MIAMI – As the hours ticked down to the tip-off of last night’s Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals, Heat coach Stan Van Gundy called on Shaquille O’Neal to be the beast of the boards, to have a throwback game to his glorious playoff past.
With Dwyane Wade likely hampered by his rib strain last night, Van Gundy knew Shaq needed be the old Shaq. Problem is, he is getting old, now 33, his bruised thigh perhaps the first sign his 7-1, 330-pound body is breaking down.
“He’s been pretty effective scoring in the low post,” Van Gundy said. “We need that. If he’s doubled, he’s got to make plays. But the biggest thing he has to focus on is, he’s got to rebound the ball better. He’s not getting a lot of rebounds in this series. I’d love to see one of those 15-16-rebound nights he’s had in previous playoffs.”
Asked if Shaq’s stamina or aching thigh was limiting him, Van Gundy said at the morning shootaround yesterday: “I don’t know that. He needs to get them tonight. However he’s got to get them, he needs to get them tonight.”
O’Neal was not made available at the morning shootaround. In fact, the Heat allowed just two players to talk, neither of them Wade or Shaq while all the defending champion Pistons were loose and speaking openly in the countdown to one of the biggest games of their lives.
In the East finals, O’Neal went into last night averaging 19.5 points, but just 7.3 boards (7.4 for the playoffs). That was well below his career playoff averages of 27.2 points and 12.9 boards. The Pistons are a great defensive rebounding team and the Heat haven’t mustered enough second-chance shots in the series.
“Rebounding has been a key,” Van Gundy said. “The thing giving us the most trouble is they’re getting 10 more shot attempts a game. The difference is turnovers and their second-chance opportunities. We’re shooting a higher percentage. But they’re getting a lot more shots. We need to take care of that [last night].”
Shaq promised to lead this club better than he did in Saturday’s Game 6 massacre in Motown when he had five turnovers and surprisingly played with little ferociousness until the fourth quarter when the game was out of hand.
O’Neal has played three Game 7s in his career and has been victorious in all of them, even beating Larry Brown once when Orlando advanced to the NBA Finals over Indiana in 1995. O’Neal scored 25 points with 11 rebounds in that game. He also won two Game 7s with the Lakers – that incredible fourth-quarter comeback over Portland against Rasheed Wallace’s Blazers in 2000 and an overtime win over Sacramento in 2002.
Not for one moment has Brown diminished Shaq’s effect in this series. But Shaq has usually petered out in the second half after dominating the first half, when he has backed in Ben Wallace for either short turnaround or dunks. Shaq talked some trash late last week, disparaging Big Ben’s awards after Miami’s Game 5 rout.
“My thing is, if you’re Defensive Player of The Year, show me,” O’Neal said. “Show me.”
Brown said Ben Wallace was distracted in Game 5 by personal issues. His two-year-old son underwent a hernia operation before the game and one of his friends passed away.
Because of Wade’s injury, Shaq would be a bigger focal point, Brown said. The Pistons coach indicated it’s time to start doubling him, which is against Brown’s normal policy.
“It’s not up to Ben to stop Shaq,” Brown said. “Nobody can. Shaq’s that good. He had a tough Game 5. A lot of issues affected him. Not one guy is supposed to stop him. We need to give him help. I’m sure Miami’s going to go to him and figure out a way we can help.”
