DETROIT - The sea of blue and red erupted each time Blake Griffin thundered towards the basket, stepped back for a 3-pointer or sprung upward to snatch a rebound. Detroit Pistons fans had yet to see their franchise power forward check in this postseason, and they knew he was their last, best hope.
Just maybe, the fans thought as they bellowed Griffin's name, he could deliver Detroit's first playoff win since 2008. Deep down - between cries of "DE-Troit BASKETBALL!" - they surely knew that the chances of the 8th-seeded Pistons coming back to defeat the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks were slim.