The countdown chants of "10, 9, 8…" rang through Pontiac's Bo's Brewery & Bistro, ticking off final seconds until the Detroit Pistons officially clinched their third world championship.
The screams and high-fives in the dark, smoky bar began the long, into-the-night celebrations Tuesday that spilled over into the streets of metro Detroit.
"We've come here for every game during the playoffs, but it was nothing like this," said Scott Kiogima, 25, of Pontiac, who watched the game inside the brewery. "I knew at the beginning of the season that the Pistons were going to win this and it's great to watch it really happen."
Bars throughout metro Detroit and the rest of Michigan, including East Lansing, were packed with fans who wanted to share in the experience with other Pistons loyalists. Thousands flooded Royal Oak's Main Street on the warm, 70-degree night, as police on horses kept the peaceful celebrations from being anything but.
Like Kiogima, Mike Adrian, 23, of Pontiac, also chose to watch the game at the local bar. Adrian gathered near a giant big-screen with his fiancée, and clapped loudly as the Pistons scored their 100th point to wrap up the series.
"I remember being eight and nine years old and rooting for the original Bad Boys," Adrian said. "Seeing this win is very exciting and makes me feel like I'm 10 years old again."
Leading the chants throughout the brewery was Waleed Omar, 28, of Hamtramack. Donning a No. 3 Ben Wallace jersey, Omar high-fived everyone at the surrounding tables for every Pistons score and swung his jersey high into the air, shouting, "Let's Go Pistons!"
"I have been in this country for 11 years and Detroit is like my home country now," Omar said. "I love this city and this team and I want everyone to feel good about the win."
Fans flocked to the streets of Pontiac at the finish of the game, grabbing first-edition newspapers and holding them up as honking cars passed by. Jim Raggio, 42, and wife Sharon, 40, of Macomb Township, avoided the ruckus outside and huddled together in front of a television inside the bar. The two smiled at the sight of Pistons head coach Larry Brown hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
"I love watching this part," Sharon Raggio said. "All the emotion and camaraderie of the whole thing comes to this moment."
Pontiac was not the only area in metro Detroit where the party spilled into the streets.
In Royal Oak, parts of Main Street and 11 Mile Road were shut down as traffic came to a standstill. Wearing a homemade black-and-white Pistons T-shirt, Tony Saleh, 19, of Royal Oak, and his friends stood on the corner of Main and 11 Mile, cheering on constant honks and high-fiving hundreds who drove by, hanging out of windows and sunroofs.
"It's crazy out here," Saleh said. "We're just trying to get everybody revved up and to have a good time because Detroit is No. 1."
The sounds of a few Roman candles bursting throughout the streets of Royal Oak were drowned out quickly by the constant beeping of car horns and the sirens of police cars.
By 2 a.m., police were starting to wind the crowd down with cops on horseback. Even as police cleared the city's main thoroughfare, shouts of "Dee-troit! Basketball!" could be heard fading into the distance.
As fans dispersed from the downtown streets, Royal Oaker Kevin Orlich smiled and took in one last glimpse of the jubilant fans.
"I couldn't really appreciate the last championships because I was too young," the 18-year-old said. "Tonight was something special and it's something I'll always remember."
In East Lansing, with 16 seconds on the clock, chants of "Let's go Pistons" rose into the smoke-filled air at Buffalo Wild Wings, 360 Albert Ave.
Among the crowd, spotted with the occasional Detroit Pistons jersey or painted face with matching red and blue wig, was only one Los Angeles Lakers jersey.
Nearly every table and chair was filled, and the scent of spilled beer, tobacco smoke and sweat hung in the air.
"It's been a long time coming - 14 years," said machinist Mike Rogers, 43.
The bar had been filled to its capacity - 275 people - since 7 p.m., Buffalo Wild Wings manager Bob Burns said. Sales seemed average for a Tuesday night, due to people staying longer, but buying less as they watched the game, he said.
On Albert Avenue after the game, screams and car horns sounded. Strangers stopped to greet and congratulate other Pistons fans, yelling and giving high high-fives, mirroring the scene after Mateen Cleaves' Spartans won the 2000 NCAA Tournament, but on a smaller scale.
"From the last game on, I knew they were going to win," said Matt Grimes, 25, after exiting The Riviera Cafe Restaurant and Lounge.
Celebrations remained relatively tame according to police with no arrests made. Two individuals received MIPs during late Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning partying off campus, East Lansing police Capt. Juli Liebler said.
"I didn't really know who to cheer for until the Pistons got into the playoffs," said Brittany Busse, an MSU psychology and physiology senior. "I've never watched basketball before. It was more exciting than I thought."
Staff writers Mike Townsend and Jonathan Malavolti contributed to this report.
