For the first time since the season opener, Rasheed Wallace strutted into The Palace with the boxing-style championship belts he had made for the Detroit Pistons.
Then the demonstrative forward showed how he plans to help the Pistons defend their title.
Wallace scored 24 of his 29 points in the second half Saturday, helping Detroit pull away from the Philadelphia 76ers 106-85 in the first game of the NBA playoffs.
``There's no pressure on us. Most of the attention is on Miami and San Antonio,'' he said. ``We like being on the back burner.''
The Pistons went from Eastern Conference contenders to champions after dealing reserves and No. 1 picks for Wallace just before the trading deadline last season. He gave the Pistons just what they needed with his inside-outside scoring, defense and swagger.
``You've got to know Sheed to know the intangibles he brings,'' said Philadelphia's Chris Webber, a former teammate of Wallace's. ``You can tell what a difference he makes on their team.''
Sunday, April 24, 2005
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