Antonio Davis was huge in Game 3 for the Toronto Raptors, scoring a playoff high 30 points, which surprised no one in the Pistons locker room.

"That guy has been here many times before," said Detroit guard Jon Barry. "He is a warrior."

"Antonio was incredible," said Raptors Coach Lenny Wilkens. "He was all over the boards, he was posting up, I mean, that was one of the finest games I've seen him play."

But he didn?t do it alone, with guard Mo Peterson stepping up on the offensive end to hold Pistons star Jerry Stackhouse to just 11 points after his own shot failed to hit it?s mark, the second year forward scoring 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting.

"When I say I wanted him to do more, I mean more effort," Davis said. "Things may not have been falling for him but Jerry Stackhouse didn't hurt us and I am proud of him. He was huge for us."

Now that Ben Wallace of the Detroit Pistons has emerged as the most dominant inside player in the Eastern Conference, there is some curiosity and confusion about how the Orlando Magic "let him get away."

It seems incomprehensible, especially for the franchise that lost Shaquille O'Neal to free agency, to have a player like Wallace on its roster and allow his contract to expire. If you were to draw a description of the type of player the Magic most need right now, it would look suspiciously like Wallace -- big, rugged, intimidating, major hops, selfless, motivated, coachable, relentless and willing to play hurt. His drawbacks -- undeveloped offensive skills and poor free-throw shooting -- could be compensated for by other Magic players, as they are in Detroit.

You may well decide that it was inexcusable for Magic General Manager John Gabriel to lose Wallace. But first, understand how it happened.

Wallace came to the Magic in the summer of 1999 the year Gabriel hired Doc Rivers and completely overhauled the roster in a series of transactions that would earn him the NBA Executive of the Year Award. One of his best moves was getting Wallace in the trade that sent Ike Austin to the Washington Wizards. Some would argue that unloading Austin's contract was an even better move than acquiring Wallace. Certainly it was more important in Gabriel's master plan, which was to clear enough salary-cap space to pursue two major free agents in the summer of 2000.

Washington's trade of Wallace shows that the Magic were not the only team failing to comprehend how good Wallace would be. He was an undrafted 25-year-old power forward out of Division 2 Virginia Union who had played more football than basketball while growing up in rural Alabama. Though listed at 6-foot-9, he is closer to 6-8 unless you count the 'Fro.

No doubt there are personnel experts around the NBA who would tell you they knew all along how good Wallace would become. The obvious question: "Why didn't you draft him?"

Rivers had an inkling in the summer of '99. While most observers considered Wallace a throw-in who might be thrown out by the time the season began, Rivers said he would probably be in the starting lineup. And he was -- for 81 games.

But even Rivers admits he didn't know Wallace would be this good.

When the 1999-200 season ended, so did the contracts of most Magic players including Wallace. That was by design; it left enough salary-cap room to offer maximum contracts to Tim Duncan and Grant Hill. For a long time that summer it appeared the Magic had a chance to sign both players. Hill decided early to accept the Magic's offer. When Duncan elected to stay in San Antonio, the Magic settled for a 20-year-old kid who hated Toronto winters and was anxious to come home to Florida. His name was Tracy McGrady. I think we can all agree he was an acceptable alternative.

Meanwhile Wallace and Chucky Atkins, who had helped Rivers become NBA Coach of the Year in his first season, were also on the open market. So was forward Bo Outlaw, and here is where the Magic lost Wallace.

By then it had become the Magic's habit to make wink-wink agreements with players who wanted to remain in Orlando but could not be paid their market value because of the salary cap. They would agree to play for minimum compensation with the understanding that their loyalty would be rewarded when cap space permitted.

Outlaw had played two seasons under those conditions and the bill was due. The Magic gave him a five-year, $28 million contract and hoped Rivers could convince Wallace to wait a year. But the Pistons had something a little more concrete -- $30 million over six years. That's what is known in the NBA as a no-brainer.

Detroit also signed Atkins that summer. The free-agent movements of Hill, Wallace and Atkins went down officially, and somewhat misleadingly, as one trade. In fact, they were separate sign-and-trade transactions, combined for the purpose of getting Hill the maximum $93 million for seven years.

Given Wallace's emergence as the NBA's top rebounder and shot blocker and Hill's two seasons of being sidelined by injuries and surgeries, it is reasonable to conclude the Magic got burned. Even if Hill returns to form next season -- and that's a big if -- Wallace would have been a better fit for Orlando's positional needs.

The need could have been filled by Duncan. But if the Magic had signed Duncan, McGrady would probably be playing in Chicago, where his agent had been trying to steer him all along.

If nothing else, the Magic scrapped their wink-wink policy, which certainly violated the spirit of NBA salary-cap rules. John Amaechi learned about the policy change the hard way the following summer after turning down a lucrative offer from the Lakers to remain in Orlando.

It's history now. Rear-view mirror, as Chuck Daly would say. The Magic are still weak in the middle, where Wallace looks very strong for Detroit.

Strong enough to make a Lakers-Pistons NBA Finals a distinct possibility, and a rather depressing one for the Magic.

Detroit coach Rick Carlisle is already preparing his players for the loud onslaught expected when his team takes the court in Toronto on Saturday, his team searching for a first round sweep.  Raptors fans (just look at the RealGM boards) are some of the most enthusiastic and vocal supporters in the NBA, and with the team striving for their survival expect this game to be no different.

"The game to close out a series is always very difficult," coach Rick Carlisle said Thursday. "I expect them to fight just as hard as they did last night. As well as they played last night, they're certainly capable of playing better. We were very fortunate to win. They controlled the tempo for most of the game."

"They have full houses. Air Canada is one of the loudest buildings in the league now. It's going to be tough conditions to play in, but we're going to have to go in there and play a heck of a game to win."

"We're in a desperate situation right now, and that's how we have to play," Raptors point guard Alvin Williams said.

How a few days can make a difference.

After an insulting and disrespectful tirade in the opening game of the series between the Pistons and Raptors Detroit fans finally showed a touch of class. After drawing much criticism up North the Detroit crowd stayed silent as local singer Deena sung the Canadian national anthem, dozens of Canadian flags flew proudly, the crowd breaking out in raucous cheers at its conclusion.

The move came in light of many Detroit fans booing the Canadian anthem in Game 1, then chanting ?USA, USA? as the Pistons got out to a big lead.  The Pistons organization issued an apology to their Northern neighbours then urged fans to ?show more class?.

Following the Pistons? fans lead Vancouver fans booed during the American anthem before Sunday night's Red Wings-Canucks playoff game, perhaps flickering in what potentially could have become an unwanted rivalry between Canadian and American teams.

It was two hours before the opening tip in Sunday's playoff opener when Michael Curry heard some familiar sounds.

When the Raptors first visited the Palace on Jan. 15, a group of fans from Toronto booed the Pistons.

Like a lot of people, the classy Curry doesn't understand why so much is being made of the booing that occurred during the singing of the Canadian anthem.

"There was no malice," Curry said. "We get on the floor for our pre-game warmup two hours before the game and there was booing.

Notch up another award for those streaking Pistons.  Last week the NBA announced that Ben Wallace was the NBA?s Defensive Player of the Year.  Yesterday Detroit received some more good news when sixth man Corliss Williamson was named the NBA?s Sixth Man of the Year, becoming the first Piston in the organization?s history to do so.

Williamson received 56 out of 125 votes to claim the honor, beating Sacramento's Bobby Jackson (30 votes) and Quentin Richardson of the Los Angeles Clippers (20).

"I don't think it's an individual award," Williamson said. "I believe it's an award that reflects the hard work we've put in as a team and the great guys that we have coming off the bench. I was very happy that I found a home here in Detroit. I found an organization and a team where I fit in and things worked out for me. It's a blessing."

"I better thank Jon Barry or else he won't pass me the ball,? Williamson then joked.

Williamson averaged 13.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in just 21.8 minutes of play this season.

"It was a bad move," Magic coach Doc Rivers admits. "Horrible move."

It is ironic that two seasons after trading Ben Wallace to the Detroit Pistons to help land Grant Hill the Magic, one game down to the Charlotte Hornets in the opening round of the NBA playoffs, are lacking two major ingredients; rebounding and defense.  The irony is that they player they shipped was the same player who led the NBA in rebounds this season and was named the NBA?s Defensive Player of the Year only days back.

In the meantime the Magic?s acquisition continues to spend more and more time on the sidelines with yet another instance of the injured ankle that some believe will end his career prematurely.  While Orlando laughed on the day Hill bolted for ?greener pastures?, Detroit is laughing now, some even joking that if the Pistons get past the Raptors Wallace will have won one more playoff series in Detroit than Hill ever did.

"It's part of sports," Magic GM John Gabriel says. "It's the nature of this job to be second-guessed. But I challenge you to find anybody back then who said getting Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady wasn't worth anything we had on our roster. It was a no-brainer back then, but now it isn't."

As the Raptors and Pistons do battle for survival in the early rounds of the Eastern Conference playoffs, all the talk seems to be directed towards the nation?s national anthem.  Sunday night as the two teams opened their series a rumble of boos could be heard as the Canadian national was introduced before tip off.  If this wasn?t enough to get the blood boiling north of the border a chant of ?USA. USA? could be heard thundering from the upper seats of The Palace, prompting Raptors fans, players, and Toronto residents to rip on Detroit and the Pistons.

"Just given the times, with everything going on in the world, I think people were pretty shocked by it," said Dan Dunleavy, a sportscaster on Toronto's FAN 590 radio, the flagship station for Raptors broadcasts. "It was pretty poor timing."

Said Eric Smith, host for Raptors pregame and postgame shows on FAN 590: "From what I've heard so far, people have been pretty cheesed off. If I had to put a number on it, I'd say it was 50-50 as far as reaction. The fans who were upset, were really upset."

According to Pistons president Tom Wilson the organization received numerous phone calls and e-mails from Toronto-area residents who were on hand for the debacle, calling the crowd actions insulting.

"Yeah, the reaction to the anthem -- we were disappointed," said Wilson. "Players are booed all the time, but you don't do that to a country's anthem. They deserved better."

"I just never imagined that kind of response," Wilson added. "Wednesday night, we'll be asking our fans to please show respect to our neighboring country.?

How pumped were the fans at Auburn Hills for the return to the post season of their beloved Pistons?

So much so that they welcomed the playing of the Canadian National Anthem with an array of loud boos before the Raptors and Pistons took battle in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference Finals yesterday

The crowd booed from the time singer Stephanie Bollinger began her performance until the end.

The NBA named Ben Wallace of the Detroit Pistons as the Defensive Player of the Year on Saturday, receiving 116 of a possible 120 votes from a panel of sportscasters and writers.  Wallace won the award by the largest margin ever, with Kevin Garnett (2), Kobe Bryant (1) and Dikembe Mutombo (1) also receiving votes.

"This is something I have worked very hard for," said an emotional Wallace, who gave most of the credit to his coaches and teammates. "I have based my career on playing defense and rebounding, so to win this award, it's an honor I will cherish the rest of my life."

"Ben epitomizes everything we are trying to be and what we are trying to accomplish as a team and an organization," Pistons President Joe Dumars said. "But, this just goes to show you how much winning matters. I thought Ben played just as well last year and it was a travesty that he didn't even get third team all-defense. But I understood because people looked at our record."  

Wallace joins the elite group of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton and Hakeem Olajuwon as the only players in NBA history to lead the league in both blocks and rebounds in the one season.

"Ben epitomizes everything we are trying to be and what we are trying to accomplish as a team and an organization," Dumars said. "But, this just goes to show you how much winning matters. I thought Ben played just as well last year and it was a travesty that he didn't even get third team all-defense. But I understood because people looked at our record."

"I think we would have launched an investigation if he wasn't selected," Dumars added.