2004 NBA Finals - wikipedia 2004 NBA Finals 2004 NBA Finals Team Coach Wins Detroit Pistons Larry Brown Los Angeles Lakers Phil Jackson Dates June 6 -- 15 MVP Chauncey Billups ( Detroit Pistons ) Television ABC ( U.S. ) Announcers Al Michaels and Doc Rivers Radio network ESPN Announcers Brent Musburger and Jack Ramsay Referees Game 1 : Joe Crawford, Bob Delaney, Bernie Fryer Game 2 : Bennett Salvatore, Steve Javie, Joe DeRosa Game 3 : Ron Garretson, Dan Crawford, Mike Callahan Game 4 : Jack Nies, Dick Bavetta, Eddie F. Rush Game 5 : Joe Crawford, Bernie Fryer, Bennett Salvatore Hall of Famers Lakers : Karl Malone ( 2010 ) Gary Payton ( 2013 ) Shaquille O'Neal ( 2016 ) Coaches : Larry Brown ( 2002 ) Phil Jackson ( 2007 ) Tex Winter ( 2011 ) Officials : Dick Bavetta ( 2015 ) Eastern Finals Pistons defeated Pacers, 4 -- 2 Western Finals Lakers defeated Timberwolves, 4 -- 2 < 2003 NBA Finals 2005 > The 2004 NBA Finals was the championship round of the 2003 -- 04 National Basketball Association season. The Finals were between the Los Angeles Lakers of the Western Conference and the Detroit Pistons of the Eastern Conference ; the Lakers held home court advantage. The series was played under a best - of - seven format, so the first team to collect four game victories would win the series. Although the Lakers were the heavy favorite, the Pistons won the series four games to one to win their first title since 1990 and their fifth overall ( three NBA Championships, two NBL Championships ). Pistons point guard Chauncey Billups was named as the NBA Finals MVP. The series was noted for the perceived underdog, the Pistons, dominating a Lakers team that had four future Hall of Famers. Pistons owner William Davidson became the first owner in sports history to win two championships in one year. Eight days earlier, the other team that Davidson owned, the Tampa Bay Lightning of the National Hockey League had won the Stanley Cup in seven games over the Calgary Flames. Contents 1 Background 1.1 Los Angeles Lakers 1.2 Detroit Pistons 1.3 Road to the Finals 1.4 Regular season series 2 Team rosters 2.1 Detroit Pistons 2.2 Los Angeles Lakers 3 Series summary 3.1 Features 4 Game Summaries 4.1 Game 1 4.2 Game 2 4.3 Game 3 4.4 Game 4 4.5 Game 5 5 Player statistics 6 Broadcast notes 7 Aftermath 8 References 9 External links Background Los Angeles Lakers The Lakers had won consecutive championships from 2000 to 2002, but lost to the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference playoffs in 2003 to end their streak at three. In the 2003 offseason, the Lakers made major changes, with initially varying results. Needing to find a point guard and a power forward to defend against Tim Duncan and the Spurs, the Lakers signed veteran stars Gary Payton and Karl Malone for well below market value ; they also hoped to give both veterans their first championship ring. The Lakers were afterwards considered the favorites to win the NBA title. During the regular season, after starting the season 18 -- 3, the Lakers were afflicted by numerous injuries and stumbled to a 56 -- 26 record to finish the season with the second seed in the Western Conference. The Lakers breezed past their first - round opponent, the Houston Rockets, headlining a matchup between Shaquille O'Neal and a young Yao Ming, defeating the squad 4 - 1 but then lost the first two games in their series against the Spurs before a dramatic comeback that saw them win 4 -- 2. Then, they faced the Minnesota Timberwolves and league MVP Kevin Garnett. The Lakers won the series 4 -- 2 to advance to the Finals. Detroit Pistons The Pistons won two back - to - back championships in 1989 and 1990, but with retirements and departures of several stars, they faded from relevance. The team hired former star Joe Dumars as general manager of the team in 2000, and he began stockpiling draft picks and trading players. He landed defensive stalwart Ben Wallace and guard Richard Hamilton by trading established stars in controversial trades, signed Chauncey Billups ( considered an underachiever ), and drafted Tayshaun Prince with the 23rd pick in the 2002 Draft. He was named the NBA Executive of the Year in 2003 for returning the Pistons to prominence. The Pistons made another major -- perhaps, riskier -- coaching change, firing head coach Rick Carlisle, who had led the Pistons to consecutive Central Division titles, 100 regular season wins, and had received the NBA Coach of the Year Award in 2002. In his place, Dumars hired legendary coach Larry Brown, who had most recently led the Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA Finals in 2001. In a three - team trade involving the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks at the trade deadline, Dumars traded Chucky Atkins, Lindsey Hunter, Bobby Sura, Željko Rebrača and other considerations for guard Mike James and forward Rasheed Wallace, who proved to be the final pieces of the championship team. Lindsey Hunter would rejoin the Pistons a week later after being waived by the Celtics, and would be partnered with Mike James to create a formidable guard tandem off the bench dubbed `` The Pit Bulls. ''. The Pistons, who were already a good defensive team, became a defensive force to be reckoned with. They became the first team in NBA history to hold five consecutive opponents under 70 points, and finished the season with a 54 -- 28 record and the third seed in the Eastern Conference. The Pistons easily overcame the Milwaukee Bucks 4 - 1, but struggled against the defending conference champion New Jersey Nets. After splitting the first four games of the series, the Nets won Game 5 in Detroit in triple overtime to take a 3 - 2 series lead back to New Jersey. After falling behind by 12 early in Game 6, the Pistons stormed back in the second quarter and held on for an 81 - 75 to force a seventh game. The Pistons never trailed after the midway point of the first quarter and cruised to a 90 - 69 win to take the series. In the Eastern Conference Finals, a match up with the 61 - win, Carlisle - led Pacers, the Pistons faltered in the final 90 seconds of Game 1, falling 78 - 74. Prior to Game 2, Rasheed Wallace famously guaranteed a Detroit victory. With Detroit clinging to a 69 - 67 lead with under 30 seconds to play, after Billups recovered the basketball after a Jermaine O'Neal blocked shot of Rasheed Wallace, Jamaal Tinsley stripped Billups and found Reggie Miller open down the court for what appeared to be the tying lay - up. As Miller approached the basket, Tayshaun Prince ran in from the left wing and blocked Miller 's lay - up as it left his fingertips. Richard Hamilton recovered the loose ball before it went out of bounds and was fouled by Tinsley. Hamilton would make three free throws in the game 's final 15 seconds to seal the victory and tie the series. The Pistons rode the momentum of Game 2 ( including dominant wins in Games 3 and 5 ) to a 4 - 2 series victory, advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time in 14 years. Road to the Finals Main article : 2004 NBA Playoffs Los Angeles Lakers ( Western Conference Champion ) Detroit Pistons ( Eastern Conference Champion ) # Western Conference Team PCT GB c - Minnesota Timberwolves 58 24. 707 -- y - Los Angeles Lakers 56 26. 683 x-San Antonio Spurs 57 25. 695 x-Sacramento Kings 55 27. 671 5 x-Dallas Mavericks 52 30. 634 6 6 x-Memphis Grizzlies 50 32. 610 8 7 x-Houston Rockets 45 37. 549 13 8 x-Denver Nuggets 43 39. 524 15 9 Utah Jazz 42 40. 512 16 10 Portland Trail Blazers 41 41. 500 17 11 Seattle SuperSonics 37 45. 451 21 12 Golden State Warriors 37 45. 451 21 13 Phoenix Suns 29 53. 354 29 14 Los Angeles Clippers 28 54. 341 30 2nd seed in the West, 4th best league record Regular season # Eastern Conference Team PCT GB z - Indiana Pacers 61 21. 744 -- y - New Jersey Nets 47 35. 573 14 x-Detroit Pistons 54 28. 659 7 x-Miami Heat 42 40. 512 19 5 x-New Orleans Hornets 41 41. 500 20 6 x-Milwaukee Bucks 41 41. 500 20 7 x-New York Knicks 39 43. 476 22 8 x-Boston Celtics 36 46. 439 25 9 Cleveland Cavaliers 35 47. 427 26 10 Toronto Raptors 33 49. 402 28 10 Philadelphia 76ers 33 49. 402 28 12 Atlanta Hawks 28 54. 341 33 13 Washington Wizards 25 57. 305 36 14 Chicago Bulls 23 59. 280 37 15 Orlando Magic 21 61. 256 39 3rd seed in the East, 6th best league record Defeated the ( 7 ) Houston Rockets, 4 -- 1 First Round Defeated the ( 6 ) Milwaukee Bucks, 4 -- 1 Defeated the ( 3 ) San Antonio Spurs, 4 -- 2 Conference Semifinals Defeated the ( 2 ) New Jersey Nets, 4 -- 3 Defeated the ( 1 ) Minnesota Timberwolves, 4 -- 2 Conference Finals Defeated the ( 1 ) Indiana Pacers, 4 -- 2 Regular season series The teams split the two meetings, each won by the home team : November 14, 2003 Detroit Pistons 89, Los Angeles Lakers 94 Staples Center, Los Angeles, California November 18, 2003 Los Angeles Lakers 96, Detroit Pistons 106 The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan Team rosters Detroit Pistons 2004 Detroit Pistons Finals roster Players Coaches Pos. # Name Ht. Wt. DOB From 1.5 ! G 7000100000000000000 ♠ 1 Billups, Chauncey 7000190500000000000 ♠ 6 ft 3 in ( 1.91 m ) 202 lb ( 92 kg ) 1976 -- 09 -- 25 Colorado 6.0 ! C 7001410000000000000 ♠ 41 Campbell, Elden 7000210820000000000 ♠ 6 ft 11 in ( 2.11 m ) 279 lb ( 127 kg ) 1968 -- 07 -- 23 Clemson 4.0 ! F 7001240000000000000 ♠ 24 Fowlkes, Tremaine 7000200659999999999 ♠ 6 ft 7 in ( 2.01 m ) 212 lb ( 96 kg ) 1976 -- 04 -- 11 Fresno State 4.0 ! F 7000800000000000000 ♠ 8 Ham, Darvin 7000200659999999999 ♠ 6 ft 7 in ( 2.01 m ) 240 lb ( 109 kg ) 1973 -- 07 -- 23 Texas Tech 2.5 ! G / F 7001320000000000000 ♠ 32 Hamilton, Richard 7000200659999999999 ♠ 6 ft 7 in ( 2.01 m ) 193 lb ( 88 kg ) 1978 -- 02 -- 14 Connecticut 1.5 ! G 7001100000000000000 ♠ 10 Hunter, Lindsey 7000187960000000000 ♠ 6 ft 2 in ( 1.88 m ) 195 lb ( 88 kg ) 1970 -- 12 -- 03 Jackson State 1.5 ! G 7000700000000000000 ♠ 7 James, Mike 7000187960000000000 ♠ 6 ft 2 in ( 1.88 m ) 188 lb ( 85 kg ) 1975 -- 06 -- 23 Duquesne 6.0 ! C 7001310000000000000 ♠ 31 Miličić, Darko 7000213360000000000 ♠ 7 ft 0 in ( 2.13 m ) 275 lb ( 125 kg ) 1985 -- 06 -- 20 Serbia and Montenegro 5.5 ! F / C 7001130000000000000 ♠ 13 Okur, Mehmet 7000210820000000000 ♠ 6 ft 11 in ( 2.11 m ) 290 lb ( 132 kg ) 1979 -- 05 -- 26 Turkey 4.0 ! F 7001220000000000000 ♠ 22 Prince, Tayshaun 7000205740000000000 ♠ 6 ft 9 in ( 2.06 m ) 215 lb ( 98 kg ) 1980 -- 02 -- 28 Kentucky 5.5 ! F / C 7000300000000000000 ♠ 3 Wallace, Ben 7000205740000000000 ♠ 6 ft 9 in ( 2.06 m ) 245 lb ( 111 kg ) 1974 -- 09 -- 10 Virginia Union 5.5 ! F / C 7001300000000000000 ♠ 30 Wallace, Rasheed 7000210820000000000 ♠ 6 ft 11 in ( 2.11 m ) 230 lb ( 104 kg ) 1974 -- 09 -- 17 North Carolina 4.0 ! F 7001340000000000000 ♠ 34 Williamson, Corliss 7000200659999999999 ♠ 6 ft 7 in ( 2.01 m ) 245 lb ( 111 kg ) 1973 -- 12 -- 04 Arkansas Head coach Larry Brown Assistant coach ( es ) Herb Brown Dave Hanners Igor Kokoškov John Kuester Mike Woodson Legend ( C ) Team captain ( DP ) Unsigned draft pick ( FA ) Free agent ( S ) Suspended Injured Roster Transactions Last transaction : 2004 -- 02 -- 26 Los Angeles Lakers 2004 Los Angeles Lakers Finals roster Players Coaches Pos. # Name Ht. Wt. DOB From 1.5 ! G 7000800000000000000 ♠ 8 Bryant, Kobe 7000198120000000000 ♠ 6 ft 6 in ( 1.98 m ) 205 lb ( 93 kg ) 1978 -- 08 -- 23 Lower Merion HS ( PA ) 4.0 ! F 7000700000000000000 ♠ 7 Cook, Brian 7000205740000000000 ♠ 6 ft 9 in ( 2.06 m ) 234 lb ( 106 kg ) 1980 -- 12 -- 04 Illinois 1.5 ! G 7000200000000000000 ♠ 2 Fisher, Derek 7000185420000000000 ♠ 6 ft 1 in ( 1.85 m ) 210 lb ( 95 kg ) 1974 -- 08 -- 09 Arkansas - Little Rock 4.0 ! F 7001170000000000000 ♠ 17 Fox, Rick 7000200659999999999 ♠ 6 ft 7 in ( 2.01 m ) 230 lb ( 104 kg ) 1969 -- 07 -- 24 North Carolina 4.0 ! F 7000300000000000000 ♠ 3 George, Devean 7000203200000000000 ♠ 6 ft 8 in ( 2.03 m ) 235 lb ( 107 kg ) 1977 -- 08 -- 29 Augsburg 5.5 ! F / C 7001540000000000000 ♠ 54 Grant, Horace 7000208279999999999 ♠ 6 ft 10 in ( 2.08 m ) 245 lb ( 111 kg ) 1965 -- 07 -- 04 Clemson 4.0 ! F 7001110000000000000 ♠ 11 Malone, Karl 7000205740000000000 ♠ 6 ft 9 in ( 2.06 m ) 250 lb ( 113 kg ) 1963 -- 07 -- 24 Louisiana Tech 4.0 ! F 7001140000000000000 ♠ 14 Medvedenko, Slava 7000208279999999999 ♠ 6 ft 10 in ( 2.08 m ) 253 lb ( 115 kg ) 1979 -- 04 -- 04 Ukraine 6.0 ! C 7001340000000000000 ♠ 34 O'Neal, Shaquille 7000215899999999999 ♠ 7 ft 1 in ( 2.16 m ) 325 lb ( 147 kg ) 1972 -- 03 -- 06 LSU 1.5 ! G 7001200000000000000 ♠ 20 Payton, Gary 7000193040000000000 ♠ 6 ft 4 in ( 1.93 m ) 180 lb ( 82 kg ) 1968 -- 07 -- 23 Oregon State 1.5 ! G 7001210000000000000 ♠ 21 Rush, Kareem 7000195580000000000 ♠ 6 ft 5 in ( 1.96 m ) 200 lb ( 91 kg ) 1980 -- 10 -- 30 Missouri 4.0 ! F 7000900000000000000 ♠ 9 Russell, Bryon 7000200659999999999 ♠ 6 ft 7 in ( 2.01 m ) 225 lb ( 102 kg ) 1970 -- 12 -- 31 Long Beach State 6.0 ! C 7001310000000000000 ♠ 31 Sampson, Jamal 7000210820000000000 ♠ 6 ft 11 in ( 2.11 m ) 235 lb ( 107 kg ) 1983 -- 05 -- 15 UC Berkeley 4.0 ! F 7000400000000000000 ♠ 4 Walton, Luke 7000203200000000000 ♠ 6 ft 8 in ( 2.03 m ) 235 lb ( 107 kg ) 1980 -- 03 -- 28 Arizona Head coach Phil Jackson Assistant coach ( es ) Jim Cleamons Frank Hamblen Kurt Rambis Tex Winter Legend ( C ) Team captain ( DP ) Unsigned draft pick ( FA ) Free agent ( S ) Suspended Injured Roster Transactions Last transaction : 2004 -- 02 -- 19 Series summary Game Date Home Team Result Road Team Game 1 Sunday, June 6 Los Angeles Lakers 75 -- 87 ( 1 -- 0 ) Detroit Pistons Game 2 Tuesday, June 8 Los Angeles Lakers 99 -- 91 ( OT ) ( 1 -- 1 ) Detroit Pistons Game 3 Thursday, June 10 Detroit Pistons 88 -- 68 ( 2 -- 1 ) Los Angeles Lakers Game 4 Sunday, June 13 Detroit Pistons 88 -- 80 ( 3 -- 1 ) Los Angeles Lakers Game 5 Tuesday, June 15 Detroit Pistons 100 -- 87 ( 4 -- 1 ) Los Angeles Lakers Note : teams in Bold won that game. The Finals were played using a 2 -- 3 -- 2 site format, where the first two and last two games are held at the team with home court advantage. This is only used in the Finals ; all other playoff games are held in a 2 -- 2 -- 1 -- 1 -- 1 format ( the team with home court advantage starts ). The Pistons became the fourth team to sweep the middle three games since the NBA started using the 2 - 3 - 2 format in 1985. But they became the first to do so at home ; the previous three times this had occurred it was done by road teams ( 1990 Pistons, 1991 Chicago Bulls, 2001 Lakers ). With this, Detroit became the only team to have both swept the middle three games at home and on the road. This was the first Finals series to be played on the current Sunday -- Tuesday -- Thursday rotation since 1990, the last year CBS had the NBA 's national television contract. NBA on NBC switched to a Wednesday - Friday - Sunday rotation in 1991, which was used through 2003, save for Monday games in 1999 and 2000. It is also the last series to have Game 1 be played on a Sunday. From 2005 to 2010, the championship series started on either the first or second Thursday in June. Features The NBA heavily publicized the series as it has done with all other NBA Finals series. There was a sentiment among fans that the Pistons were the clear underdogs, and many described the series as a David vs. Goliath match - up. The Lakers had a lineup of Stars such as Karl Malone, Gary Payton, Kobe Bryant, and Shaquille O'Neal -- their offensive capability was expected to overpower Detroit 's defensive - based game plan. Payton and Malone also added to the publicity of the Finals. Perennial All - Stars who had both previously reached the Finals, Payton had led the Seattle SuperSonics there in 1996, while Malone had led the Utah Jazz there in 1997 and 1998. However, the Chicago Bulls denied them championship rings a total of three times. By the time of Jordan 's second retirement in 1998, the two veterans were aged and failed to lead their teams deep into the playoffs. It would be Malone 's final chance to win a championship, as he would retire before the subsequent season. Game summaries All times are in Eastern Daylight Time ( UTC − 4 ) Game 1 ABC June 6 9 : 00 pm ET Recap at the Wayback Machine ( archived March 21, 2010 ) Detroit Pistons 87, Los Angeles Lakers 75 Scoring by quarter : 22 -- 19, 18 -- 22, 24 -- 17, 23 -- 17 Pts : Chauncey Billups 22 Rebs : B. Wallace, R. Wallace 8 each Asts : Richard Hamilton 5 Pts : Shaquille O'Neal 34 Rebs : Malone, O'Neal 11 each Asts : Kobe Bryant 4 Detroit lead series, 1 -- 0 Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Referees : No. 17 Joe Crawford No. 26 Bob Delaney No. 7 Bernie Fryer Considered to be a stunning upset by most of the NBA world, the Detroit Pistons managed to defeat the Lakers with imposing defense. Defensively clamping down on everyone but Bryant and O'Neal, the Pistons managed to hold everyone else to a total of 16 points. The Pistons trailed the Lakers 41 -- 40 at halftime, but by the fourth quarter the Pistons had opened up a 13 - point lead ; they would not trail for the rest of the game. Game 2 ABC June 8 9 : 00 pm ET Recap at the Wayback Machine ( archived March 21, 2010 ) Detroit Pistons 91, Los Angeles Lakers 99 ( OT ) Scoring by quarter : 16 -- 18, 20 -- 26, 30 -- 24, 23 -- 21, Overtime : 2 -- 10 Pts : Chauncey Billups 27 Rebs : Ben Wallace 14 Asts : Chauncey Billups 9 Pts : Kobe Bryant 33 Rebs : Karl Malone 9 Asts : Luke Walton 8 Series tied, 1 -- 1 Staples Center, Los Angeles, California Attendance : 18,997 Referees : No. 15 Bennett Salvatore No. 14 Joe DeRosa No. 29 Steve Javie The second game was n't close throughout the first half, but in the third quarter the Pistons scored 30 points, cutting the deficit 68 -- 66. Detroit led by three points with 10.9 seconds remaining in the final period. Coach Brown wanted to foul a Lakers player where they could get only 2 points rather than 3. However, the Pistons ' veterans only wanted to intentionally foul O'Neal. Kobe Bryant 's 3 - point shot with 2.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter would force overtime, where the Pistons would make only one two - point field goal ( compared to Los Angeles scoring ten points ). Afterwards, on the team bus back to the airport, Billups told the Pistons ' players and coaches, `` We 're not coming back to L.A. '' Game 3 ABC June 10 9 : 00 pm ET Recap at the Wayback Machine ( archived March 21, 2010 ) Los Angeles Lakers 68, Detroit Pistons 88 Scoring by quarter : 16 -- 24, 16 -- 15, 19 -- 24, 17 -- 25 Pts : Shaquille O'Neal 14 Rebs : Medvedenko, O'Neal 8 each Asts : Gary Payton 7 Pts : Richard Hamilton 31 Rebs : Ben Wallace 11 Asts : Billups, Hamilton, B. Wallace 3 each Detroit lead series, 2 -- 1 The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan Referees : No. 10 Ron Garretson No. 43 Dan Crawford No. 24 Mike Callahan The Pistons beat Los Angeles by 20 in their first NBA Finals appearance together at The Palace of Auburn Hills since 1989 to take a 2 -- 1 lead in the series. The 68 points scored by the Lakers set a franchise record for the lowest number of points scored in a playoff game. Game 4 ABC June 13 9 : 00 pm ET Recap at the Wayback Machine ( archived March 21, 2010 ) Los Angeles Lakers 80, Detroit Pistons 88 Scoring by quarter : 22 -- 21, 17 -- 20, 17 -- 15, 24 -- 32 Pts : Shaquille O'Neal 36 Rebs : Shaquille O'Neal 20 Asts : Rick Fox 6 Pts : Rasheed Wallace 26 Rebs : B. Wallace, R. Wallace 13 each Asts : Richard Hamilton 6 Detroit lead series, 3 -- 1 The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan Referees : No. 35 Jack Nies No. 27 Dick Bavetta No. 32 Eddie F. Rush Again, the Pistons defeated the Lakers, although this time by eight, to take a 3 -- 1 series advantage. O'Neal scored 36 for the Lakers and Bryant scored 20 but shot 32 percent from the field. Malone would play his last game, as a knee injury would not allow him to dress in Game Five. Game 5 ABC June 15 9 : 00 pm ET Recap at the Wayback Machine ( archived March 21, 2010 ) Los Angeles Lakers 87, Detroit Pistons 100 Scoring by quarter : 24 -- 25, 21 -- 30, 14 -- 27, 28 -- 18 Pts : Kobe Bryant 24 Rebs : Shaquille O'Neal 8 Asts : Luke Walton 5 Pts : Richard Hamilton 21 Rebs : Ben Wallace 22 Asts : Chauncey Billups 6 Detroit wins series, 4 -- 1 The Palace of Auburn Hills, Auburn Hills, Michigan Referees : No. 17 Joe Crawford No. 7 Bernie Fryer No. 15 Bennett Salvatore In Game 5, the Pistons won their first championship since 1990, and Larry Brown finally won a professional title. The Pistons defense had overcome the high - scoring Laker offense, winning the game by 13, winning the series 4 - 1, and also ending a long Laker dynasty that lasted for many years. The game saw the end of Phil Jackson 's first run as the coach ( he returned in the 2005 - 06 season ), and saw O'Neal, Payton, and Malone 's last games in Laker uniforms. Player statistics Legend GP Games played GS Games started MPG Minutes per game FG % Field - goal percentage 3P % 3 - point field - goal percentage FT % Free - throw percentage RPG Rebounds per game APG Assists per game SPG Steals per game BPG Blocks per game PPG Points per game Detroit Pistons Player GP GS MPG FG % 3FG % FT % RPG APG SPG BPG PPG Billups, Chauncey Chauncey Billups 5 5 38.4. 509. 471. 929 3.2 5.2 1.2 0.0 21.0 Campbell, Elden Elden Campbell 5 0 13.6. 375. 000. 500 2.6 1.6 1.0 0.6 3.4 Ham, Darvin Darvin Ham 0 2.5 1.000. 000. 000 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.5 Hamilton, Richard Richard Hamilton 5 5 44.4. 402. 400. 853 5.2 4.0 0.8 0.0 21.4 Hunter, Lindsey Lindsey Hunter 5 0 13.0. 294. 250 1.000 1.4 0.8 0.6 0.4 3.6 James, Mike Mike James 5 0 4.4. 500. 000. 000 0.8 0.8 0.0 0.0 0.8 Miličić, Darko Darko Miličić 0 1.7. 000. 000. 000 0.7 0.0 0.3 0.0 0.0 Okur, Mehmet Mehmet Okur 0 9.8. 444 1.000. 500 1.5 0.5 0.0 0.0 2.8 Prince, Tayshaun Tayshaun Prince 5 5 39.2. 389. 188. 455 6.8 2.0 1.8 0.4 10.0 Wallace, Ben Ben Wallace 5 5 40.6. 478. 000. 294 13.6 1.4 1.8 1.0 10.8 Wallace, Rasheed Rasheed Wallace 5 5 30.2. 453. 250. 778 7.8 1.4 0.4 1.6 13.0 Williamson, Corliss Corliss Williamson 5 0 10.4. 400. 000. 900 2.4 0.2 0.0 0.0 4.2 Los Angeles Lakers Player GP GS MPG FG % 3FG % FT % RPG APG SPG BPG PPG Bryant, Kobe Kobe Bryant 5 5 46.2. 381. 174. 920 2.8 4.4 1.8 0.6 22.6 Cook, Brian Brian Cook 0 7.0. 167. 000 1.000 2.7 0.0 0.3 0.0 1.3 Fisher, Derek Derek Fisher 5 0 20.2. 306. 375. 571 3.0 1.8 1.0 0.0 6.4 Fox, Rick Rick Fox 0 10.0. 571. 000. 000 1.0 2.3 0.0 0.0 2.7 George, Devean Devean George 5 5 20.8. 393. 333 0.5 2.8 0.6 1.0 0.4 5.8 Malone, Karl Karl Malone 30.5. 333. 000. 667 7.3 2.3 0.3 0.3 5.0 Medvedenko, Slava Slava Medvedenko 5 14.4. 353. 000. 750 3.6 0.6 0.0 0.2 3.6 O'Neal, Shaquille Shaquille O'Neal 5 5 42.6. 631. 000. 491 10.8 1.6 0.4 0.6 26.6 Payton, Gary Gary Payton 5 5 33.6. 321. 200. 500 3.0 4.4 1.2 0.4 4.2 Rush, Kareem Kareem Rush 5 0 15.6. 318. 250. 000 1.0 0.4 0.2 0.0 3.6 Russell, Bryon Bryon Russell 0 2.7. 000. 000. 000 0.3 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 Walton, Luke Luke Walton 0 19.3. 385. 167 1.000 3.0 4.5 1.5 0.5 3.3 Broadcast notes The games were broadcast on ABC by Al Michaels and Doc Rivers. Brent Musburger and Dr. Jack Ramsay broadcast the Finals nationally on ESPN Radio. The finals were shown on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland. In Canada, Leafs TV and RDS ( in French ) simulcast ABC, and Azteca 13 broadcast the Finals in Mexico. To promote the series, the NBA used The Black Eyed Peas ' song `` Let 's Get It Started '', which it had also used throughout the 2004 NBA Playoffs. Aftermath The Pistons made the Finals again in 2005, losing to the Spurs in a tough seven - game series. That season, the Pistons won 54 games and defeated the Philadelphia 76ers ( 5 games ), Indiana Pacers ( 6 games ) and Miami Heat ( 7 games ) on their way back to the finals. However the Spurs, who likewise play a defensive style, would defeat them in a tough Game 7. The Pistons would continue their run of Eastern Conference superiority for 3 more years, losing in the Conference Finals each time. After a loss to the Boston Celtics in the 2007 - 08 season, management would finally break up the core of the team and enter a period of dormancy. The Lakers ' collapse became apparent in the days following the Finals. Head coach Phil Jackson abruptly resigned as head coach. Shaquille O'Neal was traded to the Miami Heat, then Gary Payton was also traded and Karl Malone was left unsigned, then retired. The 2004 - 05 NBA season was a tough one for the Lakers, winning only 34 games and missed the playoffs for only the fifth time in the team 's history. Jackson returned to the Lakers in the offseason ; despite writing a book called The Last Season : A Team in Search of Its Soul, in which he voiced disdain for Kobe Bryant by calling him ' uncoachable ', he and Bryant would bury the hatchet once the season began. Jackson and Bryant would later produce three more NBA Finals appearances and two more NBA championships in six seasons before Jackson retired at the conclusion of the 2011 NBA Playoffs, when the Lakers were swept by the eventual NBA champion, the Dallas Mavericks. Meanwhile, O'Neal, along with Payton and Dwyane Wade of the Heat, won the 2006 championship. The Pistons ' win was the 21st championship among the four professional sports teams in Detroit ( NFL 's Lions, MLB 's Tigers and NHL 's Red Wings ). The Red Wings made it 22 upon winning the 2008 Stanley Cup Finals. References ^ Jump up to : `` Detroit Pistons ''. CBS Sports. Retrieved September 3, 2007. Jump up ^ `` Game 5 Notebook : Billups Wins MVP ''. NBA. June 16, 2004. Retrieved September 3, 2007. ^ Jump up to : `` Los Angeles Lakers ''. CBS Sports. Retrieved September 4, 2007. ^ Jump up to : `` Pistons Send Lakers Packing, Win Third NBA Title ''. NBA. Retrieved September 3, 2007. Jump up ^ `` Lakers Dethrone Defending Champions ''. NBA. Retrieved September 4, 2007. Jump up ^ `` What a Rush ! ''. NBA. Retrieved September 4, 2007. Jump up ^ `` NBA Executive of the Year ''. NNBD. Retrieved September 4, 2007. Jump up ^ `` Pistons Have Horsepower ''. NBA. February 19, 2004. Retrieved September 4, 2007. Jump up ^ `` 10 Lindsey Hunter Detroit Pistons ''. HoopsHype. Retrieved September 4, 2007. Jump up ^ Dave Howell. `` Bridging the Gap ''. Retrieved September 4, 2007. Jump up ^ `` Motown Back at No. 1 ! ''. NBA. Retrieved September 3, 2007. Jump up ^ `` Basketball : NBA Playoffs 2007 preview ''. betinf.com. Retrieved September 3, 2007. ^ Jump up to : `` Utah Jazz ''. CBS Sports. Retrieved September 4, 2007. Jump up ^ `` Seattle Supersonics ''. CBS Sports. Archived from the original on August 26, 2007. Retrieved September 4, 2007. Jump up ^ `` After 19 years, Malone rides off into sunset ''. Associated Press Sports. MSNBC. February 14, 2005. Retrieved August 29, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Billups, Pistons Swipe Home - Court Advantage ''. NBA. Retrieved September 4, 2007. Led by their trademark daunting defense Jump up ^ David DuPree ( August 6, 2004 ). `` Billups helps Detroit shock Lakers in Game 1 ''. USA Today. Retrieved August 29, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Bryant ties game at end of regulation ''. ESPN. June 8, 2004. Retrieved August 29, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Letter to My Younger Self ''. The Players ' Tribune. Retrieved February 11, 2016. Jump up ^ `` Los Angeles Lakers 80, Detroit Pistons 88 ''. June 13, 2004. Archived from the original on September 8, 2008. Retrieved August 29, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Motown is Titletown ''. ESPN. June 14, 2004. Retrieved August 29, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Phil Jackson details clashes with Kobe Bryant ''. USA Today. Associated Press. October 13, 2004. Retrieved August 29, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Return of the Zen Master ''. Sports Illustrated. CNN. June 14, 2005. Retrieved August 29, 2008. Jump up ^ `` O'Neal already showcasing old numbers ''. ESPN. July 20, 2004. Retrieved August 29, 2008. Jump up ^ Jeff Zillgitt ( May 21, 2004 ). `` Speaking of Sports ''. USA Today. Retrieved September 3, 2007. External links `` Official website ''. Archived from the original on December 1, 2010. Retrieved 2008 - 05 - 17. CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown ( link ) NBA Finals Champions O'Brien Trophy Most Valuable Player Award Brown Trophy Championship ring Broadcasters Game sevens Droughts Streaks TV ratings 1940s 1947 1948 1949 1950s 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960s 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970s 1970 1971 1972 1973 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980s 1980 1981 1982 1984 1985 1986 1988 1989 1990s 1990 1991 1997 1998 1999 2000s 2000 2001 2002 2003 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010s 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Detroit Pistons 2003 -- 04 NBA champions 1 Billups ( Finals MVP ) 3 B. Wallace 7 James 8 Ham 10 Hunter 13 Okur 22 Prince 24 Fowlkes 30 R. Wallace 31 Miličić 32 Hamilton 34 Williamson 41 Campbell Head coach L. Brown Assistant coaches H. Brown Hanners Kokoškov Kuester Woodson Regular season Playoffs Detroit Pistons Founded in 1941 Formerly the Fort Wayne Zollner Pistons ( 1941 -- 1948 ) and the Fort Wayne Pistons ( 1948 -- 1957 ) Based in Detroit, Michigan Franchise Franchise All - time roster Seasons Draft history Head coaches Current season Arenas North Side High School Gym Allen County War Memorial Coliseum Olympia Stadium Memorial Building Grosse Pointe High School Cobo Arena Pontiac Silverdome Joe Louis Arena The Palace of Auburn Hills Little Caesars Arena G League affiliate Grand Rapids Drive Retired numbers Bill Davidson Jack McCloskey 10 11 15 16 21 32 40 Hall of Famers Walt Bellamy Dave Bing Larry Brown Chuck Daly Adrian Dantley Dave DeBusschere Joe Dumars Harry Gallatin Bob Houbregs Bailey Howell Allen Iverson Bob Lanier Earl Lloyd Bob McAdoo Bobby McDermott Dick McGuire Andy Phillip Dennis Rodman Isiah Thomas George Yardley Fred Zollner NBA Championships ( 3 ) 1989 1990 Conference Championships ( 7 ) 1955 1956 1988 1989 1990 2005 Culture and lore Hooper Jordan Rules John Mason Pacers -- Pistons brawl Rivals Chicago Bulls Boston Celtics Los Angeles Lakers Broadcasters TV Fox Sports Detroit Radio WXYT - FM Announcers George Blaha Greg Kelser Mark Champion Rick Mahorn Los Angeles Lakers Founded in 1947 Played in Minneapolis ( 1947 -- 1960 ) Based in Los Angeles, California Franchise Franchise Team history All - time roster Draft history Seasons Records Head coaches Current season Arenas Minneapolis Auditorium Minneapolis Armory Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena The Forum Staples Center G League affiliate South Bay Lakers Administration Jeanie, Jim, and Johnny Buss ( majority owners ) Anschutz Entertainment Group ( minority owner ) Edward P. Roski ( minority owner ) Patrick Soon - Shiong ( minority owner ) Magic Johnson ( President of Basketball Operations ) Rob Pelinka ( General manager ) Luke Walton ( Head coach ) Retired numbers 13 22 25 32 33 34 42 44 52 Chick Hearn ( Microphone ) Minneapolis Lakers Hall of Famers Mikan Mikkelsen Martin Lovellette Pollard Coach Kundla NBA Championships ( 16 ) 1949 1950 1952 1953 1954 1972 1980 1982 1985 1988 2000 2001 2002 2009 Western Conference Championships ( 31 ) 1949 1950 1952 1953 1954 1959 1962 1963 1965 1966 1968 1969 1970 1972 1973 1980 1982 1984 1985 1988 1989 1991 2000 2001 2002 2008 2009 Rivalries Los Angeles Clippers San Antonio Spurs Boston Celtics Detroit Pistons Culture and lore Jack Kent Cooke Jerry Buss Showtime Chick Hearn Shaq -- Kobe feud Lawrence Tanter Jack Nicholson `` I Love L.A. 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'' ( 2010 ) `` Black Dog '' ( 2011 ) `` Timber '' ( 2014 ) `` Champion '' ( 2016 ) `` 24k Magic '' ( 2017 ) `` HUMBLE. '' ( 2017 ) `` DNA. '' ( 2017 ) Lore `` I think we see Willis coming out ! '' `` The Block '' Christmas Day Rivalries Bryant -- O'Neal Lakers -- Pistons Celtics -- Lakers Cavaliers -- Warriors ESPN lore Pacers -- Pistons brawl Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2004_NBA_Finals&oldid=802074752 '' Categories : National Basketball Association Finals 2003 -- 04 NBA season Detroit Pistons games Los Angeles Lakers games 2004 in sports in California 2004 in Detroit 2004 in Los Angeles Sports competitions in Detroit Sports competitions in Los Angeles June 2004 sports events Hidden categories : Use mdy dates from February 2014 Webarchive template wayback links Articles with hCards CS1 maint : BOT : original - url status unknown Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Hrvatski 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 23 September 2017, at 20 : 56. 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Question: who did the detroit pistons beat in the nba finals
Answer: Los Angeles Lakers