Big Shot Rob Comes Through With the Trey, Spurs Take game 5 in OT, 96-95

Originally uploaded by adrastas.

Nail-biter. Heart-Attack Tension. Drop Dead Heat. Game 5 of the NBA finals could be described in several ways but in San Antonio there is only one word to describe it: "Win".

After struggling to keep up with the reigning NBA Champion Detroit Pistons, the San Antonio Spurs pulled it together late in the 4th quarter to push the game into over Over Time. This is where things got really interesting.

With 5.8 seconds left in OT Horry, who suffered a minor left shoulder strain on an already tested wound, inbounded the ball. This is the moment that cost the Pistons the series. Rasheed Wallace seemed all set to guard Horry, the leading clutch 3 point shooter in NBA Finals History, when all of a sudden he turned to double team Ginoblili. Ginoblili passed back to Horry as if the ball were a rabid ferret in heat, and the Legend of Big Shot Rob was solidified in the Annals of NBA Finals History.

"The plan was for me to take it to the rim," said Ginoblili after the dust settled. "I saw Rasheed coming and and went back to Robert." Said Horry, "I was supposed to get out and Manu cut to the basket and Rasheed bit." Later he said: 'Oh, let me stay out here." And so he stayed out there and, with the confidence of one who holds 5 NBA tital rings, set, planted and sunk a huge 3-pointer that led to the Spurs Win. "It's the Play Offs, Man," he said.

In fact, the whole game, Horry kept the Spurs in the game with his clutch 3's. It's what he's good at. It's his thing. It was Timmy who seems to have dubbed him "Big Shot Bob".
"Tim's a jerk," said Horry, all smiles, after the game. Turns out he doesn't like to be called "Bob" or "Bobby", but Tim, with grins, keeps at it. "It's just not me," said Horry. Either way, he can't dispute the "Big Shot" part because he is just a few threes away from the all time leader for 3's in playoff history.

"It's Bobby Horry," said Timmy. "He does whatever he wants to do. He's Big Shot Bob." Horry scored 21 of San Antonio's final 31 points.

Say's Pistons coach, Larry Brown "I'm damned if i'd let my guy take a 3." He'd have had him go to the rim and hope for a foul. No. Not for the Spurs. Not tonight. Tonight, the Spurs were after the Rings.

After the game winning shot the Pistons had one last chance but Tony Parker kept Hamilton from firing off a good shot and the ball was rebounded by Bowen with .1 seconds left. Somewhere, the Fat Lady hit her note and it was all over in Auburn Hills.

Now the Pistons are faced with a depressing fact. Says Larry Brown, "We haven't won down there in a long time." The Pistons have lost ten games in a row in San Antonio and the next two games are in San Antonio.

As soon as I made it home if found that each person that I'd lost big to on the last two games had called me. They're worried. I rolled over all my winnings from the last series onto this one but only with the option to roll over my losses on the series. They know what the Pistons know. They're in trouble.