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The Detroit Pistons might have won Game 5 more than an hour before it started.

Music wasn't rattling the locker room. Eyes were locked on the big-screen TV showing the previous matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers.

Chauncey Billups scored 21 points, Richard Hamilton had 20 and Rasheed Wallace added 19 to lift Detroit to a 98-81 victory over Philadelphia on Tuesday night and a 3-2 lead in the first-round series.

"We knew Game 6 was going to be an elimination game either way it went," Billups said. "We wanted to be on the upper hand of that."

The Pistons lead in the series for the first time after being the first team to win consecutive games.

"We didn't want to let an opportunity slip away," Detroit coach Flip Saunders said.

If the Pistons win Game 6 on Thursday night in Philadelphia or Game 7 at home, they will advance in the playoffs for the seventh year in a row.

"I'll be back," Philadelphia coach Maurice Cheeks said to hecklers as the final seconds ticked off the clock. "I know you don't believe me."

The third-seeded Orlando Magic, who eliminated Toronto on Monday night, await the winner in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The Pistons insist they're not looking ahead because they expect to see the Sixers' best.

"I don't think they're going to lay down at all," Wallace said. "It's do or die for them. It's not going to be a cake walk."

Andre Iguodala scored a career playoff-high 21 points, finally putting together a night that resembled his play in the regular season.

"We hope that can propel him into the next game," Cheeks said. "He's been struggling all series."

Iguodala didn't have much help.

None of his teammates reached double figures until Andre Miller in the third quarter, but that was after the point guard missed nine shots in a row in the first half when the game was relatively close.

"We tried to pressure up on him and Rasheed had some blocks," Saunders said.

Billups, Wallace and Hamilton combined for 58 points through three quarters, outscoring the Sixers until Rodney Carney made a 3 to end the quarter, cutting their deficit to 20 points.

Billups had a series high in points (21) and assists (12). Wallace had six blocks, one short of the playoff franchise record he matched in Game 1.

Jason Maxiell had a career playoff-high 11 rebounds, starting for the second time for Antonio McDyess, who is playing with a broken nose.

Detroit's Tayshaun Prince finished with 17 points, giving the balanced team a fourth option offensively.

Miller finished with 13 points and reserve Louis Williams scored 16.

Billups seized control from the start, scoring 14 points and adding five assists as Detroit took a 35-21 lead after the first quarter.

"Chauncey, in the beginning of the game, took over the game," Cheeks said.

The game was essentially over at that point. Detroit led 54-42 at halftime and 79-59 after three quarters.

"We all got to see the Detroit Pistons at their best," Philadelphia's Willie Green said. "That's why they are one of the toughest teams in the Eastern Conference."

Notes: Philadelphia's Maurice Cheeks finished fourth in coach of the year voting, receiving five first-place votes to trail New Orleans' Byron Scott, Boston's Doc Rivers and Houston's Rick Adelman. "It's great," Cheeks said. "Who would've thought it? To go from where we were to where we are, it's an honor to be mentioned." Saunders received one third-place vote, tying Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni. ... Saunders downplayed comments made by ex-Piston Chris Webber on TNT as an analyst Sunday night. "No (dis)respect to Flip, but it doesn't matter what Flip says," Webber said at halftime of Game 4. "They come from a coach like Larry Brown, they look at him like he's the epitome of basketball, and they feel like they can wait until the last game or the championship, and they won't lose. They are really nonchalant, and that's why I felt we lost last year." Saunders responded before Game 4: "I talked at halftime, no one else talked at halftime, and I was happy with the way the team responded." ... Philadelphia's Samuel Dalembert, sporting a mohawk of sorts, said Willie Green's barber in Detroit gave him the unique hairdo, complete with "LJ" and "SD" shaved into both sides of his head. "The SD is for strong defense," he said. "The LJ is for a loved one." Reggie Evans seemed to pity his teammate. "Willie, that's your fault," Evans said. "He's going to be on the bloopers."

Pistons Forward Antonio McDyess suffered a broken nose in the third quarter of tonight’s game at Philadelphia. McDyess did not return to the game and his status for Sunday’s Game 4 is questionable. An update will be provided when more information becomes available.

In the Tuesday Detroit Free Press article, Coach Flip Saunders sympathized with his starting point guard.

April 22, Detroit Free Press: "Chauncey (Billups) said he got about two hours of sleep last night," Saunders said Monday. "I said, 'Now you know what a coach feels like.' But you can always look back and say, 'These are things you could have done,' or 'What if I could have done this?' But the greatest thing about the game is that in two days we get to play again."

It would seem like Chauncey had a lot to think about Sunday night, after shooting 3-9, and missing three free throws and an easy lay-up in the last minutes of the first-round game.

Rip Hamilton had a worse shooting percent than Billups did, at 29%, and was taken out of the game in the first minute of the 4th quarter after making a turnover and replaced with Lindsey Hunter. Hunter promptly missed a 20 foot jump shot, fouled Louis Williams, and turned the ball over on a shot clock violation and then a bad pass.

More....

That said, the Free Press goes on to describe the solution.

MAKE EASY SHOTS: (The Pistons) were worse than usual Sunday. You don't expect to see the All-Star backcourt of Billups and Richard Hamilton go a combined 8-for-26. Add small forward Tayshaun Prince, and it swells to 13-for-39.

That would definitely help in winning a game. Maybe Chauncey Billups should get some sleep too. It was just one game, after all. Nobody expects Chauncey, Rip and Tayshaun to combine to shoot like that again in one game.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Nov. 9 (AP) -- Chauncey Billups and the Detroit Pistons showed another team how it felt to lose their first game.

Billups scored 23 points and Antonio McDyess added 14 Friday night to help Detroit hand the Los Angeles Clippers their first loss, 103-79.

A night after Detroit's first defeat of the season, Billups made five 3-pointers in the second half in a victory that left Boston as the NBA's lone unbeaten team.

"We needed to get that taste out of our mouths from last night; especially against a team that's been going good.'' said Billups, who was 5-for-7 from behind the arc in the third quarter.

Nazr Mohammed came off the bench to score 15 points and Richard Hamilton added 10 and 10 assists.

McDyess, who attempted just four field goals in Thursday's loss, made all seven tries from the floor and scored all 14 points in the first half as the Pistons took command early.

"I knew in warmups I felt pretty good and just kind of transported it to the game,'' McDyess said. "I made the first couple and they just kept coming.

"It was important to play an all-around game tonight to give us some confidence going out on the road.''

The Pistons begin a five-game West Coast road trip Sunday at Seattle. They don't return home until Nov. 21.

Detroit made 15 of its 20 first-quarter field-goal attempts, including three straight during a 9-0 run that gave it the lead for good. The Pistons scored the first 10 points of the second quarter and led by as many as 20 before taking a 59-42 lead to intermission.

"We played pretty focused from the beginning,'' Detroit coach Flip Saunders said. "We played with good energy.''

The Pistons outrebounded Los Angeles 53-33.

"They controlled the glass and the tempo of the game and shot the ball really well,'' Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said. "We didn't have guys make shots.''

The Clippers, who won their first four games, never got closer than 13 in the second half.

Center Chris Kaman, who entered the game leading the league in rebounding, had 25 points but only seven rebounds - almost nine below his 16.5 average - for Los Angeles. Corey Maggette added 19 points.

"We weren't ready to play defensively tonight,'' Kaman said. "It just wasn't our night.''

Sam Cassell, who scored 35 points in Wednesday's victory at Indiana, had only four Friday on 1-for-5 shooting.

The Clippers were without guard Cuttino Mobley, who missed the game after a hip injury against the Pacers. He's expected to miss at least a week.

Notes: Maggette (bruised tailbone), F Ruben Patterson (finger) and G Brevin Knight (back) all played for Los Angeles after being listed as game-time decisions. ... The Clippers were seeking their first 5-0 start since the 1985-86 season. ... Detroit sold out its 187th consecutive game. link

CHICAGO, Nov. 8 (AP) -- Tyrus Thomas had 19 points and 14 rebounds and the Chicago Bulls finally got their first victory after four losses, beating the Detroit Pistons, 97-93, on Thursday night.

Chicago overcame a 36-point performance from Rasheed Wallace in the first meeting between the teams since the Pistons beat the Bulls 4-2 in the Eastern Conference semifinals last spring.

Luol Deng added 17 points and Ben Gordon had 16 for the Bulls, while Kirk Hinrich had 14 assists.

Richard Hamilton scored 18 points for the Pistons, who lost after winning their first three games.

Hamilton drove the lane for a sweeping basket as the shot clock went off, cutting the Bulls lead to 94-93 with 1:35 to play. After the teams traded turnovers, Chicago's Joe Smith missed a jumper and the Pistons had a chance to retake the lead. But Wallace's short bank shot wouldn't stay in and the Bulls rebounded with 33 seconds to go.

Gordon then made the first of two free throws after being fouled by Hamilton to give the Bulls a 95-93 lead with 26 seconds remaining.

After a timeout, Wallace's turnaround attempt over Thomas hit the rim and came off with 13 seconds to go.

But when Smith missed the first of two from the line it was 96-93 and the Pistons got one last chance for a tie. Hamilton's 3-pointer was short and the Bulls rebounded with 2.9 seconds left. Thomas' free throw sealed the victory.

The high-leaping Thomas had several rim-shattering jams and a spectacular left-handed reverse layup late in the third quarter. He was 8-for-12 from the field.

Wallace, who hit from both the outside and off post-up moves, was 12-of-24 from the field and had nine rebounds.

In the first half, the Bulls showed the hustle they'd been lacking in four straight losses and jumped to a 12-point lead in the second quarter.

Wallace's 3-pointer helped the Pistons go on a 13-4 run and Detroit hacked the lead to 51-45 by halftime, hitting 13 of 19 free throws.

Notes: Wallace's 36 points were his most since joining the Pistons in the 2003-04 season. His overall career high is 42. ... Ben Wallace says playing his former team, the Pistons, is old news. "It's been just another game for a long time. All the hoopla is dead now,'' he said. Wallace did not play in the fourth quarter Thursday and finished with seven rebounds and six points. ... Thomas' 14 rebounds were a career high. ... Chicago's bench outscored the Pistons' reserves 31-13.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Nov. 4 (AP) -- The Detroit Pistons expected Jason Maxiell to provide an undersized post presence off the bench.

They didn't know that Jarvis Hayes was going to do the same thing.

Maxiell and Hayes combined for 23 points, including 11 in the fourth quarter, to help the Pistons rally for a 92-91 victory over the Atlanta Hawks Sunday night.

"Our bench was great tonight,'' said Chauncey Billups, who hit the game-winning free throw with 1.7 seconds left. "Jarvis was hitting shots and Max was doing everything. He's our energizer.''

Hayes was known as a jump shooter in Washington, but has shown a surprising inside game since joining the Pistons as a free agent.

"I had to pull something out of my bag of tricks to make it here,'' he said. "I knew I could do this.''

Maxiell finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and four blocks on a night when the Pistons only had two starters in double figures. Billups finished with 22 points and Richard Hamilton added 21 in his season debut, but Tayshaun Prince, Rasheed Wallace and Antonio McDyess combined for just 20 points on 7-for-23 shooting.

"This was Rip's first game, and he's got so much energy that I think we got discombobulated trying to keep up with him,'' Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. "He was great, but he missed the last four preseason games and the first two of the regular season, so we had to get used to his energy again.''

Atlanta led by nine points entering the fourth, but trailed by seven with a minute to play before rallying to tie the game.

"That's the best team in the East we played tonight, and we hung in there,'' Atlanta coach and former Pistons assistant Mike Woodson said. "We'll bounce back, but tonight they made the plays down the stretch and we didn't.''

Two 3-pointers by Joe Johnson pulled the Hawks to 89-88 with 40 seconds to go, but Hayes grabbed a key offensive rebound and Billups made it a 3-point game from the line.

Rasheed Wallace then fouled Josh Smith on a desperate 3-point attempt, and Smith hit all three free throws to make it 91-all with 7.7 seconds left.

Billups was fouled by Marvin Williams on a drive to the basket, and hit the first free throw. He missed the second, but Atlanta couldn't get a shot off before the buzzer.

"This was tough, because we fought so hard,'' said Johnson, who led the Hawks with 23. "We were up, but they turned up the pressure and got back in the game. We had a chance, and it was a tough call at the end.''

The Hawks took a 48-45 lead on Williams' long 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer. Williams had 13 of his 22 points in the half, while Hamilton scored 14 for Detroit.

Atlanta expanded its edge to 69-60 in the third period, thanks to an eight-point quarter by Johnson.

The Pistons cut the deficit to 73-72 in the first four minutes of the fourth, and the teams traded baskets until Billups put Detroit ahead 78-77 with a fast-break layup with 5:51 to go.

Wallace followed with a jumper as the shot clock expired, but Hamilton fouled out with 4:12 to go.

"Our bench got us back in the game in the fourth quarter, and that let our starters relax,'' Saunders said. "They were able to get their composure, come back in and finish off the game.''

Notes: Hamilton missed the first two games of the season while attending the birth of his son. ... Pistons G Flip Murray made a fourth-quarter free throw despite the distraction of a steam cannon going off behind the basket as he was shooting. The device had been used moments earlier during a performance by the Detroit dance team.