When the mighty Los Angeles Lakers are flowing and exuding the superiority of their big talent, nobody can stop them and most teams simply submit to their fate.  But the Detroit Pistons have put a crowbar in the gears of the Laker machine.

After three games of the NBA Finals, the Pistons? defense is making its mark and stifling the Lakers? ball movement.  As a result, Detroit is leading the series 2-1.  

With their game taken away from them, the Lakers? mystique becomes just that and not much else:  An arrogance without the quality to back it up.  A lot of talk.

"They're not doing anything that's putting us out of character. We are putting our own selves out of character," Shaquille O'Neal said.

The Lakers don?t seem concerned but of course they are.

And the Pistons understand.  "If I was in their shoes," said Corliss Williamson, "I wouldn't give us any credit, either."