The Lakers ultimately entered the playoffs as the second seed, thanks to an overtime victory versus the Portland Trail Blazers on the final night of the season, due of a pair of buzzer beaters from Bryant. They defeated the Houston Rockets, the San Antonio Spurs, and the Minnesota Timberwolves before advancing to the 2004 NBA Finals, where they were considered a favorite to defeat the Detroit Pistons. However, after five games, the Lakers found themselves not only defeated but dominated by the Pistons, who won the NBA title. Winter said, "Shaq defeated himself against Detroit. He played way too passively. He had one big game ... He's always interested in being a scorer, but he hasn't had nearly enough concentration on defense and rebounding."