For all that's been said and written about the Pistons' outspoken power forward (much of it deservedly so), tonight the real Rasheed Wallace stood up... gimpy ankle and all.

With his team on the brink of an unexpected - and somewhat unbelievable - elimination, Wallace hit several key shots down the stretch to lead the Pistons to an 84-82 win in Cleveland, forcing a Game 7 at home on Sunday.

But prior to Rasheed's semi-heroic performance in Game 6, much of the talk amongst the NBA community was about his Nostradamus impersonations for Games 4 and 5, and subsequent Houdini-like disappearing act on the court.

But what a lot of people failed to realize was that Wallace's ankle sprain (suffered in Game 4) was so severe that if this was still the regular season, he likely would've missed two weeks of play - at least.  But this is the playoffs.  This is when athletes have to suck it up, play through the pain, and give it everything they have for their teammates.  And Rasheed, the real Rasheed, did just that.

Every time the Pistons slipped into a scoring coma, Rasheed Wallace woke them up with a fury.  Whether it was via the three-ball like the one he hit from the top of the key that put his team up four with just seconds left in the third quarter, or the three-point play on the post move against Andersen Varejao that put Detroit back in front late in the game, 'Sheed was the one-man answer to every Cavalier run.

Wallace's offensive onslaught (24 points on 9-of-17 shooting)  seemed to spark the rest of his teammates along the way.  Chauncey Billups emerged from his temporary cocoon to score 12 of his 15 points in the second half, including a couple of big shots in the game's final minutes.  Lindsey Hunter brought tremendous defensive pressure off the bench.  Ben Wallace got back to what he does best - getting rebounds and loose balls (none more important than the one he retrieved off a late missed free throw).  And Tayshaun Prince and Richard Hamilton added just enough offense (17 points apiece) to balance the attack.

But despite all his greatness in Game 6, Rasheed's entire floor game wasn't perfect.  He was brutal from the foul line, which includes two huge misses in the final minute with his team clinging to a two-point lead.  He was limited on defense and got burned several times by LeBron James on the pick-and-roll.  And he wasn't his usual dominant self on the defensive boards.  But he persevered through heart and sheer determination, and now he and his teammates live to fight another day.

Going forward, the Pistons will need the real Rasheed Wallace to continue to be a prominent feature in their arsenal.

But just who is the real Rasheed Wallace?

Is it the brash, loud-mouth menace who incites anger and disdain amongst fans of opposing teams?  Is it the explosive, quick-tempered whiner who torments NBA officials all over the league?  Or is it the calm, smooth-stroking big man who consistently hits big shots for his team?

Well, the answer is a resounding yes to every question... yet so much more.  He's the consummate leader.   A true professional.  A catalyst.  He's a man who possesses the heart of a champion.  And a man who talks the talk, but definitely walks the walk.

Tonight, he walked (or should I say limped?) all over the Cavalier defense.  Sunday, he'll walk onto the Palace floor for Game 7 hoping to ignite his team to yet another come-from-behind series win.  Whether or not that will come to fruition is no "Guaran-sheed".  But what no one can deny is that the real Rasheed Wallace is back, and he couldn't have returned at a better time.