Detroit Free Press

That was no accident, folks. That last desperate play of Sunday's Game 1, in which the Pistons tried an alley-oop pass with 1.4 seconds left -- a damn hard thing to do, even with veterans -- was drawn up to go from Tayshaun Prince to Mehmet Okur.Rookie to rookie.And it almost worked."Yeah," Rick Carlisle said Monday, when I asked whether he realized he'd put the game in the hands of two players who had yet to see their 24th birthdays. "That was what we called. I'm not interested in how old they are at that point. I'm looking for who can get the job done."

First, let's get our miracles straight. There was the miracle shot that won this game for the New Jersey Nets, a ...

If you look carefully during these Pistons playoff games, you will observe a small but remarkable ritual.After every buzzer, as the Pistons head back to the floor, reserve Danny Manning, once the greatest college basketball talent in the nation, taps fists with each man to urge them on."It's the only way I feel part of the game," he says. "It's like a little bit of electricity passes through them to me."

PHILADELPHIA -- Ticking, ticking, the clock was ticking, and Chauncey Billups, sweat dripping from his forehead, ...

So there I am, at the Palace, Wednesday night, the game has just ended, the Pistons won on a last-second shot by ...

The suit said it all. It was light charcoal gray, matched with black loafers and a knit shirt. A nice suit, ...

When F. Scott Fitzgerald said there were no second acts in American lives, he could have been talking about pro ...

PHILADELPHIA -- Allen Iverson had the look, and Chucky Atkins tried to square in front of him. Atkins leaned in. He stayed on his toes. He went to swipe the ball -- and instead knocked Iverson's headband down over his eyes.Well. There's an idea. Maybe if they make him play blindfolded. . . .Short of that, the Pistons had better come up with something. Because there's even in games and there's even in edge. And while this series may be tied at 2, the Pistons on Sunday night had their heads down for a reason.