Playoff Review- Pistons (1st) v Pacers (5th)

Ever since the malice in the palace, nothing but bad blood has existed between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons. Both of these small market teams boast rich and successful history based off grit, toughness and an ability to stand up in the face of adversity. When you throw two rocks together, there�s always bound to be sparks. Which team will implode and who will ignite and earn a place among the elite, in the Eastern Conference Finals? 



How did they get here?
After finishing first and fifth place respectively, it appeared Detroit would have a smoother run to the conference Semis with the draw of the 8^th seed, compared to the Pacers who would come up against the 4^th seed. This couldn�t be further from the truth and the Pistons (without Kyrie Irving) would have to use all the tools in their arsenal to overcome a nothing-to-lose and tenacious Raptors squad. The series went the distance, being decided in a blockbuster 7^th game and the main narrative to come out the series was, �Kyrie Irving makes a huge difference for the Pistons.� Most likely, the difference between advancing.

On the other side of the bracket, The Pacers took a minor underdog role as the 5^th seed vs the 4^th seeded Washington Wizards. It appeared to have the makings of the series of the first round that was until it� started. Remarkably the Pacers, as they have so many times before, found the winning formula and bullied the higher seed, advancing in a straight sets sweep. The narrative, �The Pacers are no longer sleepers, they are really, really good.� 

Game 1 @ Detroit
After securing home court advantage, Detroit played host in the opening game. Many punters were wondering would the fatigue of the opening round have a carry-over effect on Detroit and how would they change their strategy to avoid a slow start? It was rumoured that GM Spud had run multiple simulations and his team was all-in on a strategy to enforce another sweep.

From the opening tip, this one had the Pistons fingerprints all over it. The lightning fast and savvy back court duo of Irving and Lowry dominated the ball and the minutes for the home team as they extended an early lead at every break. Though facing defensive monsters in Bam Adebayo and DPOY candidate Rudy Gobert, Joel Embiid was at his dominating best, punishing anyone in between himself and the basket. His 45 points and 14 rebounds would usually see his team blow-out their opponent, however during game 1 it wasn�t enough to get within 10 of the Pistons. A change of strategy might be required as the Pacers would need to find more help in game 2. A dominant display from Kyrie, 66 points (WOW) and 7 assists and Kyle Lowry 29 points and 13 assists was enough to secure the W for the home crowd.
Key performances:
Joel Embiid- 45 points, 14 rebounds and 2 blocks
Kyrie Irving- 66 points and 7 assists
Kyle Lowry- 29 points and 13 assists




Game 2 @ Detroit
Looking to respond to a respectable loss in game one, GM Spud moved the first chess piece, bringing Eric Bledsoe into the starting 5 for Eric Gordon. Looking to maintain the winning formula, GM Sheed doubled down on his boys, making marginal changes while delivering a consistent message to his players behind closed doors. Who would have thought keeping the faith would produce such drastic results! The Pistons exploded out of the gates to have a 30-point lead at the end of the first quarter. Looking for answers, the Pacers looked deep into the bench rotation, however no answers could be found. By the end of the fourth quarter, Detroit had blown the margin out to nearly 70 points! Though only two games had been played, alarm bells were ringing loudly as the Pistons clicked for the first time in this year�s playoff series. The final score Detroit 132 to Indiana 67. The whole league looked on nervously.   

Key performances:
Kyrie Irving- 41 points and 6 assists.



 Game 3 @ Indiana
Desperately needing a change of scenery, the Pacers came home to host the Pistons after being fundamentally outplayed through the opening two games. They say change is as good as a holiday but if the Pacers couldn�t find an answer soon, they might be getting both. In a sign of complete faith, GM Spud doubled down on his game two line up, giving Eric Bledsoe the nod at SG for a second consecutive game. His ability to defend quick guards, while having the basketball IQ to bring the big man Embiid into the game appeared to be the deciding vote for going in unchanged. Unfortunately for the home team the result would echo the strategy as the result once again went Detroit�s way. Irving cooled off a little, scoring under 40 points for the first time this series, however his numbers were still impressive as he delivered 29 points and 11 assists. The focus to slow down Irving had been successful however his passing IQ brought Lowry, Bam and Gobert to the party as they all logged double digit points. The final score Detroit 128 to Indiana 99.

Key performances:
Kyrie Irving- 29 points and 11 assists
Kyle Lowry- 25 points and 6 assists
Rudy Gobert- 10 points, 21 rebounds and 4 blocks



Game 4 @ Indiana
Desperate to get on the board and facing the sweep, an emotional Spud did something he had never done before and entered the locker room to deliver one of the most original, roar and inspiring speeches you�ll ever hear. A member of the media quoted his speech from outside the locker room door:

�Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It's a very mean and nasty place and I don't care how tough you are it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!�

With tears in their eyes, the Pacers bounded out onto home court to put forward a courageous first quarter. At the first break they�d finally proven the opposition could bleed and led 30 to 27. GM Sheed entered the quarter time huddle speaking concisely but with purpose, �If they die, they die.� The message had been sent and the reply was swift. The Pistons jumped out after quarter time and took a 2-point lead into the half.

A heroic game from franchise star Joel Embiid simply wasn�t enough to get his squad over the line. He dominated the glass with 28 rebounds and carried the offensive load with a team high 33 points. Siakam made his biggest impact in the final game of the series, tallying 19 points and 9 rebounds. It was all bubbles and balloons for the visiting team who delivered their best overall team performance of the series. Three players scored over 20 points (Irving, Lowry and Anthony) while they showed to the world that the Pistons can win in many ways and are a genuine contender for this year�s title.

Key performances:
Joel Embiid 33 points and 28 rebounds
Carmelo Anthony- 22 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists
Kyrie Irving- 30 points and 7 assists
Kyle Lowry- 24 points, 4 steals and 12 assists



Series Final Score
Detroit Pistons 4  Indiana Pacers 0



Player of the Series:
Kyrie Irving



Congratulations to Sheed and his advancing Pistons who now get a shot at conference glory as they await the winners of the Philly and Chicago series. What a team the Pistons are becoming as they�ve now put a hand up genuine contenders for the 2021 crown. Congratulations to Spud and his Pacers after a terrific season and first round of playoffs. We know you will be back bigger and better next season.