2004 NBA Finals Gm 5 Los Angeles @ Detroit Part 11/11

Detroit 3 Los Angeles 1

This was the final game of Karl Malone's career and the final game Gary Payton and Shaquille O'Neal (as well as most of the Lakers other than Kobe) would play in the Purple & Gold. Pistons' defense dominated this series, and if not for Bryant's heroics in game 2, the Pistons would've swept away the Lakers. Chauncey Billups continued to shut down Gary Payton, and the Lakers would search for a 3rd option behind KB8 and Snaq - they would never find it.

Bryant finishes with:
24 points
3 rebounds
4 assists
1 steal
3 turnovers
7/21 on field goals
0/2 on three pointers
10/11 on free throws

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• NBA
• basketball
• 2004
• 04
• playoffs
• Detroit
• Piston
• Los
• Angeles
• Lakers
• LA
• Kobe
• Bryant
• Ben
• Rasheed
• Wallace
• Chauncey
• Billups

[hotandready100]

2004 Pistons = Greatest team chemistry of all time

[MyCockIsNotForYou]

Is that Larry Brown's wife?? Dam I'd hit that

[Tomahawk511]

@sera7ares I agree. Malone, Payton, and Shaq in their prime, your looking at a dream team.

[LildoCash]

got dam aint even a detroit fan but iwush they could make one last run into the playoffs

[KingRico82894]

I remember after we won this championship some man was outside shooting blanks like it was New Year's Eve screaming DEEEEEEEEEETRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOO­IIIIIIIITTTTTTTTTT BAAAAAASKETBAAAAAALL!!!!

[1stcopahittheground]

only people who knew we could beat the Lakers, were us in The D.

they had an allstar team for God sake. And don't give me that "karl malone was'nt thier to check Big Ben" they had O'neal, and Ben handled his ass. The best team won.

When we got that 1st win in LA, I knew it was over then.

[sera7ares]

@TheMan750 yup, they're kinda similar in that way.

[TheMan750]

@sera7ares true, but my opinion was that they were handed the title months before the season started, so-called "experts" saying that no team can beat them, i'll give them credit, they both made it to the finals but they both lost.

[sera7ares]

@TheMan750 This team was nothing like this Heat team, Malone and Payton were at the same stage in their careers as Jason Kidd is now, or Shaq was last year. Not even close to being a "superteam." Not to mention that Kobe had an off-season (for him) due to the rape prosecutions.

If these guys were all in their primes, with no tangible off-court issues, like the Heat are (and no, being hated is not an off-court issue), they would have swept this Pistons team.

[TheMan750]

LA lakers in 2004, hall of fame lineup they already won the title before the season started, Miami Heat in 2011, 3 great superstars, that's all you need to win a title, what happen to both of those teams in the finals those years

[shutterbugblues]

I still remember this NBA year. I'm from Chicago and a Bulls fan, but this 2004 Pistons team is one of my all-time favorite teams.

[leedaomillz]

I'm a bulls fan but this gave me goosebumps