Billups unable to reprise Finals MVP role
6/24/2005 2:34:36 AM
Chauncey Billups found his path to another NBA Finals MVP blocked by the San Antonio Spurs.
Billups, who has been the bst clutch player for the Detroit Pistons over the last two years, never got going in Game Seven on Thursday night.
Saddled with early foul trouble, Billups scored just one basket in the first half. An expected second-half outburt never materialized, one of the main reasons why the Pistons surrendered the title to the Spurs with an 81-74 loss.
"I thought I got a little out of rhythm, being in foul trouble and never getting into the constant flow," Billups said.
With 13 points and eight assists, Billups did not have a bad game. He just didn't have a good one, which is what he has come to be expected to produce in clutch situations.
"I think I played good," he said. "I don't know if I played my best basketball, but that doesn't really matter. We didn't get it done. We're not going home as the champs."
Billups came into Game Seven leading all scorers at 21.7 points per game. Having already won the 2004 Finals MVP award, he appeared to be in line for another one - if the Pistons won.
However, Billups had to take a seat with his second foul at the 4:26 mark of the first quarter. He returned with just under nine minutes left in the second period and finished the first half with just four points on three shots.
Billups was shut out from the field in the third quarter, although he did get his penetration game going with four free throws.
"They played me with a lot of different guys," he said. "They trapped a lot."
Sharing the duties were guard Tony Parker and swingman Bruce Bowen, who drew strong praise from Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.
"Tony was real key defensively on the perimeter and Manu (Ginobili) and Bruce followed suit," Popovich said. "Bruce is always doing it."
The Spurs needed Bowen to do it in the fourth quarter, when Billups finally got his offensive game going. He drove for a basket to cut the deficit to 69-65 with 3:24 left, added a free throw just over a minute later and sank a pull-up jumper that made it 72-68 with 1:20 to play.
Tim Duncan split a pair of free throws, and the Pistons called a timeout. Coach Larry Brown called a play for Billups, who curled around a screen, took a pass and rose up for a 3-pointer.
But Bowen chased the play and surprisingly smothered the shot. The Spurs recovered the loose ball, and Ginobili made a layup at the other end for a 75-68 lead with 35 seconds remaining.
"I had a lot of guys on me on that play and throughout the game," said Billups, who made just 3-of-8 shots.
"Once he went up in the air and I saw he was committed, it was a chance for me to react," Bowen said.
A year ago, Billups was in the spotlight, having led the Pistons to their first championship in 14 years ago. On Thursday night, he was on the other side and did not like it very much.
"We just have to remember this feeling," he said. "Remember how it feels to lose with somebody celebrating in front of us. We'll be back here again. I'm sure that we'll be back here again."
