May 14, 2004, 3OT:
New Jersey Nets 127, Detroit Pistons 120
The Nets would survive in triple overtime, 127-120, to take a 3-2 lead in the series. From entertainment value to the Nets actually winning, the first triple OT playoff game in Nets franchise history ranks as one of the all-time great games in Nets history.
In OT, Richard Jefferson put the Nets on his back, scoring 18 of his team high 31 points in the extra periods. Despite leading the Pistons with 31 points of his own, Chauncey Billups shot only 9-29 from the field.
Four Nets and four Pistons fouled out for an NBA playoff record eight foul-outs, allowing for some unlikely heros. Former Net and current Celtics broadcaster Brian Scalabrine, who tweeted mean but accurate things about the Nets Saturday, had a career high 17 points, including a perfect 4-4 mark from three. Scalabrine hit a key trey with 41 seconds left in the third OT to open up a 122-118 lead. The ESPN recap of the game called the white mamba a “lumbering forward” and “one of the stars” of the game that “only die-hard basketball fans even know.”
On a personal note, I had a final the next morning, which happened to be a Saturday. Not cool, higher education. Not cool. As great a game as this was, part of me wishes Nets coach Lawrence Frank hadn’t been an idiot (his self appraisal post game) and had just called the Nets to foul Billups in the closing moments of regulation to virtually seal the game. Just kidding. This game was awesome. I do, however, wish the Nets hadn’t lost the final two games of the series to lose in seven.
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