2005 NBA Finals

• 1. The Best Of Seven Format

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  The 2005 NBA Finals marked the championship series of the National Basketball Association's 2004, 05 season. The Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs faced the Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons for the title. Home court advantage belonged to the Spurs, while the Pistons entered as defending champions. This series followed a best-of-seven format that differed from previous rounds. Teams with home court hosted games one, two, six, and seven if necessary. It also marked the Pistons' first NBA Finals loss since 1988.

• 2. Defensive Rivalry Context

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  This matchup featured the two premier defensive teams of that era. From the 2002, 03 season through 2004, 05, both squads routinely finished in the top three in Points Allowed. In 2003, Detroit ranked number one and San Antonio ranked third. The following year, the teams tied for the number one spot. By 2005, the Spurs held the number one ranking while the Pistons sat at number two. Both teams performed exceptionally well when scoring over 100 points. Detroit went 22, 3 in such games, while San Antonio went 28, 2. Sportswriters across the country considered this one of the few too-close-to-call series to occur.

• 3. Playoff Road To The Finals

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  The Spurs breezed through the playoffs with relative ease compared to their opponents. They defeated the Denver Nuggets four games to one after losing the home opener. Their next opponent was the Seattle SuperSonics, whom they defeated within six games. Phoenix Suns were expected to challenge them, but the Spurs won easily four games to one. The Pistons had a slightly tougher road back to the championship. They started with an easy five-game victory over Philadelphia. Next came Indiana Pacers, who unexpectedly won their first-round series against Boston Celtics. Led by retiring legend Reggie Miller, the Pacers mounted a formidable challenge before falling in Game Six. Detroit then faced Miami Heat, led by Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal. After winning Game One, the Pistons fell behind 2, 1 and 3, 2 before forcing a decisive Game Seven at American Airlines Arena.

• 4. Game By Game Breakdown

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  Game One saw Manu Ginóbili turn in a virtuoso performance in the fourth quarter. He scored 15 of his 26 points during that period to lead San Antonio to victory. Tim Duncan added 24 points and 17 rebounds for the Spurs. Game Two became all San Antonio from the opening tip as Detroit missed nine shots from inside four feet. The Pistons went cold from behind the three-point line while the Spurs made 11 threes. Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton combined for 44 points in Game Three. Ben Wallace harassed Tim Duncan into a 5, 15 shooting night. Game Four was the most lopsided of the series with Detroit scoring 102 points. Only three Spurs scored in double figures while seven Pistons did so. Game Five went into overtime after regulation ended tied on 18 occasions. Robert Horry sank the game-winning basket with 5.8 seconds remaining in OT.

• 5. Key Player Performances

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  Tim Duncan won his third NBA Finals MVP Award with 25 points and 11 rebounds in Game Seven. Manu Ginóbili pitched in with 23 points during the decisive contest. Tony Parker received his second championship ring alongside Bruce Bowen. Robert Horry became only the second player in NBA history to play on championship teams for three different franchises. Sean Marks became the first New Zealander to win a championship ring. Chauncey Billups finished with a game-high 34 points in the losing effort of Game Five. Richard Hamilton led the Pistons with 15 points in Game Seven despite falling just short of back-to-back championships. Antonio McDyess scored 15 points off the bench in Game Two.

• 6. Broadcasting And Viewership

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  The games were broadcast exclusively on ABC in the United States. Locally, they aired on KSAT-TV in San Antonio and WXYZ-TV in Detroit. The featured song throughout the playoffs was Rob Thomas' This Is How A Heart Breaks. Game Three had a Nielsen rating percentage of only 7.2% of households. Cumulating to a 7.1 average for the first three games, this was 32% lower than the previous year's finals. Average viewership decreased from 17.9 million in 2004 to 11.5 million in 2005. Al Michaels provided commentary alongside Hubie Brown. National radio coverage came through ESPN Radio via Jim Durham and Dr. Jack Ramsay. The 2005 Finals would be Michaels' last major NBA assignment with ABC before moving to NBC Sports.

• 7. Post Series Legacy And Aftermath

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  The Spurs won a franchise-record 63 victories to clinch the top seed in the West during the following season. They bowed to Dallas Mavericks in Game Seven of the Conference semifinals but returned to win the 2007 NBA Finals. Head coach Larry Brown bought out his contract after the season. He eventually coached New York Knicks where he won just 23 games. The Pistons fell in six games to Miami Heat in their next championship run. Franchise centerpiece Ben Wallace left for Chicago Bulls. Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess, and Cheikh Samb were traded for Allen Iverson in November 2008. This remains the Pistons' last appearance in the NBA Finals as of the article's writing.