By Brian Ekberg
Design by Collin Oguro

Where NBA powerhouses once reigned in massive metropolises such as Los Angeles and Chicago, these days it's the slightly smaller burgs like San Antonio and Detroit that are home to the best pro basketball talent in the nation. Last year's champions, the Detroit Pistons are back, and just like last year, they bring a physical style of play, a commanding defensive prowess, and a head coach that attracts controversy wherever he goes. Though many doubted their chances against the Miami Heat, the Pistons dug down deeply and broke down D-Wade and Shaq so they could go for consecutive championship titles. Down in the Lone Star State, the San Antonio Spurs quietly shut down the Phoenix Suns--a team many had pegged as a shoo-in for the finals--in the Western Conference Championship series through the masterful leadership of Tim Duncan and the frenetic, flaying, flopping Manu Ginobli.

NBA Live 2005
Detroit Pistons versus San Antonio Spurs

Game One
Detroit definitely made a statement in the first half of game one of the NBA Live 2005 finals, following a dominating performance from Rasheed Wallace, who had 10 points in the first quarter alone. As expected, the Pistons were intent on playing tough defense from the outset, outblocking San Antonio 7-2 in the first half. Before the Pistons could run away with the game, however, Tim Duncan came alive to bring the Spurs within seven at the half. And while Rasheed had already played his best basketball of the night, Duncan was only getting started. Along with help from Tony Parker, Duncan fought back against the Pistons' defense to take the lead going into the fourth quarter. From there, it was simply a matter of shutting down a suddenly hot Tayshaun Prince before he could upset the Spurs' hopes for a game one win.

Final Score: Detroit - 65, San Antonio - 70
Player of the Game: Tim Duncan - 23 points, 13 rebounds, 4 blocks
Series: San Antonio - 1, Detroit - 0

Game One at a Glance

Game Two
Manu Ginobli let his voice be heard and his elbows be felt in game two of the NBA Live 2005 finals by scoring 27 points and grabbing six rebounds in the Spurs' 78-67 win over the defending champion Detroit Pistons. Ginobli, who didn't play in game one, was a man on fire in the first half of play, draining eight points in the first quarter alone. At halftime, the Spurs were up 43-38, thanks in part to another strong performance from Tim Duncan, who had 17. Even though Detroit woke up a bit in the first part of the third quarter to shut down both Ginobli and Duncan, it simply couldn't find rhythm enough to hold off the Spurs' athleticism. Detroit had an especially difficult time with the dynamic play of Tony Parker, who came alive in the second half, at one point hitting four shots in a row. Veteran Bruce Bowen had a strong game as well, putting up 12 points, netting 7 rebounds, earning 1 assist, and garnering 1 block.

Final Score: Detroit - 67, San Antonio - 78
Player of the Game: Manu Ginobli - 27 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks
Series: San Antonio - 2, Detroit - 0

Tim Duncan straight up owned the Pistons in the NBA Live 2005 finals series.

Game Three
As if sensing the finals slipping away from them, the Detroit Pistons came out hard in game three thanks to some powerful play from Rasheed Wallace. Detroit led going into the second quarter 18-16, the first time all series the team had led at the end of a quarter. The sense of accomplishment didn't last for long, however, because despite Detroit's best defensive efforts, San Antonio managed to tie the game at 32 going into the half on a last-second shot from Manu Ginobli. The back-and-forth third quarter saw both teams put on the clamps defensively, as both managed only 18 points, which kept the game tied at 50 heading into the fourth quarter. Alas, Detroit's best defensive efforts were hampered by an anemic offense that, at one point in the fourth quarter, saw eight straight missed shots. The Pistons wouldn't deny San Antonio's third straight win in the series, as Tim Duncan came alive in the fourth quarter to give his team the 70-60 win. With the possibility of being swept in the series, Detroit went into game four hoping that its home court would help the team stay alive in the series.

Final Score: San Antonio - 70, Detroit - 60
Player of the Game: Tim Duncan - 26 points, 16 rebounds, 10 blocks
Series: San Antonio - 3, Detroit - 0

Game Three at a Glance

Game Four
Detroit knew it was backed into a corner, and the team played like it during the opening quarter of game four. Keeping the ball spread around in the early going, the Pistons took an early 16-14 lead going into the second quarter, and they were determined to keep the pressure up into halftime. San Antonio battled back in the second quarter based on strong play from (once again) Tim Duncan, which foiled Detroit's halftime plans and gave the Spurs the lead at 28-24. The duo of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli came alive in the third, combining for 13 points to put the Spurs up by 13 heading into the final quarter. With everything on the line, the Pistons' Rasheed Wallace took the team on his shoulders, opening up with six quick points to bring Detroit to within nine. However, San Antonio still kept up the offensive pressure thanks to an outstanding 11 points from Tony Parker in the fourth quarter. At one point, the Spurs were up by as many as 13, but some clutch shooting from the likes of Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton kept the game within reach. As time ran out, the Pistons came within two points of sending the game into overtime after Hamilton hit an open three. Unfortunately for Pistons fans everywhere, Tony Parker hit both his free throws after an intentional foul. So with fewer than two seconds to go, Parker put the game out of Detroit's reach for good.

Final Score: San Antonio - 68, Detroit - 64
Player of the Game: Tim Duncan - 18 points, 14 rebounds, 6 blocks
Series: San Antonio wins 4-0

Ginobli led with those sharp elbows and knees on his way to MVP honors in game two.