European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 23, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 34 stars and stripes monday april 2p 2007 Deng bulls put defending Champ heat in Hole by Andrew Seligman the associated press Chicago Shaquille oneals words were Sharp and pointed and aimed straight at his target like those passes he whips to cutters when he is Dou ble teamed his target this time was referee Eddie f Rush my intention was to come out and be myself until Eddie Rush derailed me Oneal said after fouling out Chicago Lull Deng also played a big part in knocking de fending Champion Miami off track so did Ben Gordon and an dres Nocini Deng scored 33 Points Gordon and Nocini each hit two free throws in the final 19 seconds and the Chicago bulls held off the heat 9691 saturday in game 1 of their opening round rematch this game was really big Deng said now that we have the Lead most of the time the team that loses has to adjust we did a lot of things today that worked for us the heat trailed 9291 after dwyane Wade found Adonis haslem for a Layup with 38 seconds left but Gordon hit two foul shots with 18 seconds remaining after a timeout Wade missed a three Pointer and Nocini hit two More free throws with 98 seconds left game 2 is tuesday night in Chi Cago the heat beat the bulls in six emotional games last year on the Way to the championship but injuries limited them to 44 victories during the regular season still this looked like a difficult match up for a bulls team that dropped from the second seed to fifth in the Eastern conference when it lost the finale to new Jersey Wade missed 23 game slate in the season with a dislocated left shoulder and struggled through three quarters he scored nine in the fourth and finished with 21 while Oneal had 19 Points before fouling out with left he accused the bulls of Flop Ping and said they had lot of help out there ifs just unfortunate that peo ple fall for that said Oneal who scored 10 Points in the first Quarter before the fouls piled up pm used to just out playing somebody and just playing hard but i guess that s what you got to do to Stop Shaw Deng who enjoyed a breakout season but had struggled against the heat made it look easy this time hitting 14 of 22 shots Gordon chipped in with 24 Points and a career High 11 assists and Nocini scored 17 Points that was enough to offset a rough Outing by Kirk Hinrich who finished with two Points and had five fouls with Hinrich in foul trouble Thabo Sefo Losha guarded Wade and held him to 3for10 shooting through three quarters More and More As were going through the playoffs ill continue to see my Confidence come Back in my game Wade said theres stuff i want to do that in not Able to do but ill continue to work on it before and after practice pistons turnovers Stop magic the associated press Auburn Hills Detroit pistons demonstrated sat urday night Why they could re turn to the conference finals for a fifth consecutive season and Why the Orlando magic might have a ways to go the pistons never trailed in a 10092 Victory while the magic the Only playoff team with a los ing record turned the Ball Over 21 times missed 18 free throws and didst really threaten to win Richard Hamilton scored 22 Points Rasheed Wallace had 16 and mid season addition Chris Webber added 12 for the pistons the no 1 seed in the Eastern con Ference Detroit Point guard Chauncey Billups dubbed or big shot for his clutch play made his free throws Down the stretch but other Wise want needed in that capacity saturday instead he had 22 Points and 11 assists while hold ing his opposite number Jameer Nelson to 10 Points Nelson fouled out with 25 seconds remaining Detroit five starters scored in double figures the pistons Host game 2 on monday night former pistons Grant Hill and Darko Milicic each scored 14 Points for the magic who dropped All four regular season contests against Detroit hero Turkoglu led Orlando with 17 ail Star Center Dwight Howard had 13 Points and 19 rebounds but was Only 3forll from the free throw line in his playoff debut Orlando shot 58 percent from the Field but Only 50 percent from the line the magic made a late run after trailing by double digits much of the second half Orlando got within 9388 on Turkoglu Long jumper and Nelson took a charge from Billups on the other end to give the magic the Ball with left howards Dunk made it 9390 but Tayshaun Prince dunked at the other end with 37 seconds to go forcing the magic to Start foul ing the magic Are making their first postseason appearance since 2003 when a team led by Tracy Mcgrady blew a 31 Lead in the first round against Detroit the pistons Are in the playoffs for the sixth straight time and 30th Overall they Are trying to reach at least the conference finals for the fifth straight year a Streak Only one Aba team has sur passed in better than two de Cades the los Angeles lakers advanced to the conference finals six times in a Row from 198489 Detroit is the Only team with 10plus playoff victories the past three seasons after winning the Aba championship in 2004 the pistons lost in the finals to san Antonio in 2005 and were knocked off by Miami in last years conference finals rockets 84 jazz 75 playing with Home court advantage for the first time in his career hous tons seven time Allstar Tracy Mcgrady had just one Point at halftime before scoring 16 Points in the third Quarter to Lead the rockets Over the jazz in game 1 of a first round playoff series Mcgrady who scored 23 Points was ofor6 in the first half before his outburst the rockets relied on Yao Ming who finished with 28 Points and 13 re Bounds Utah led by nine at halftime and was ahead 4941 before hous ton went on an 82 run fuelled by Duane pistons Forward Tayshaun Prince fouls magic Center Dwight Howard during saturdays game seven Points by Mcgrady to get within two a jump shot by Deron Williams made it 5349 before a three Pointer by Shane Battier put Houston within striking Dis Tance Williams had 15 Points nine assists and nine rebounds for Utah nets 96 raptors 91 Richard Jefferson scored 28 Points and Jason Kidd had 15 assists and 10 rebounds As visiting new Jersey held off a fourth Quarter rally to beat Toronto in game 1 of a first round series Vince Carter the former rap tors Star who was jeered through out the game scored 16 Points but missed 14 of 19 shots Jeffer son compensated by hitting 11 of 21 including eight of his first 10 he scored 11 Points in the first Quarter Chris Bosh led the raptors with 22 Points and t j Ford had 21 Anthony Parker scored 16 Points and added nine assists for the raptors game 2 is tuesday night in Tor onto the bulls appeared to be in control late in the third Quarter tyrus Thomas blocked consecutive shots by Gary Payton and an Toine Walker 20 then broke the other Way for an alleys of Dunk that made it 7059 that brought the fans to their feet and sent Miami into a timeout Gordons 19foot jumper made it 7259 with 38 seconds left in the Quarter Oneal and Wade headed to the sideline with their fifth fouls about minutes into the fourth but the heat refused to go away they were within 7876 after two free throws by Walker miamis superstars checked in with remaining and the bulls ahead by three Tocionis three Pointer made it 8476 with left and when he drove the Lane and was fouled by Oneal with remaining things were really looking Good for the bulls Oneal left the game Nocini hit the free throw to Complete fhe three Point play and the Lead was 8779 i thought i was just standing there Oneal said even if i did have part of the Back of my foot on the line they  make the Call watching two things at once the inconsistency is just very frustrating Nocini fed Deng on a 2onl for a three Point play that made it 9283 with left before the heat mad another run i thought we did a Good Job of taking their Best shot and sticking with it Gordon said a few hard fouls aside the Only shots in this game were jumpers drives and free throws there was none of the hostility that has marked bulls heat games in re cent years Wade guarded Deng Early on saturday with others pitching in no one had much Luck though it was a Sharp contrast from the regular season when Deng had two eight Point games against Miami i knew i didst do Well against them he said i had to look at the tape and see what they were doing we did a really Good Job of moving the Ball Aba playoffs scoreboard first round Best of seven Eastern conference Detroit is Orlando saturday Detroit 100 Orlando 92 Detroit leads series 10 monday Orlando at Detroit thursday Detroit at Orlando saturday april 28 Detroit at Orlando tuesday May 1 Orlando at thursday May 3 Detroit at saturday May 5 Orlando at Cleveland is Washington sunday Washington at Cleveland wednesday Washington at Cleveland saturday april 28 Cleveland at washing ton monday april 30 Cleveland at washing ton wednesday May 2 Washington at Friday May 4 Cleveland at sunday May 6 Washington at Toronto is new Jersey saturday new Jersey 96 Toronto 91 new Jersey leads series 10 tuesday new Jersey at Toronto Friday april 27 Toronto at new Jersey sunday april 29 Toronto at new Jersey tuesday May 1 new Jersey at Friday May 4 Toronto at new sunday May 6 new Jersey at Miami is Chicago saturday Chicago 96 miami91 Chicago leads series 10 tuesday Miami at Chicago Friday april 27 Chicago at Miami sunday april 29 Chicago at Miami tuesday May 1 Miami at thursday May 3 Chicago at saturday May 5 Miami at Western conference Dallas is Golden state Golden state at Dallas wednesday Golden state at Dallas Friday april 27 Dallas at Golden state sunday april 29 Dallas at Golden state tuesday May 1 Golden state at thursday May 3 Dallas at Golden saturday May 5 Golden state at Phoenix is la lakers sunday la lakers at Phoenix tuesday la lakers at Phoenix thursday Phoenix at la lakers sunday april 29 Phoenix at la lakers wednesday May 2 la lakers at Friday May 4 Phoenix at la sunday May 6 la lakers at san Antonio is Denver sunday Denver at san Antonio wednesday Denver at san Antonio saturday april 28 san Antonio at Denver monday april 30 san Antonio at Denver wednesday May 2 Denver at san Friday May 4 san Antonio at sunday May 6 Denver at san Utah is Houston saturday Houston 84 Utah 75 Houston leads series 10 monday Utah at Houston thursday Houston at Utah saturday april 28 Houston at Utah monday april 30 Utah at thursday May 3 Houston at saturday May 5 Utah at necessary saturday nets 96 raptors 91 new Jersey Jefferson 1121 45 28 Moore 38 34 9 Collins 33 02 6 Carter 519 58 16 Kidd 311 12 8 Nachbar 511 44 16 Williams 25 00 4 Wright 36 00 6 Boone 11 113 Adams 00 00 0 totals 3685 1826 96 Toronto Graham 25 00 4 Bosh 716 810 22 Nesterovich 15 00 2 Parker 512 24 16 Ford 813 56 21 Bagnani 14 12 3 Humphries 24 12 5 Peterson 02 00 0 Dixon 25 00 5 Calderon 514 1113 totals 3380 1825 91 new Jersey 23 28 27 1896 Toronto 22 19 24 2691 three Point Jersey 622 Jef Ferson 24 Nachbar 24 Carter 13 Kidd 18 Wright 01 Williams Toronto 719 Parker 47 Calderon 23 Dixon 13 Bosh 01 Ford 01 Peterson 02 Bagnani fouled out Jersey 62 Kidd Toronto 49 Nesterovich Jer sey 25 Kidd Toronto 19 Calderon total Jersey 17 Toronto 20 tech Jersey defensive three second a20330 Seuhs 96 heat 91 Miami Jones 04 22 2 haslem 46 3411 Oneal 9141319 Wade 716 77 21 Williams 38113 Walker 514 66 20 mourning 0102 0 Posey 23 00 5 Payton 03 00 0 Kapono 14 22 4 totals 3173 2227 91 Chicago Deng 1422 55 33 Brown 12 00 2 Wallace 26 02 4 Gordon 719101124 Hinrich 17 00 2 Nocini 615 33 17 Duhon 02 34 3 Thomas 13 00 2 Sefo Losha 36 22 9 totals 3582 2327 96 Miami 2818162991 Chicago 27 22 23 24 three Point 720 Walker 47 Williams 25 Posey 12 Wade 01 pay ton 01 Jones Chicago 317 Nocini 26 Sefo Losha 12 Hinrich 04 Gordon fouled out Oneal rebound Miami 42 haslem Oneal Chicago 56 Wallace assist Miami 17 Oneal Wade Walker Williams Payton Chicago 27 Gordon total 31 Chicago 24 techno Cal Posey Hinrich a22183 pistons 100 magic 92 Orlando Turkoglu 813 01 17 Battie 46 02 8 Howard 58 31113 Hill 48 6814 Nelson 49 22 10 dooming 37 23 9 Milicic 56 4714 Arroyo 23 00 4 Ariza 1212 3 to tals 3662 1836 92 Detroit Prince 47 46 12 Wallace 612 12 16 Webber 57 23 12 Hamilton 919 46 22 Billups 513 1112 22 Hunter 01 00 0 Mcdyess 2612 5 Delfino 46 00 9 Davis 01 00 0 Maxiell 1100 2 totals 3673 2331100 Orlando 16 27 24 2592 Detroit 28 23 30 19100 three Point goal Orlando 25 Turkoglu 11 dooming 12 Nelson Detroit 514 Wallace 35 Delfino 12 Billups 16 Hunter fouled out Nelson do 49 Howard Detroit 40 Mcdyess assist Orlando 18 Hill Detroit 29 Bil Lups total foul Orlando 24 Detroit 25 defensive three second a22076 rockets 84 jazz 75 Utah Kirilenko 13 02 2 Boozer 417 36 11 Okur 214 02 6 Fisher 611 11 15 will iams 7191215 Harpring 714 0014 Jiricek 25 22 6 Collins 12 00 2 Millsap 12 22 4 to tals 3187 917 75 Houston Battier 27 00 6 Hayes 23 00 4 Yao 818 1214 28 Mcgrady 817 46 23 Al Ston 31100 9 head 2812 6 Howard 25 44 8 Mutombo 00 00 0 totals 2769 2126 84 Utah 19 23 11 2275 Houston 20 13 26 25s4 three Point goals Utah 417 Fisher 23 Okur 27 Jiricek 02 Williams Houston 927 Mcgrady 35 Alston 310 Battier 26 head fouled rebound Sutah 58 Boozer Houston 53 Yao assists Utah 15 Williams Houston 19 Al Ston total fouls Utah 22 Houston 16 technical Houston defensive three Sec Ond a18195