Detroit Pistons Win Game Two Over Orlando

It was another Detroit Pistons playoff victory over the Orlando Magic tonight, one it seemed most people weren't paying much attention to, including the Pistons themselves. At this point, it is pretty obvious, to the fans, to the Pistons, and even to the Magic, that Detroit is just a deeper, more talented team and they are going to win this series. But that doesn't mean there isn't anything to worry about if you are a Pistons fan.

The NBA Eastern Conference may not be very good, but the Pistons are not going to be able to sleepwalk their way through the entire playoffs like they have this series with Orlando. The Pistons, in both of the first two games in this series, have had chances to put the Magic away early, but they never do. Then they have a chance to put the game away in the third quarter, and they don't get it done then either. It's almost as if the Pistons, looking for a challenge, let Orlando get back into the game, like a kid playing a videogame looking for a challenge that isn't being provided. More than likely, the team just loses concentration for a few moments, realizing they don't need to be functioning at full capacity to take down the Magic. Which is fine, for now, but in the next rounds, against Cleveland, or Chicago, or Miami, the Pistons need to be fully focused. And it may be hard to just flip a switch and turn it on, so better they start now, and put away the Magic in games three and four, and get into their groove.

AP Photo
Not to be completely negative on the Pistons. Rasheed Wallace looks about as focused as I've seen him in a while, and the Pistons had a very balanced attack in Game Two (Tayshaun Prince scored 18, Wallace 17, Richard Hamilton 22, and Chancey Billups 23) and while Carlos Delfino only scored a single point tonight, he had a very strong Game One. The Pistons shouldn't have much problem in Orlando (the team actually had a better road record than home record this season) and while the Magic could steal a game and force a fifth game, it certainly won't go further than that.

The Detroit Red Wings, on the other hand, have a much tougher road ahead of them. Instead of facing the Dallas Stars, a relatively easy matchup, the Stars lost in their Game Seven tonight, meaning the Wings have to face the San Jose Sharks. My first thought was (sarcastic) joy over more late games on the West Coast. Secondly, Game Two is 3:00 Saturday, right in the middle of the first round of the NFL Draft. I should have a real preview up in the next day or so.