Horry, who has won five NBA championships over his career, came off the bench and scored 21 points on 7-of-12 from the floor, including 5-for-6 from beyond the arc. He also grabbed seven rebounds in 32 minutes of action. The veteran forward netted all of his points in his final 17 minutes of court time.
"He (Horry) was unbelievable," said San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich after Game 5’s victory. "We started the overtime with Nazr (Mohammed) trying to get the tip, and we were fortunate enough to get it and stuck him right back in because throughout the fourth quarter, he was unbelievable. We had to keep him on the court as much as we could, and he read the floor great. He drove it, he got to the open areas. He’s just got a great sense about him. He’s a really smart player.
Originally selected out of Alabama by Houston in the first round (11th pick overall) of the 1992 NBA Draft, Horry, who won two titles with the Rockets and three as a member of the Lakers, put down a driving left-handed dunk while he was fouled to pull San Antonio within two at 95-93 with 1:25 to go in the first overtime.
With Detroit still ahead by two, 95-93, Horry took a pass from Manu Ginobili, who was caught in the corner, and drilled the go-ahead three with under six seconds left to give San Antonio the lead. The Pistons went to Richard Hamilton for their last shot, but the guard’s attempt to give Detroit the win was off and the Spurs left The Palace of Auburn Hills with a one-point victory.
Horry, who is known for his timely play in the postseason, amazed his teammates with his play in Game 5.
"Yeah, unbelievable," said San Antonio forward Tim Duncan. "That was probably the greatest performance I’ve ever been a part of, to just see him there and to see him as calm as he was and willing to do whatever. He was picking up charges, getting the rebounds and although continue to show is the shots that he knocked down but he did so much more than that down the stretch."
Duncan finished with a team-best 26 points and also pulled down a game-high 19 rebounds in 48 minutes of action. The Wake Forest product was 11-of-24 from the floor, but converted just 4-of-11 attempts from the charity stripe. Ginobili ended with 15 points and nine assists, while Tony Parker netted 14 in the win.
Chauncey Billups scored a game-high 34 points for the defending world champion Pistons in Game 5’s loss. Billups, who was the 2004 NBA Finals MVP, also dished out a team-best seven assists. Hamilton netted 15 in defeat, while All- Star Ben Wallace registered 13 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks.
"I have to get over this one," said Detroit head coach Larry Brown after Game 5’s loss. "This was tough. We had a great opportunity. One, it was a heck of a game, and you’ve got to give them credit. Robert (Horry) made some huge shots when they needed it. They defended great and did a lot of good things. It’s the kind of game you hate to see anybody lose, so we’ve got to just bounce back. We haven’t won down there in a long time. We’ve got to figure out a way to realize that we’ve got to make it a one game series."
The 13-year veteran Horry has played in 196 playoff contests during his career. He has earned a reputation for knocking down the big shot when the game is on the line. Horry, who averaged just 6.0 points and 3.6 boards in 75 contests during the regular season, proved once again why he is once of the most clutch players in NBA playoff history.
"You know what, I’ll tell you the deal with Rob, Rob just hangs out the entire game," said Duncan. "He does it all season long, he doesn’t do anything. He doesn’t feel like playing. He shows up sometimes, and then you put him in the fourth quarter in a big game, whether it be regular season or the playoffs, and he’s like, ’Okay, it’s time to play now, I’ve been hanging out the entire season, it’s time to play now’ And he just turns it on. As funny as that seems, it’s how it looks. It’s how it is. He doesn’t show up, doesn’t feel like playing until it’s a big game."
Detroit, which is 3-1 all-time in the NBA Finals, is 5-6 on the road in this year’s playoffs. The Pistons have won four straight games when facing elimination. The defending world champions will be ready to make their last stand when the series resumes in San Antonio.
The Spurs return to the SBC Center with a chance to win their third NBA title in franchise history. They are 2-0 all-time in the finals when they have a chance to win the championship, and are 8-2 as the host in this year’s playoffs. If San Antonio fails to win Game 6, it still has the luxury of playing the decisive Game 7 in front of its home crowd.
San Antonio, which won Games 1 and 2 at the SBC Center before losing two-of- three at The Palace, is a veteran club that knows how to close out a series. The playoff-tested Spurs, who were a league-best 38-3 at home during the regular season, will be tough to beat in back-to-back games on their homecourt.
Detroit Pistons 
San Antonio Spurs 
