Scratch, claw, repeat: the Spurs and Pistons have built perennial contenders in an unorthodox way—with unheralded players who are long on effort, resiliency and heart

"He still hasn't shut up about it," says Hamilton, who calls Hunter his "old head," the sage veteran who offers wisdom. "But that is OK, when you have a game like that, you can talk. It's just one of the amazing things about this team. We can pull out a big performance from anybody, from guys you don't expect."

And so can the Spurs--remember the 15 points scored in Game 2 by defensive guru Bruce Bowen, he of the 6.3-point career scoring average?

"With teams like this," Bowen says, "you can't say, 'This guy is going to get 20; this guy is going to get 30.' We're going to fight you too hard to take away the things you want to do. So it's going to be the unexpected, overlooked guys who come in and could determine the whole series."

An entire Finals has been determined by the unexpected and overlooked players. For the Pistons and Spurs, there's really no other way.

Horry's tree has many rings

Robert Horry has been around a while. At least it seems that way. "People think I'm 38 years old," he says. "I guess I've been in the playoffs so many times people think, 'Oh, that guy's been around forever.' 'I'm really not old."

In fact, Horry is 34, but in playoff terms, he has aged in dog years. Entering The Finals, he had appeared in 191 playoff games (third-most in league history) and won five rings. He has been in the playoffs for 13 straight years and just broke the career record for 3-pointers made in The Finals. What's more, he says he is likely to be back with the Spurs, with another good shot at The Finals, next season.

Over the course of his four-team, 14-year career, Horry has accumulated a large group of teammates, ranging from A.C. Green to Zan Tabak, from Soumaila Samake to Samaki Walker. He has played with guys from 18 countries (plus one from the planet Rodman). By the time you compile a list of all 122 players Horry has teamed with, you realize the NBA has quite an extensive Horry family Tree (Rollins, that is--Horry's teammate in Houston in 1992-93).

The coaches

Horry has had eight coaches--and eight very different relationships with those coaches.

Rudy Tomjanovich

Cotton Fitzsimmons

Danny Ainge

Del Harris

Bill Bertka

Kurt Rambis

Phil Jackson

Gregg Popovich

The playoff nemeses

The five teams Horry has faced most often in the postseason and his record against them.

1. Portland (19-6)

2. San Antonio (14-11)

3. Seattle (11-11)

4. Phoenix (16-8)

5. Utah (8-11)

The all-Horry teams

Horry has played
with so many great
players there's a
need for a first
and second
team.

FIRST TEAM            SECOND TEAM

C Shaquille O'Neal    C Hakeem Olajuwon
PF Tlm Duncan         PF Dennis Rodman
SF Clyde Drexler      SF Eddle Jones
SG Kobe Bryant        SG Michael Finley
PG Jason Kidd         PG Steve Nash

You again?

Horry has teamed with some players more than once.

Tracy Murray, Rockets '94-95 ... Lakers, '02-03

Mark Bryant, Rockets, '95-96 ... Suns, '96-97

Sam Cassell, Rockets '95-96 ... Suns, '96-97