European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - June 16, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse Thursday june 16,1988 the stars and stripes Pagal sports aggressive pistons Rev it up series even As new style Routs lakers by Howard u1.man Pontiac Mich. A the do foil pistons drive toward i i Aba title mailed until they started driving to the Basket now it s in High gear. The championship series became More aggressive and physical tuesday night when the pistons evened it at two games each with a 111-86 runt of the los an Geles lakers. In the first Quarter the visions charged Dawn the Lane and Gnu sewn of their first eight baskets on layups. In the fourth Quarter Detroit s Isiah Thomas playing Aba. Finals despite a Back injury charged Down the Lane and go hammered by his longtime Friend magic Johnson. We re playing for the world championship John son said both of us understand what it s All about. If i go in air a Layup i know he s coming after me. If heroes in for a Layup he knows i m coming after the pistons went right into the Lech of the Losangeles defense a lactic that often resulted in easy baskets or foul shots. They had 46 free throws tuesday night compared to Only 12 in a 99-86 third game loss sunday. They Autsin nil the lakers 36-28 from the free throw line. The disparity was 18-13 through three quarters. Detroit s Adrian Dahlky. Who led All scorers with27 Points made in of is free throws. On sunday he had Only 14 Points and Only two foul shots. The intensity the teams displayed tuesday night when Silver Doc temperatures exceeded 90 decrees is expected to continue in the fifth game there thursday. Nobody wants to be playing game 6 being Down 3-2." los Angeles Forward Kurt Rambis said. So it s going to be the toughest and the roughest and the mos physical game of the it s important for us to win our next Home game Detroit Center Bill Lamb car Sard. We Don t want to have to go to la. Having to win two at least they la be going to . Had the pistons lost the defending Champion lakers could have won the title thursday night. Detroit s decision to return to an inside offensive game caused foul problems for the lakers. We were penetrating Adrian was going in there and we were dishing the Ball off for easy baskets and we got easy fouls Laimbeer said. Johnson who led los Angeles with 23. Points picked up his fourth foul with Detroit ahead 68-61with 7 03 left in the third Quarter. He did t return until the Start of the fourth Quarter and by that Lime Detroit had an sj-65 advantage. Leaving Johnson in was t going to make any Dif Ference in the game los Angeles coach Pat Riley said. Me had four fouls and to put him Back in in situation where we have to play pressure defense and give him his fifth would t have been Wise. When he s out of the game they re obviously not As Detroit s a Tanh Rodman i airborne after colliding with magic Johnson of the lakers tuesday night 11 the Sll verdome dangerous because he May be the greatest player in Llie world Detroit coach Chuck Daly said. Johnson go his fifth four with 7 03 left in the fourth period. Thomas was his victim. Pistons Forward Den Nis Rodman grabbed Thomas in Case Thomas wanted to go after Johnson and Laimbeer advanced toward the Laker guard. Johnson said he did t commit the foul out of frustration because of Detroit s 89-72 Lead at the Lime. My Elbow s supposed to be there and he ran Intuit Johnson said. This is business. This in t anything personal Thom As said. Me made he statement before it the series started if 1 were coining through the Lane he d slam me and i came through the Lane and he slammed by that Lime however the outcome was Clear. The lakers last Lead was 24-23 who 2 14 left in the first Quarter. They trailed 58-51 at halftime and Detroit closed the third Quarter with a 17-5 run to take an i b Point lend into the final lakers had just 14 Points in the third Quarter and 35 in the second half their Low for this year playoffs. After making 21 of 40 shots in the first half they hit Only eight of 32 in the second half and san Only five in the final 22 40. Their defense was a lot More rugged and aggressive Riley said. Everybody was bumping them Detroit Cen Erjames Edwards said. They Don t like that and it kind of threw them off their game.",Detroit s offensive aggressiveness missing in he last two games after an opening Victory had paid off the 25-Poim Victory margin was the largest in a championship series game since 1985 when the lakers Bea Boston 136-111 in the third game. Magic microwave providing the spark by Harry Atkins Pontiac. Mich. A the Aba championship series is turning into Buttle of Johnson and Johnson. The play of magic Johnson and the cooking of his Mother Christine grab Bedall the headlines in came 3, As los an Geles beat the Detroit pistons to take a 2-i Lead in the series. Tuesday night Detroit s Vinnie John son the one they Call microwave showed them what to do with the leftovers. He came off the Bench to score eight Ichisi 6 Points in a key second Quarter run As the i pistons evened the Best of series at 2-2 with a 111-s6 Victory Over the lakers. We did t get Here on Talent alone Detroit coach Chuck Daly said. We have some determination. I Don t know if we re a Good learn but we be got som Pride. We had our backs to the Wall after losing game 3, and we had some people show up ready to respond t really liked the play of finnic James Edwards and Dennis Rodman Vinnie Johnson said he i pistons were determined to make up for their 99-86 loss in game 3, a game in which he was held to i Points. We can t relax finnic Johnson said. It might be the difference Between winning a championship and not win Ning it. It s a mind game. Lousy sunday. That was embarrassing magic Johnson was the lakers Only Force in game 4. He scored 23 Points. But picked up his fourth foul with 7 03 remaining in the third Quarter and de troit Wen on to Oatt Core the lakers 25 14 in the period taking an 83-65 Lead into the fourth Quarter. With four fouls it s kind of Lough Todo anything he said. They took it to us instead of us taking it to he sat out the remainder of the third Sao magic on Page 22
