season. Kirk King has graduated and sophomore Jack Voskuhl has taken his place. His strong defense provides strong protection for the team's interior. As Freeman, Moore and Hamilton mature, their multiple combinations on the offensive end bring endless nightmares to the opponent's defense. Also new to the lineup is Khalid Aami, an excellent point guard from Minnesota. UConn, with its strong lineup, was invincible in the regular season this year. They lead the Big East with a 15-3 record. But they lost to St. John’s in the finals. They entered the NCAA stage as the second seed. With a well-organized lineup, they set their goal to dominate the country. With the strong firepower support of Hamilton and Aimi, UConn encountered almost no strong resistance in the early stages of the game. Ai Ami had a near-perfect performance on the offensive end, and Hamilton's shooting percentage made people wonder whether he used the game as a daily shooting practice: he won two games in March Madness and won two games. Scored 53 points. The game between UConn and its third-round opponent North Carolina is considered a preview of the finals. North Carolina almost eliminated UConn, but Hamilton hit a 12-foot jumper in the final seconds of the game to give UConn a 75-74 victory. Unfortunately, the Huskies ultimately fell to the Tar Heels, losing the game 64-75. Hamilton was selected to the All-American Second Team for his outstanding performance and won the title of Big East Player of the Year after averaging 21.5 points per game. At this time, Hamilton faced two choices: stay in school or participate in the NBA draft. However, after an in-depth communication with head coach Calhoun, Hamilton decided to stay in school and move towards a higher level. Calhoun suggested that Hamilton win the national championship first before considering entering the NBA draft.

Calhoun believes that the national championship experience will play an extremely important role in Hamilton's future. In the 1998-99 season, the NBA encountered labor disputes, and many NBA superstars were unemployed.

At this time, in order to recruit enough players to participate in the World Championships in Greece, the USA Basketball Association planned to select outstanding players from various universities in the United States and include them in the competition list. Hamilton actively participated in the trial, but unfortunately he sprained his right foot, which forced him to rest for several months. The days of not being able to play were very painful for Hamilton. He had never suffered such a serious injury before. At this time, Hamilton even began to lose confidence in his basketball career. What made Hamilton even more painful was that his grandfather, Edward Hamilton, passed away in September 1998 due to terminal lung cancer. During the days away from the stadium, Hamilton spent as much time as possible with his grandfather, recalling the videos of his childhood with his grandfather, and capturing the unforgettable bits and pieces in his memory together. Despite this, he still could not keep his grandfather who always encouraged him, supported him and loved him. The only thing that made the grieving Hamilton feel a little lucky was that his grandfather left peacefully after hearing him say goodbye with tears streaming down his face.

4. Regrouping

After this series of heartbreaking experiences, Hamilton got back on his feet. He dug out the videos of his childhood and watched them over and over again. He conducted a detailed analysis of his performance on the field and comprehensively summarized his strengths and weaknesses. And extract the advantages so that they can be fully utilized in the competition. He carried out physical recovery training in a timely manner and deliberately strengthened strength training to actively prepare for the upcoming 98-99 season.

The 1998-99 season has arrived as scheduled. Calhoun, who won the title of Big East Coach of the Year (this is the fourth time he has won this title in the past 9 years), has placed great expectations on the team. . Voskull and Moore provided enough defense and momentum for the team's interior. Forward Freeman has become one of the team's important offensive options with his continuous offensive ability. Although Aimi is short in stature, he has excellent His speed and skillful dribbling make him the first organizer of the team's tactics. Next, Hamilton, who recovered from injury, improved his data to the level of a top player. In the national college basketball world, his jump shot is the best among all college players, bar none.

His never-ending running makes all opponents who try to follow him throughout the field exhausted and exhausted. Defending Hamilton is a very painful thing: after dozens of minutes of sprinting all over the field, you can't even touch the corners of his clothes, panting and desperately raising your arms to block him, just for hope. Disturb his vision. Then you watch helplessly as he catches the ball, jumps, finger-picks, and hits. This is extremely severe damage to the defender's physical strength and will. At this time, Hamilton still felt the discomfort caused by the injury from time to time. So he asked the coach to reduce his playing time. Fortunately, UConn's deep rotation can fill Hamilton's vacancy better.

In the final six races of the season, Hamilton finally found his rhythm. He averaged 25 points per game and scored a career-high 39 points in a game against Boston College. In the regular season, UConn only lost two games. After that, UConn defeated Seton Hall, Syracuse and St. John’s to advance to the NCAA finals. Hamilton was named to the first team and Freeman was named MVP. Before the NCAA series started, Duke and UConn were considered to be the two strong teams entering the finals. As the top seed in the Western Conference, UConn easily defeated the University of Texas-San Antonio and started their March Madness journey with a 91-66 victory. Hamilton scored 28 points. It is worth mentioning that head coach Calhoun was unable to direct the game in person due to enteritis, but watched the game live on the hotel TV. The next game was against New Mexico, which UConn easily won. The key to winning this game was the misplaced defense arranged by Calhoun. He pitted the 6-foot-7 Hamilton against the 6-foot-3 Kevin Henry. Although Henry scored 22 points, UConn still won due to the inability to solve Hamilton on the defensive end.

Next, UConn faces Iowa and Gonzaga. Kangda, whose hands are so hot, will still eliminate his opponents one by one. Cornell University has made great progress and entered the Final Four.

They faced Ohio State in St. Petersburg, Florida, with Scooney Pine and Michael Reed in the backcourt. Hamilton, who has always aimed to dominate the country, will certainly not miss this opportunity to advance to the finals. During the game, the combination of Hamilton, Aimi and Moore worked together internally and externally and were invincible. They teamed up to block Pine and Reed and continued their terrifying offensive firepower on the offensive end. In the end, UConn won 64-58, with Hamilton scoring 24 points. As expected, the two teams that finally met in the finals were UConn, which is full of talents, and Duke, which has many NBA-level players. Duke's Shane Battier and Elton Brand are regarded as future stars of the NBA. His head coach, Old K, had a close personal relationship with Calhoun. This final is widely considered to be an unprecedented fierce showdown. The Blue Devils played their own style in the first 20 minutes of the game. They led UConn 39-37 at halftime. In the second half, Hamilton came back strong. He scored 27 points. In the middle of the second half, Hamilton's three-pointer gave UConn a 5-point lead. The Blue Devils tied the game with 5 minutes left in the game. However, Hamilton and Aami hit several key shots in the subsequent game, allowing UConn to win 77-74. Hamilton scored 145 points in this series, leading the team. This also helped him win the title of Final Four MOP.

The outstanding performance against the Blue Devils added a lot of weight to Hamilton's entry into the professional league. Many scouts compared him to Pacers superstar Reggie Miller. They have many similarities: thin bodies, stable shots, and tireless running. But Miller’s shooting range is farther than Hamilton’s, but Hamilton’s catch N’ shoot and physical fitness are better than Miller.

5. The birth of a new star

The day of the draft is approaching, and all signs indicate that Hamilton will be selected by the Washington Wizards with the seventh pick. Although the Wizards also have a soft spot for Wally Serbiak, who graduated from Miami of Ohio, the Minnesota Timberwolves, who were drafted higher than the Wizards, also favored the small forward. The draft was held as scheduled at the MCI Center in Washington. When NBA Commissioner David Stern announced the Wizards' selection of Hamilton at No. 7, Hamilton's family applauded loudly. Before officially joining the Wizards, Hamilton joined the Olympic qualifying team, and he was joined by two other college players: Wally Serbiak, who graduated from Miami of Ohio, and Elton Brand, who was born in Duke. Virtue.

In the fall of 1999, Hamilton joined the Washington Wizards who were in chaos. The Wizards have made the playoffs only one of the past 11 years. Currently, new coach Gar Hurd has just taken office. Although the Wizards have many talented players, such as Meese Richmond, Rod Strickland and Juwan Howard, they have not formed a team atmosphere with consistent goals. As expected, in the 1999-00 season, the Wizards ended the regular season with a poor record of 29 wins and 53 losses. In this gloomy season, there were actually two exciting events. The first one was in January 2000, when basketball god Michael Jordan took over the Wizards management. The appearance of the best player in NBA history quickly accumulated a lot of wealth for the Wizards. The second is the breath of fresh air this skinny offensive guard brings. As the backup to former Dream Team member Meese Richmond, Hamilton brought a different feel to the Wizards in limited playing time. Compared with the league's most physically capable, explosive dunks, and Jordan-based offensive guards, Hamilton appears to be slow in movement and soft in style.

In November 1999, Hurd included Hamilton in the starting lineup for the first time. This was a home game against the Seattle SuperSonics. In this game, Hamilton scored 15 points and 4 rebounds.

In the next 12 starts, Hamilton averaged 13.2 points. In an April game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Hamilton scored 26 points in front of his hometown crowd. In the 00-01 season, Emperor Jordan made a prediction of "entering the playoffs." But what is disappointing is that the Wizards only achieved a poor record of 19 wins and 63 losses. Rookie coach Leonard Hamilton couldn't direct veteran Strickland at all, and Howard and Richmond also entered the injured list in February. Jordan made a big trade involving eight players at this time. They introduced Herbert Davis, Courtney Alexander, Christian Laettner, Roy Voight and Eaton Thomas. In this unsatisfactory season, Hamilton remains one of the rare bright spots in the team. He played 78 games, including 42 starts. He averaged 18.1 points per game and ranked 12th in the league in free throw shooting at 86.8%. Hamilton saw an increase in all major technical statistics except blocks. He has been the team's leading scorer 30 times. In a home game against the Golden State Warriors, Hamilton scored 41 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists. This was an outstanding masterpiece early in his career.

In the 01-02 season, Jordan decided to go out in person and play for the Wizards. This future Hall of Famer and the best player in NBA history has injected endless enterprising spirit and tenacious fighting will into the Wizards. Jordan hired his good friend Doug Collins as head coach of the Wizards. Hamilton had to deal with Jordan and Collins. Jordan urged Hamilton to strengthen his skills in all aspects every day, especially defensively, to enhance his game ability. And Collins asked Hamilton to make improvements on the offensive end. Hamilton made significant improvements in both areas. In December 2001, he was selected as the NBA Player of the Week. This week, he scored 30 points in almost each of the four wins. Later, he accidentally strained his right groin during the game, which forced him to sit out several games. But after he recovered from his injury, his sharp offense was still an important source of firepower for the Wizards. In a game against the Sacramento Kings, he scored 33 points; then he scored 31 points against the Portland Trail Blazers. Together, Hamilton, Jordan and Collins pushed the Wizards on the right track. In December, the Wizards had an astonishing 9-game winning streak. In all the games in which Hamilton and Jordan each scored 20 points, the Wizards were undefeated. However, the early surge led to Jordan's physical exhaustion and the team's premature decline. In the end, the Wizards, who ended poorly, still missed the playoffs.

6. Civilian Heroes

In September 2002, the Wizards made adjustments to the team's personnel. Hamilton, who played well last season, has become a significant trade weight for the Wizards. He was sent to the Pistons in exchange for star guard Jerry Stackhouse. Averaging close to 20 points per game, stable offense and defense in each game, and resolute will on the court, Hamilton himself believes that he has become an indispensable and important player for the Wizards. But this transaction shattered his naivety. Betrayal, betrayal... these seemingly cruel words really happened to me. Hamilton came to a new environment and was full of distrust of everything around him. The Pistons sensed Hamilton's discomfort and greeted the lanky guard with a warm and friendly attitude. Gradually, Hamilton felt the warmth of this new home and began to trust everything around him.

Under the control of GM Joe Dumars, the Pistons have won 50 games and won the Central Division title in the 2001-02 season. Rick Carlisle's coaching philosophy has been affirmed. Ben Wallace also won the Defensive Player of the Year award, while Collison Williams became the Sixth Man of the Year. New faces that appeared on the Pistons' lineup that year included free agent Chauncey Billups, draft pick Tayshaun Prince and a tall pitcher, Monmet Okur. These players allowed the Pistons to make a run at the Eastern Conference title. During team practices, Hamilton discovered the secret to the Pistons' remarkable improvement.

Every time a Pistons player cuts, he's trying his best to turn the cut into a score, whether it's hitting him with a strong body or squeezing through with his elbow. And when the opponent's players cut in, they will try their best to make the opponent return without success (I wonder if this sounds like nonsense). Hamilton began to use a lot of mid-range catch N’ shoot, which he had already mastered for a long time, which made his high shooting rate look like it was not what a defender should be. What further improved Hamilton was Carlisle's "defense first" team building philosophy, which made him extremely efficient on both offense and defense. At the same time, Hamilton's personal trainers and physical trainers are actively improving his confrontation and physical fitness. Gradually, Hamilton discovered that the greater the gains on the defensive end, the more opportunities there will be on the offensive end. In the Pistons, the defensive concept has occupied the first position in Hamilton's mind like never before.

In the 2002-03 season, the Pistons won 12 of the previous 17 games, and Hamilton played an extremely important role in it. In December, he averaged over 20 points per game. In the game against the Chicago Bulls, he passed a career-high 9 assists. And his performance on the defensive end left a deep impression on Carlisle. Hamilton has grown into a well-rounded player. In the next game against the Washington Wizards, the Pistons won 87-82. Hamilton completed his revenge against his old club with 22 points. Entering February, Hamilton's performance is even better than before. He can cut for layups in the penalty area, hit catch N' shoot from the mid-range, make long-range three-pointers from the outside, and steadily score points at the free throw line. . Throughout February, his shooting percentage was an astonishing 48%. At the end of the regular season, the Pistons once again achieved a record of 50 wins. Hamilton led the team in scoring with 19.7 points per game and had his first 82-game season. At the same time, his 3.9 rebounds per game are also a career high. In the first round of the playoffs, the Pistons faced the Orlando Magic led by a new generation of superstars, West McGready. T-Mac, who was in extremely good form, scored 43 points in the first game and even more so, 46 ??points in the second game. Although Hamilton scored a team-high 30 points on 10 of 16 shots in the third game, facing such a crazy league scoring leader, the Pistons fell behind 3-1 in the first four games. But seemingly stimulated by McGready's provocative remarks, "We are already thinking about our opponents in the next round," the Pistons united as one and broke through the Magic in one fell swoop and successfully advanced.

The opponent in the second round is the Philadelphia 76ers led by "Fighting Soul" Allen Iverson. The Pistons won in 6 games. This puts them in the Eastern Conference Finals with the New Jersey Nets. They staged a rough and even bloody series. In the end, the veteran Nets swept the upstart Pistons 4-0. This humiliating defeat was an unforgettable experience for Hamilton. Although he performed well, scoring 24 points, 24 points, 21 points, and 20 points in four games respectively. But the team failed to win a single victory. Hamilton began to pay more attention to his efficiency on the court and work harder for the team. This defeat was more like a "darkness before dawn." Although he failed in the Eastern Conference Finals, Hamilton's season can still be called "outstanding." Having only joined the Pistons at the beginning of the season, he has become the team's main scorer. In the playoffs, he even improved his statistics to 22.5 points per game. The wise Pistons executives kept him with the team with a 7-year, 62 million contract. 7. Retaining Hamilton at the peak of his career is not the only adjustment the Pistons made during the offseason. The Pistons executives fired Rick Carlisle and welcomed the academic Larry Brown. This made many media headlines - albeit mostly negative ones. Coach Brown has a reputation for creating miracles, but he also has a bad reputation for running away from battle. This is the center of much media debate. GM Dumars also exchanged Curry and Cliff Robinson, and selected Darko Milicic from Serbia and Montenegro with the second overall pick in the draft instead of the MOP Came from Syracuse who was hyped by the media. Ron Ansany - In fact, the reason is clear: Prince's growth has made the Pistons' forward line dynamic and both offensive and defensive, which makes Dumars more interested in big men inside.

Soon, Brown, who took office, instilled the concept of "team basketball" into the minds of every Pistons player - of course, including Hamilton, the team's best scorer, who had long been familiar with this. hand. Now Hamilton has improved significantly in every aspect, and based on this, Brown has allowed him to take on more offensive tasks. On the defensive end, Hamilton's tenacity makes him the core of the team's perimeter defense at certain moments. In 2004, Dumars introduced former Blazers super forward Rasheed Wallace to the team. This all-around forward with exquisite skills, internal and external skills, and first-class physical fitness completed the Pistons' final championship puzzle. Before Milicic grew, Brown made Wallace the team's starting power forward. Wallace adapted perfectly to the Pistons' offensive and defensive system. In March, the Pistons had a gorgeous eight-game winning streak, beating their opponents by at least 15 points in each game. And suppressed the scoring of five teams under 70 points in a row-this set a league record. During the regular season, the Pistons achieved a record of 54 wins and 28 losses and entered the playoffs as the third seed in the Eastern Conference. Although Hamilton's scoring average has dropped to 17.6 points per game, his performance on the field is more mature than last season: the number of assists has increased to 4, and his shooting percentage and steals have also improved. The most important thing is that Hamilton has become the Pistons' first offensive option to break the deadlock. In the 2004 playoffs, the Pistons faced the Bucks in the first round. After a bloodless battle, the Pistons eliminated their opponents 4-1. In the fourth game of this series, Hamilton posted a gorgeous score of 27 points and 6 assists. In the second round, they faced the New Jersey Nets, who eliminated them in the Eastern Conference finals last year. This was a severe test for them. The Pistons, who enjoy home court advantage, relied on strong defense to defeat the Nets in the first two games. In the second game, Hamilton contributed to the team's victory with an all-round performance of 28 points, 5 assists and 4 steals. But the tenacious Nets won three consecutive games, including a 3OT victory in Game 5. In Game 5, Hamilton sent out 11 assists. When the team needed him most, Hamilton stepped up again. In the fourth quarter of Game 6, he contributed to the team with an off-balance jumper, and the Pistons eventually won 81-75. In Game 7, he scored another 21 points. The Pistons successfully advanced.

In 2004, the Pistons' opponent in the Eastern Conference Finals was the Indiana Pacers coached by former head coach Rick Carlisle. Hamilton's active running and precise shooting left Carlisle helpless. This round of confrontation looks more like a joke: Carlisle used this year's Defensive Player of the Year Ron Artest to specifically mark Hamilton. But after six games, Hamilton averaged 24 points per game - I didn't mean to question Artest's defensive ability, I just paid respect to Hamilton. In Game 5, the Pistons had a scoring drought in the five minutes of the second quarter. However, the team scored 29 points afterwards - 24 of which came from Hamilton. In the end, the Pistons won with a score of 83-65. In Game 6, the Pistons won 69-65, with Hamilton routinely scoring 21 points. After the game, the Pacers' spiritual leader Reggie Miller, who was completely outplayed by Hamilton as everyone chased him, praised Hamilton. "I see my own reflection in him." The senior's affirmation made Hamilton more confident.

After many hardships, the Pistons entered the 2004 NBA Finals. The Pistons' opponent is the wealthy Los Angeles Lakers, who are widely expected to win the championship. The reason is simple. They have a Hall of Fame-level lineup: Shaquille O'Neal, the best center candidate in history, "Jordan II" Kobe Bryant, 11-time All-NBA selection Karl Malone and 8 consecutive Gary Payton was selected to the All-Defensive Team. For Hamilton, nothing excites him more than being able to compete with his childhood rival Kobe Bryant in the Finals. In high school, Kobe led his team to beat him every time. Hamilton is looking to respond this year. The first contest between the two took place in Los Angeles. The Pistons' tough and tough style of play made the Lakers' four superstars extremely uncomfortable. 87-75, the Pistons won a victory in Los Angeles without being favored. Hamilton is not in good form.

Fortunately, the team's point guard Chauncey Billups showed accurate shooting and determined shots that enabled the team to win. The luxurious Lakers won Game 2 thanks to Kobe's incredible long-range three-pointer near the end of the game. After that, the Lakers contained the Pistons' civilian troops in overtime and won the second game. Game 3 moves to Detroit. The Pistons completely took the initiative. Hamilton scored 31 points on sudden shots from inside and outside. The Pistons defeated the Lakers. In Game 4, the Lakers tried their best to get back in the game, but the Pistons teamed up to crush the Lakers' dream. After winning two home games, the Pistons looked forward to resolving the battle in Game 5, but they encountered stubborn resistance from the Lakers. Suffering from age and injuries, the Lakers are gradually losing momentum. The Pistons became more and more courageous in the second half, and finally won the 2004 NBA championship 100-87. In the end, Chauncey Billups won the title of Finals MVP.

Among the Eastern Conference teams this year, the Miami Heat, led by super guards Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal, suddenly emerged and became the imaginary enemy of the Pistons in the Eastern Conference finals. The Heat enter the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. During the playoffs, the Pistons suffered from outside rumors: Larry Brown seemed to be leaving for the Cleveland Cavaliers after the season. But for a team as well-coached as the Pistons, these rumors have no impact at all - even though they are well-founded. After NBA veterans Antonio McDyess and Eldon Campbell joined, the Pistons still maintained considerable strength. They hardly needed Brown's command, and the players themselves were able to solve certain difficulties on the court. The Pistons still showed the strong defense they had when they won the league championship in the 2005 playoffs. They defeated the Philadelphia 76ers led by Allen Iverson in five games. Hamilton averaged 21 points and an astonishing 6 assists in this series. In the second round, the Pistons faced the hard-hit Indiana Pacers. This is the focus of many media reports. Some media unkindly described this series as "Auburn Hills Violence II", which whetted the appetite of fans. As head coach Ron Artest suffered a full-season suspension, the Pacers' perimeter defense capabilities were greatly weakened. But what was shocking was that they actually led 2-1 at one point. But then the Pistons won three games in a row and finally swept the Pacers out 4-2. Hamilton had a brilliant performance in a single game, scoring 28 points on 10 of 16 shots. The opponent in the Eastern Conference finals is the Miami Heat, led by three-time NBA Finals MVP Shaquille O'Neal and the rapidly rising popularity of "The Flash" Dwyane Wade. The two sides fought to a draw in the first four fierce battles. In the crucial fifth game, the Pistons unexpectedly lost. But in the next two games, the Pistons won both. In Game 6, the Pistons defeated the Heat 91-66. In the crucial Game 7, the Pistons again won 88-82. Although Wade was injured, the Pistons' blocking of Wade is the prerequisite for the team's victory, and Hamilton's accurate shooting at critical moments is the first factor for the Pistons' victory. Hamilton had the league's top guard performance with 28 points and 8 assists in the fourth game.

After winning the championship last year, the Pistons entered the Finals again in 2005. They will win this year's championship against the San Antonio Spurs. This series is a retro duel between classical teams. There is no such thing as Wade and Baron Davis's never-ending cross-stepping into the slam dunk. There is no Marbury and Alston's gorgeous behind-the-back no look pass after ten crotch dribbles. There is no Tracy McGrady. The Kobe Bryants ignored their opponents from outside the three-point line and pulled up three-pointers. This was a hand-to-hand battle that relied on constant screens, pick-and-rolls, air cuts, and movement. The Pistons lost the first two away games. The performance of the amazing Argentine kid Manu Ginobili far exceeded the Pistons' expectations. He was the MVP of these two games. Two consecutive defeats have cast a shadow over their championship aspirations. But in the next two home games, the Pistons won both. Hamilton still used accurate shooting to make Ginobili lose sight of one thing. In the crucial fifth game, the Spurs' "Old Goblin" Robert Horry scored a key three-pointer, and the Pistons hated Auburn Hills.

In this matchup, neither Hamilton nor Billups could breathe under the Spurs' suffocating defense. This is definitely not a good thing for the Pistons. If the Pistons have trouble in the backcourt, it means that their offense will often struggle. After losing the fifth battle of Tianwangshan, the media have put forward the view that "the series is over". But the Pistons survived the desperate situation and won the crucial Game 6, dragging the series to Game 7. But lady luck was still on the Spurs' side at the last moment. 81-74, the Spurs won, winning their third championship trophy in seven years.