SPORTS Puwr -hTkmAA t n.gon uou-*]-raJune 10, 198 ragd - T e Michigan Daily -- Friday, June 10, 1988 Finals: Pistons- Lakers Pistons deserve respect Detroit takes 'Let's get even with rough play physical' theme too far BY ADAM BENSON OK, welcome to the real news. That's right, this University President stuff is garbage. The story, the important stuff, the REAL reason for this special Daily Extra is...the Pistons. Those lovable Pistons are looking to finish off those goofy Lakers. What a bunch of clowns. Ever hear a Michael Cooper interview? He sounds like Jimmy Stewart taking in helium. How about A.C. Green? The guy must own stock in jeri-curl. Or maybe he borrows that grease from coach Pat Riley? A.C. could loan some of his glossy top to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. All you have to do is look at Kurt Rambis to know that he is goofy. The only normal fella here is Magic, and you all know where he was born. Even with all these quirks, it's the Pistons who are hated around the NBA. Dennis 'Worm' Rodman and John 'Spider' Salley are typically showered by boos, and get nicknames from two of the planet's lowest lifeforms. They could be considered lucky. Bill Laimbeer and RickMahorn will have to work their way up to earn such attractive titles. The Pistons are playing perhaps the best defensive basketball seen in the NBA in twenty years. When the Pistons crushed Chicago, people screamed that Michael Jordan had an off series. As the Pistons dismantled Boston, CBS relentlessly flashed graphics about Larry Bird's problems. CBS made sure to tell us that Bird could have mono, or was tired in the Atlanta series, or he lacked an adequate backup. Never mentioned was the Pistons stifling defense that forced Bird to put up a few shots that he didn't want to take. The Pistons don't have the glamour boys of the NBA, they are a blue collar club. The Pistons are ready to win an NBA title, and they'll fight, bump, scratch, pick & roll their way there. If they win the title, it shouldn't be cheapened by attacking their style of play. The Pistons took the same route that the Lakers, Celtics and 76ers did before them. They have earned this shot, and they will earn their title. BY ADAM SCHRAGER Welcome to the world of professional wrestling, uh, I mean basketball. With the Detroit Pistons in the NBA finals, no one would know the difference. When people call the Pistons a blue collar team, it must refer to the color of their opp- onents necks after the Motown crew climbs off them following an illegal choke hold. The other thing the blue could refer to would be their opponents faces from taking cheap shot elbows on back screens. Led by "The Devious One" Chuck Daly, Detroit's own version of wrestling's Mr. Fuji, the Pistons contain Ax and Smash or Demolition, the World Wrestling Federation's tag team champions. Rick Mahorn (Ax) and Bill Laimbeer (Smash) perform moves that would only be suited for the squared circle rather the hardwood floor. First example, mid-season, Chicago- Detroit. Both Mahorn and Laimbeer phy- sically abuse Bulls guard Michael Jordan as he drives to the basket, setting off a bench- clearing bruhaha. Afterwards, Adrian Dantley says that Jordan has to expect people being "aggressive" in the NBA. Second example, game two, Chicago- Detroit. Jordan breaks away for a slam dunk. The Bulls are up by double digits as Jordan glides toward the hoop. Right as Jordan is about to dunk, Laimbeer gives him a two- hand extended push into the basket's supports, temporarily injuring the league's best player. Third example, game five, Boston-Detroit. Laimbeer pulls Dennis Johnson down by his jersey in mid-air as he's shooting and injures his back. Johnson was limited for the rest of the series. Now, I have nothing against physical play as long as it's controlled. But it seems like controlling the physical play of the Pistons is more difficult than controlling D o.m DeLuise's appetite. Granted, the Pistons deservedly beat Boston, but the Lakers, the "good guys" in this series, will have to watch out for more than taking cheap shots from the "blue-collar" Pistons. They will have to worry about running up the score. Piston guard Isiah Thomas and Laker guard Magic Johnson endure two different fates in last night's, 108.96 Los Angeles victory. The Laker defense swarmed to the ball as seen by Thomas' predicament, while Johnson drove at will on the highly touted Piston defense.