Pistons 91
Heat 66
AUBURN HILLS – It played out as predicted. Dwyane Wade didn’t dress and the Heat didn’t have a chance.
No Wade, no way. Not on the Pistons’ home court, with the defending champions facing elimination. Not with the Heat’s offense turnover-prone and out of sync and posting their lowest playoff point total ever in Detroit’s 91-66 Game 6 slaughter.
It’s down to tomorrow night for the Eastern Conference championship, Game 7, with or without Wade at Miami’s AmericanAirlines Arena.
With the entire season on the line, expect Wade, suffering from a rib strain, to at least suit up. Either way, it’s going to be wild on South Beach for the right to play in San Antonio Thursday in The Finals.
“I’m confident he’ll be playing, but if he’s not, everyone has to step up in Game 7, including me,” said Shaquille O’Neal, who hardly dominated despite 24 points, many of them late with the game decided.
In 90 Game 7s, the home team has won 82.2 percent of the time. But the circumstances are dire.
“Obviously not having [Wade], that impacted the game so much,” Pistons coach Larry Brown said. “Dwyane, like Shaq, makes everyone better.”
Afterward, Heat president Pat Riley and a haggard Stan Van Gundy had a long, solemn talk in a private corridor, obviously discussing Wade’s predicament. When Riley emerged, he said he couldn’t talk. “Not right now,” Riley said, heading for the bus. Wade, too, darted out of the locker room early, saying “I’m not doing interviews.”
Detroit soared to a 29-point lead, 80-51, with 7:40 left. Not having to chase Wade, as Rasual Butler started, Richard Hamilton racked up 24 points. The Pistons converted Miami turnovers (11 in the first half, 19 total) into numerous fast-break buckets. Detroit notched 24 assists and just six turnovers.
“I would rather play an elimination game every game,” Hamilton said. “With him not being in the lineup, we didn’t want to underestimate them. We did a great job of playing our game. We came out and defended as five, forced turnovers and stayed poised.”
“We just had trouble taking care of the ball,” Shaq said.
Last night’s signature Piston moment came when Miami’s Keyon Dooling drove and got blocked by Ben Wallace. Hamilton, on the break, lobbed an alley-oop to Lindsay Hunter for a layup and a 67-45 lead with 1:19 left in the third.
“I don’t know what you want me to tell you about that one; we got dominated,” Van Gundy said. “But you play all year to have the Game 7 on your floor. So it’s something our players should look forward to.”
The Heat wore their alternate black uniforms, but Wade wore a black, buttoned-down dress shirt on the bench. An hour before tip-off, Wade took warmup shots, looking in discomfort. Wade wanted to give it a go, but the Heat medical staff nixed it.
Resting Wade to have him more ready for Game 7 was likely a factor. Van Gundy also knew if Wade was too limited, there’d be no point. “If he’s really hampered and can’t get down the floor, it’s not better [to play],” Van Gundy said.
Without having to worry about Wade’s lively penetrations, the Pistons stuck to a ferocious man-to-man defense that befuddled the sloppy Heat. When Miami did get open looks, Eddie Jones kept clanking them, finishing 1 of 9 for 3 points.
With Wade out, ex-Knick Shandon Anderson made his first appearance of the series in the second quarter. Anderson coughed up the ball on his first touch, Even ancient shooting guard Steve Smith got a look-see in the third.
