News / Sports
NBA Scores: Cavaliers Choke in Final Seconds as Pistons Move Up 2-0 in Series
Rasheed Wallace scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds while Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton finished with 13 points as the Detroit Pistons held on to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 79-76 and move in front 2-0 in their Eastern Conference Finals playoff series.
Cleveland was trailing 77-76 with 24 seconds left on the clock and a chance to win the game but LeBron James missed a seven-footer, Larry Hughes couldn’t connect from ten and Anderson Varejao missed the follow up and the Pistons sealed the game from the line with one second on the clock.
The Pistons held a 74-69 advantage with five minutes left in the game but the Cavaliers scored six straight to take a 75-74 lead. Rasheed Wallace tied it after hitting one of two from the foul-line and then LeBron reclaimed the lead for the Cavs hitting one of two as well. LeBron then stole a pass from Wallace with just under a minute remaining and Cleveland had a chance to boost their lead to three but Sasha Pavlovic was called for traveling. Wallace then buried a 17-footer with 24 seconds left on the clock and Detroit had a 77-76 lead.
LeBron James finished with 19 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists but it was his failure to hit a big bucket late in the game that has led many to question if he is that go-to-guy that many claim him to be.
The series now shifts to Cleveland where the two teams will meet on Sunday for game three of their best of seven series.
