The Lakers “should have swept” Detroit in the 2004 NBA Finals, based on their star-studded lineup, according to Chauncey Billups.
Instead, the Pistons humiliated a Los Angeles squad that featured four future Hall of Famers in a 4-1 beatdown, and Billups walked away with Finals MVP honors.
Mr. Big Shot adds that he was confident heading into the title round matchup when the Purple and Gold emerged from the Western Conference.
Per Bleacher Report (via ESPN):
“If you look at the names on the back of the jerseys, yeah, they should have swept us,” Billups said. “They really should have.”
However, he pointed out, “styles make fights, and our style against theirs was superior even in the regular season when we played them.”
He averaged 21.0 points, 5.2 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals throughout the series behind 50.9 percent shooting from the field and 47.1 percent shooting from three-point range.
“When [Los Angeles] beat Minnesota, I was happy,” Billups said. “Because I felt like there was no way the Lakers could beat us.”
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