 Ben Wallace was named Defensive Player of the Year for the third time, and was selected for the 2005 NBA All-Star Game.In the first round of the playoffs, the Pistons defeated the Philadelphia 76ers in five games, then defeated the 6th-seeded Pacers in six games in the second round.The Pistons would then defeat the top-seeded Miami Heat in a full seven game series after trailing 3–2 to advance to the Finals for the second straight year.