The Lakers were no match for the Pistons in the 1989 NBA Finals
https://www.vintagedetroit.com/lakers-no-match-pistons-1989-nba-finals/ by Dan Holmes on March 6, 2017 This is the second in a series that looks at the greatest moments in the history of The Palace of Auburn Hills, home to the Detroit Pistons since the 1988-89 season. The team will leave the arena at the end of the 2016-17 season. The Lakers never had a chance. The first NBA Finals game played at The Palace of Auburn Hills was like surgery. Isiah Thomas made the incision early, and Joe Dumars was the knife-wielding surgeon late in the game, cutting out the hearts of the Lakers, who hadn’t lost a game in the entire postseason. Detroit, who by their own admission had been waiting 12 months for a rematch with Los Angeles, won handily 109-97 to open the 1989 NBA Finals. “You’ve just seen us play our best game of the playoffs,” Chuck Daly said after the impressive victory. Days earlier, the Pistons had vanquished the pesky Bulls, beating them in six games after having dropped the opener to