Posts tagged ChaunceyBillups at FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog

NBA players are athletic, but they're not built to do the splits. Chauncey Billups learned that the hard way four minutes into tonight's game against the Magic. He was in obvious pain the moment it happened, laying face down on the court for a few moments before collecting himself and limping to the locker room. He's not going to return tonight and is officially day-to-day with a strained hamstring. If there's any consolation for the Pistons, it's that Game 4 isn't until Saturday.

Losing Billups clearly threw a wrench into Detroit's plans, especially considering rookie Rodney Stuckey is the only other point guard active tonight with Lindsey Hunter and Juan Dixon watching in street clothes. Orlando simply stomped the Pistons in the first quarter, leading by as many as 18 at one point, though as I write this the Pistons have stopped the bleeding and have cut Orlando's lead to 67-60 with three minutes left in the third.

Update: The update wasn't meant to be: Orlando waxed Detroit 111-86.

In another of our continuing series, five things to keep an eye out for tonight in the Pistons-Magic Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 3 this evening.

1. Where Time Stands Still: Maybe tonight we'll actually play the game for the correct amount of time, huh? I know, I know, much ado about nothing. But the impact on this game could be considerable if the Magic come out fighting mad. The Magic shot the lights out in the third quarter of Game 2 before falling back off into the void in the fourth, and still managed to keep the game close to the very end where they lost because the Pistons had a three point lead (kind-of) and the refs called a rather questionable foul on Keyon Dooling. This isn't to say the Pistons wouldn't have won anyway, I have every confidence they would have. But it doesn't change the fact that if you're on the Magic, you have to have at least a glimmer of confidence heading back to the friendly confines of the Magic Kingdom. If the Magic can use Game 3 as their proverbial rallying point, it might give them the boost they need to get past Detroit's defense which has been, well ...

2. Stingy As All Get Out: No, the Pistons aren't leading the playoff teams in opponents' field goal percentage. Philadelphia's unheralded and momentary uprising cut that thing off at the knees before the playoffs had even barely gotten started. But they're still holding teams to 41.9% shooting and only 31 makes a game. In news that will shock and amaze you, the problem with Detroit is not stopping their streaky, inconsistent offense. It's getting past the gauntlet. The Magic did a better job in Game 2 of getting out in transition like I called for, but they would be better served by working to create good quality shots instead of blindly hoping for threes to fall like manna from the heavens. Let me put it this way. Whatever Detroit decides to give you? It's probably poisoned.

By now you know about the mini controversy that happened at the end of the third quarter of last night's Pistons-Magic game (see the video, read the players' reactions), and you're probably thinking that a third post about it is overkill.

Well, you're right, it probably is. But I have a thing for semi-obscure basketball trivia and I thought the explanation for what happened to make the clock go haywire was interesting. From Chris McCosky of the Detroit News:

The clock operator is a neutral official -- Tom Mauer, brother of referee Ken Mauer, who is from Minnesota. But he didn't really have anything to do with the malfunction. The referees' whistle starts and stops the clock. Apparently, what happened was, the whistle started the clock, then there was an inadvertant whistle that stopped it at 5.1 and again at 4.8. The inadvertant whistle could have been just a heavy exhale by an official with the whistle still in his mouth. Seriously, that could have done it.

(To clarify, Tom Mauer is the brother of an NBA referee, but not a referee who worked last night's game. That honor belonged to Steve Javie, Joe Forte and Derrick Stafford.) Another question Magic fans are probably asking is why the refs didn't just use the video to fix their mistake, but as Dan Wentzel explains for Yahoo!, they simply weren't allowed to.

Notes from a trip to the NBA Playoffs.

The Pistons have won five straight games in the playoffs since Jason Maxiell moved into the starting lineup. Maxiell can't take all of the credit, but as Chauncey Billups described after Monday's win over the Magic, he makes an impact every time he steps onto the court.

"He's so athletic and he just has so much energy out there, he makes plays on both ends," said Billups. "He's blocking shots, [and] if he's not blocking them, he's changing shots. On the other end, he's getting offensive rebounds. ... He's causing them a lot of problems because I'm sure going into this series they knew about Max, of course, but they didn't expect him to have this kind of impact. So he's been a pleasant surprise for us."

I sat down with Maxiell for a few minutes after Monday's game and tried to get him to talk a little about himself. That's easier said than done; for a guy who's downright ferocious on the court, he's one of the most modest and reserved players in the locker room.

Matt Watson: You're doing a lot of what you've doing the entire year, but now you're doing it in front of a national audience. Do you think this is kind of like a little bit of a coming out party?

Jason Maxiell: I wouldn't say nothing like that. I mean, my job tonight and I guess for the series is to beat up on Howard a little bit, get him off the block and just show my ability to guard someone who's bigger than me.

Notes from a trip to the NBA Playoffs.

As Will Brinson already explained earlier this evening, the Pistons got a bit of a gift at the end of the third quarter last night as Chauncey Billups hit a three-pointer after the clocks should have expired to give the Pistons a two-point lead heading into the fourth.

During the post-game press conference, Billups explained what was going through his head. "Obviously when we took it out I knew it was five seconds, so I just tried to get it up, get it up," he said. "I saw a couple of guys converge on me [so] I threw it to [Rodney Stuckey]. I thought Stuck had to shoot it. When Stuck went up and looked and saw four seconds on the clock, that's why he didn't shoot it, he kicked it back. But I didn't see that, I was just like, I just got to hurry up and get it off. It's a tough play, man. It sucks to be on the other end of that play, you know what I'm saying? But I'll take it, man, I'll take it."

Stan Van Gundy probably has more on his mind right now than protesting KFC's use of non-organic chicken on behalf of PETA. For instance, he's probably planning for Game 3 against Detroit back in Orlando already. But first, he might be filing a protest (even if it's in vain) or at the very least complaining very loudly about the quality of shot clock management that went down in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semis tonight. Check it for yourself.



As you can pretty clearly see, Chauncey Billups used more than the 4.8 seconds allotted to him via the game clock. However, as Watson (from the Palace) points out, had MSB thought he had less time, he probably wouldn't have passed it up in the first place. Still, if you're an Orlando Magic fan, coach or player, you're pretty teed off right now.

Update: Billups, Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis react to the play after the game.

In another of our continuing series, five things to keep an eye out for tonight in the Magic-Pistons epic game this afternoon.

1. Insert Kryptonite Reference Here: The one thing the Magic had to count on in this series was Dwight Howard. They can probably hang if Hedo Turkoglu or Rashard Lewis have off games and are kept out of the penetration. They can manage if the three pointers aren't falling, though it would be hard. But Howard having a bad game? Disaster. Utter disaster. The scheme, the offense, the energy, the soul of this Magic team is centered around Howard. I know it, you know it, and the Pistons sure know it. They harassed and knocked Howard into 12 points and 8 boards. That just won't cut it in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. If Howard doesn't respond in a big way tonight, the Magic are going home in a hole.

2. Excuse Me, Do You Have Any Tape? 'Cause I'm Ripped: Rip Hamilton is matched up with Maurice Evans. That is good for the Pistons, bad for the Magic. Hamilton's ability to constrain the perimeter shooting and get hot on his own is of vital use to the Pistons in this series. Chauncey Billups or Rasheed Wallace will have a bad game, but rarely at the same time. The Pistons need Hamilton to anchor the scoring with his versatility. Granted, the Pistons don't have to score that much with their defense as good as it is, but the Pistons can't afford a dry spell to give the Magic life. The Pistons want to finish this one quick and brutal. Hamilton leading all scorers can do that.

In another of our continuing series, five things to keep an eye out for tonight in the Magic-Pistons game tonight.

1. Superman Vs. The Automatons: Chris Webber said on Inside the NBA after the Magic eliminated the Raptors that the Pistons would not choose to double Dwight Howard. That's a matter of some debate in the Pistons camp, and it looks like they have decided to bring the double. The thinking here is pretty clear. We shut down Dwight Howard, and this team is without competent weaponry. Howard has to be on his game for every single game in this series. He needs to take advantage when he gets a step, an opening, or a mismatch. He needs to control the boards at both ends of the floor. But most importantly, he needs to make the pass to the open shooter on the perimeter. From there the question gets a little more dicey for the Magic ...

2. .Better Be Good: If the Magic perimeter shooters aren't on target in this series, it could get out of hand very fast. They are going to get open shots. The Pistons are willing to accept shots from Jameer Nelson, from Maurice Evans, from Keith Bogans. As long as it's not Howard dunking on them or Turkoglu slicing to the basket, they'll take their chances with their ability to closeout and put pressure on shooters. Keith Bogans was 12 of 14 against the Pistons this season, and he has to keep up that kind of accuracy to force the Pistons out of the double-team.

FanHouse's Round Two previews will give you the critical points of every series, so you can talk to your friends like you've been following every team in the Association all season long. Or know what the hell a Hedo is.

Biggest Reason You Should Watch: Because we're all dying to find out how Detroit intends on matching up with Dwight Howard. Oh, and Detroit so conveniently "flipped" their on switch recently, but Orlando presents a significantly more difficult task to overcome while on cruise control.

The Magic Can Win If: The shooters can hit from the outside. Howard is going to get his 20-15 (which is a scary thought), but Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis have to post similar numbers at minimum, to what they put up against Toronto. Which, yes, will be vastly more difficult to pull off with Tayshaun Prince extending out against them. Jameer Nelson averaging 17 and five for the second straight series wouldn't hurt either.

The Pistons Can Win If: Rasheed Wallace keeps his head together. Detroit can't afford anything like the two point stinker the put up against Philly in the third game of that series. With Antonio McDyess dealing with a busted grille, the Pistons Need4Sheed is strong right now. Jason Maxiell and Dice will help out on guarding D-Ho, but Sheed has to stay hot and bring the only size Detroit has, Howard, to the perimeter to guard him.

Video Clip to Get You Pumped: I get the feeling FanHouse may stop putting me in charge of "pump you up" videos.

In another of our continuing series, five things to keep an eye out for tonight in the Pistons-Sixers game tonight.

1. And Lo, Mr. Big Shot Awakened, And The Earth Did Tremble: It was only a matter of time, really. Chauncey Billups is too good of a player to have five straight bad games. Billups erupted in Game 5 to the tune of 21 points and 12 assists, looking very much like the underrated superstar we've come to know and love him as. While Andre Miller seemed to plummet to the Earth after his meteoric rise with 13 points on 5 of 17 shooting, Billups lead the charge for the Pistons and putting them firmly back in the driver's seat. Miller having the advantage was a central element in the Sixers' success, and if Billups is really back to playoff form, the Sixers are in deep trouble, on top of it being an elimination game.

2. Welcome Back, Iggy! You Do Remember Which Team You Play For, Right?: Andre Iguodala finally got off the snide for the Sixers and scored 21 points on 8 of 13 shooting to go along 6 assists! Hurrah! Oh, wait. He also turned the ball over 6 (!) times and the Sixers lost by 17. So I'm thinking maybe Iguodala isn't the most important factor in this series. The only game where he's an impact, and it's a blowout. Part of that could be the fact that the Sixers have dominated when they've had more size on the floor. Or part of it could be that when Iguodala's gunning, the offense isn't as effective. If the Sixers want to prolong this series, they need to either get back to what was working with Iguodala stifled, or somehow get all the pieces clicking. I'm not sure that's possible for them, yet.

Notes from a trip to the NBA Playoffs.

The Pistons opened the playoffs with a whimper, dropping two of their first three games to the 76ers and needing to come back from a double-digit halftime deficit in Game 4 to tie the series. I had a hunch they'd pull it out in Game 5 in front of a raucous crowd at the Palace, but I wasn't sure if it'd be another come-from-behind high-wire act or a blowout.

It didn't take long to figure it out.

The 76ers never had a chance after the Pistons kicked off the first quarter shooting 78.9% (15-19) from the field and jumping out to a 35-21 lead. Chauncey Billups, who averaged 13 points on 28.6% shooting in the first four games, scored 14 of his 21 points in the first quarter alone. Rip Hamilton, who missed 12 of his first 13 shots in Game 4, nailed 4-5 from the field for eight of his 20. Both the Pistons and Sixers have squandered leads in this series, but the Pistons held onto this one the rest of the night, leading by as many as 26 at one point before winning 98-81.

After the game, Mo Cheeks described how difficult it was to stop a team in which everybody on the floor was a threat to score. "There was a play that happened in front of our bench where Thaddeus Young was getting ready to rotate," said Cheeks. "He had Rip in the corner, he had Rasheed popping up top, and he was trying to figure out which one to go to. That put it in perspective right there. Do I got to Rasheed, do I go to Rip? He chose to go to Rip; Rasheed hits a three. And that put it in perspective because they have different guys that can make a shot at any time. And they were passing the ball so well, they were on the same page tonight. They were very good tonight."

In another of our continuing series, five things to keep an eye out for tonight in the Mavs-Hornets game tonight.

1. Prince Of Thieves: Predictable? Yes. But come on. Everything I do, I do it for you. Tayshaun Prince lodged four steals against the Sixers in Game 4, and was making the Sixers look silly at times. Throw that on top of his game high 23 points and you have a classic Pistons killer game. Not to be confused with Andre Miller, who's trying to be the Piston-Killer. Prince has had a marvelous series, and is the buoy keeping Detroit afloat with Chauncey Billups struggling and Rasheed Wallace being canceled out by the fleet of young bigs on Philadelphia. But Prince's most vital work has been on Andre Iguodala, making him a non-factor. He can't let up tonight, because the Pistons need to end this thing as quickly as possible to get ready for a sharp Magic team that's resting up for them.
2. Fahrenheit 90: The Sixers are 2-0 when they score 90 or more, 0-2 when they score less than 90. Seems simple, and it is. Shoot better, score more, make the pace faster, beat the Pistons. They want you in a defensive slugfest. It's not much of a strategy thing, but it should definitely be a goal for the Sixers. They need to get out and run as much as possible, especially with Thaddeus Young and Andre Miller. And for you, dear reader, keep an eye on that scoreboard. If it's in the 40s at halftime, Detroit's looking good. If it's at 50, this thing might get tight.

Video via The 700 Level, nastiness via Andre Iguodala. The Pistons were good enough to come back from 1-0 Philadelphia, and they are good enough to come back from 2-1 Philadelphia. What about a 3-1 series deficit? A little more worrisome, yes? Well, that's what Detroit faces, trailing the Sixers by 10 at the half.

Philly's defense has suffocated the Pistons -- Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton are a combined 3-of-18 from the floor, and Detroit's only 1-for-6 from three and has registered only 6 FTAs. The 76er offense hasn't been gorgeous (with 8 turnovers in roughly 45 possession and only a single offensive rebound in 16 opportunities), but 'Dala's finally hitting shots (see above) and every Sixer who has taken at least two shots is hitting at least 50%. And if you ignore Andre Miller's four turnovers, most of the team is playing well within control -- this young team isn't crapping the proverbial (I hope) bed.

Detroit's got to find a way to start scoring to pull this one off, lest they count on the whole slate of Sixers to start missing shots. Being forced to win three straight elimination games isn't just an annoyance on the way to the conference finals ... losing here could be the death of the Pistons.

UPDATE: Sorry Philadelphia. The world's back on its axis, as Detroit wakes up, wins by 9.

In another of our continuing series, five things to keep an eye out for tonight in the Pistons-Sixers Game 3 tonight.

1. The Road Home: So it appears that Philadelphia is starting to get all excited about the Sixers again. Which is fun for them. And important. If the Sixers can't protect their home court in Game 3, this series can get out of hand quickly. The Pistons can snap the trap if they smell blood, you don't want to wake them up. The Sixers also need to come out and hit shots to get the crowd excited. What you don't want is to let Detroit hang around. Put them down hard and fast, or they will close on you. You won't be sneaking up on them like you did in Game 1.

2. Iggy No Biggie: All year long I hear about how great Andre Iguodala is. Every game I watch, he's marginal. He can fill a stat sheet fine, but the Pistons have completely swallowed him whole this series. The Sixers need to break 95 to win tomorrow night, and they wont' get there if Iggy doesn't have a breakout game. The Pistons have actually turned to the ridiculously long Tayshaun Prince to contain him and it's been effective. Pick and roll plays are in desperate need of improved efficiency, and Samuel Dalembert may want to stray from the lane to set the pick more in order to create the separation Iguodala needs.

In another of our continuing series, five things to keep an eye out for tonight in the 76ers-Pistons Game 2 tonight.

1. Shock And Awe: Admit it. You didn't see it coming either. The question now is whether Detroit can get their mojo back and put a righteous beatdown on the upstart kiddos. Detroit has a penchant for taking series' off. The thing with the Sixers is now they have some belief. If the Pistons let them walk out of Detroit with a 2-0 lead, that belief is going to swell to confidence and a killer instinct. In the playoffs, you cannot let them smell blood. Detroit can't just be concerned about the Sixers. They've also got to try and save as much energy as possible, because Boston's way down the line and the Magic are suddenly looking very legit. That's all after just getting past Philly. They need a quick, decisive win tonight.