Detroit Bests Indiana 4-2: Gets Miami Next

Remember my post, A Sports Milestone: The Final Playoffs Of Reggie Miller?

Well, it wasn't to be.

Miller played his last game tonight at Conseco Fieldhouse in front of fans that will miss him sorely next year. He may have gone out in style tonight, scoring 27 points. But it was not enough to spark the rest of the team to victory and he certainly was not in regular form the last two games, when they had the Pistons down 2-1.

As a result, 18 years in the NBA came to a screeching halt tonight.

Teams win games, not players. And even though Jermaine O'Neal added 22 and Jeff Foster 12, it was not enough. You see, the Pacers play best and win most, when 4-5 guys score in double figures. And that clearly did not happen tonight or in the past three games, for that matter. The team that showed up for most of the series won the both the game tonight, and the series.

There was little consistency on either end of the court, for the Pacers. They jacked up hurried and off balance shots. Forced action, when there was nothing there. And most of all, they didn't hit the good shots that they did take. They couldn't hit the side of the barn from the inside.

But make no mistake, Detroit has a way of making opponents play that way. They are the best defensive team in the league and can hit enough key shots throughout games, to pull even the tough ones out consistently. And, they have the best coach in the NBA, Larry Brown. They block shots, intercept passes, and make teams take shots that they don't like to take. They do it as a team and on any given night, any of the starters (and a couple bench players, as well) are capable of stepping up and having a big game.

Well, the Pistons now get the Miami Heat. The NBA world has awaited this matchup since the beginning of the playoffs and now it has it. No doubt, the same NBA world (full of its bombastic sports pundits) will pick Shaq and the Heat to defeat Detroit and advance to the finals against the champion of the Western Conference. And don't be surprised that the oddsmakers will have the Heat as the favorites too.

But as for little ol' me, I won't be a bit surprised if Detroit beats Miami, with good solid defense and lots of heart. After all, they are still the champs. And until some else beats them, they own that distinction and will not relinquish it easily without a fight.