• The 2003-04 Detroit Pistons are one of the greatest defensive teams in league history
• They built their reputation through an incredible streak of five games where they held teams to under 70 points
• The New Jersey Nets celebrated an 18-point loss against the Pistons because they managed to score 71 points to end their streak
The Detroit Pistons in 2003-04 put the belief that ‘defense wins championships’ to the test by building one of the greatest defensive teams in NBA history. Anchored by Ben Wallace, the team played team-brand basketball all the way to the 2004 NBA Championship.
The team went on a six-game streak where they held opponents to under 70 points. That streak came to an end on March 18, 2004, against the New Jersey Nets. They still won by 18 points, but the playoff-contending Nets were happy enough to celebrate finally putting over 70 points past the Pistons.
Nets players celebrate their 71-89 home loss after they end Pistons’ defensive streak of five games holding opponents under 70 points (2004)
by u/WhenMachinesCry in nba
The Pistons had a good offensive flow by their standards to put up 89 points in that win. They were led by Chauncey Billups who had 20 points on the night. In typical Piston’s fashion, it was a team effort as Rasheed Wallace had 16 points, Richard Hamilton had 15, and Ben Wallace had 13.
The Nets star on this history-stopping night was Richard Jefferson, who had a team-high 19 points. Kenyon Martin and Kerry Kittles both contributed 13, while Jason Kidd put up 10. It wasn’t a good night, but it was good enough to stop the Pistons’ streak.
The Detroit Pistons Shocked The NBA By Becoming Champions
The Pistons tore through the NBA in 2003-04, earning the second seed in the Eastern Conference. They first beat the Milwaukee Bucks in five games, dominating en route to the second round.
They faced the Nets in the second round and were embroiled in a brutal seven-game series. The series had a poetic ending, as the Pistons won Game 7 by holding the Nets to 69 points, as revenge for the broken regular season streak. Both teams only scored over 100 points in one game this series, in a high-scoring 3 OT game that ended 127-120 in Detroit’s favor.
They would overcome the No. 1 seed Indiana Pacers in six games and march onto the Finals. They ended the Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant era by dominating the Lakers in a five-game series which led to Shaq being traded to the Miami Heat.
The Pistons would never win a title after that, but the memories of this incredible squad live within fans.
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