Los Angeles Coach: Lakers Players Still Don't Think the Series is Over

On Tuesday night local time, the fifth game of the seven-game series in the NBA Finals will be held between the Detroit Pistons and the Los Angeles Lakers on Detroit's home court. The Detroit team currently leads the series 3-1 over the Lakers and needs one more victory to claim the NBA championship trophy. Phil Jackson, the head coach of the Los Angeles team, told reporters that the Lakers players still do not think the series is finished. Jackson has strongly criticized the referees' decisions throughout this series. Kobe Bryant, the star of the Los Angeles team and an All-Star member, received a technical foul last Sunday after angrily criticizing the referees. The Pistons won that game 88-80. Initially, bets were placed on the victory of the Los Angeles team in the finals, but the Pistons have played better than the Lakers in almost every aspect. While the Los Angeles team boasts stars like Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, the Detroit team has surpassed them as a cohesive unit with strong defensive play. If the Detroit team wins on Tuesday night, they will claim the NBA championship for the first time in 14 years; otherwise, the sixth game of the series will be held in Los Angeles. It is worth noting that of the 27 teams that have led a series in the NBA Finals 3-1, all 27 ultimately won the league championship. The Los Angeles team has won the NBA championship title three times in the past four years.