Walton’s Big Game Fits to a T

Not even 24 hours after Luke Walton’s breakout performance in Game 2, the NBA had T-shirts branded with the popular player’s name ready for purchase.

The shirts, available at Team LA stores in Los Angeles, the NBA Store on NBA.com and Lakerstore.com, have “Luuuke” printed on the front and Walton’s name and number on the back.

Walton had seven points, eight assists and five rebounds in the Lakers’ 99-91 overtime victory in Game 2.

Matthew Bourne, NBA spokesman, said there has been a great deal of interest in the shirts, 1,000 of which had been printed, and that sales have been good.

The turnaround for Walton’s shirt was even quicker than when Derek Fisher made his game-winning shot with four-tenths of a second remaining against San Antonio.

That game was on a Thursday; shirts, which have sold more than 10,000, were in stores on Saturday.

Walton was a little less successful in Game 3 than in Game 2. He made one of five shots from the field and had four points, two assists and three rebounds in 19 minutes.

*

The late starting times for games in the Finals, after 9 p.m. in the East, is wreaking havoc on the sleeping habits of Piston fans.

Jason Slaughter, a seventh-grade social studies teacher at Pioneer Middle School in Plymouth-Canton, Mich., told the Detroit News that his students were lethargic and grouchy Wednesday after the Pistons’ overtime loss Tuesday -- even though they were only a day away from the end of the school year.

“If they would have won, it would be totally different,” Slaughter was quoted as saying. “Today ... what a bunch of grumps.”

*

At Staples Center, 6,132 turned out to watch Game 3 on the scoreboard video screens.

Despite the quality of the Lakers’ play during their 88-68 loss, fans at Staples held out hope until the closing minutes, even chanting “Defense, defense” down to one of the last possessions.

Proceeds from sales of the tickets benefited the Lakers Youth Foundation and the Staples Center Foundation.

*

Can news be delivered too quickly?

Not in the Detroit locker room.

Forward Elden Campbell was getting dressed for pregame warmups when Laker Coach Phil Jackson popped up live on a TV set for his pregame news conference.

Campbell’s conversation with Rasheed Wallace quickly ended.

Campbell turned up the volume on the television and watched as Jackson talked about Shaquille O’Neal, among other topics of interest.

“Got to catch that,” Campbell said, tuning out his teammates and the media for Jackson’s session, which lasted about 10 minutes.

Campbell was the only Piston player to watch Jackson’s entire conference.

*

Detroit answers back, Hollywood-style.

Celebrities (and otherwise) at Game 3 included actress Renee Zellweger, rapper Eminem and Motley Crue lead singer Vince Neil. Sport celebrities included Kirk Gibson, Steve Yzerman, Lion Coach Steve Mariucci and Michigan State basketball Coach Tom Izzo, but the biggest ovation from the crowd went to former Lion running back Barry Sanders.

*

Somebody’s paying attention, apparently.

Players come and go as they please for warmups before the game -- some shoot around for a few minutes, some elect to stay in the locker room -- but a Piston employee must monitor where forward Ben Wallace is at all times.

The employee then cues up a “Big Ben” clock sound throughout the arena when Wallace steps onto the court for the first time for warmups.

Detroit fans lived up to their reputation with an impressively enthusiastic turnout for Game 3.

Much of the city was covered with red-and-blue decorations, and many members of the sellout crowd arrived two hours early despite a drizzling rain that fell throughout Thursday.

One local television station did a live broadcast from the Palace at 6 a.m. -- 15 hours before tipoff, with only the drone of an air conditioner in the background at the empty arena. Another did the evening news with its entire broadcast team wearing Piston warmup tops.

*

Times staff writers Kelsie Smith, Mike Bresnahan and Jerry Crowe contributed to this report.