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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."

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 7 (AP) -- The Charlotte Bobcats went from unbeaten in the first two games to beaten badly in the next two.

So much for the confidence and momentum built off their perfect start.

Andre Iguodala scored 19 points, Willie Green had 14 and the Philadelphia 76ers jumped on Charlotte early and never let up in a 94-63 win Wednesday night, sending the Bobcats back to .500 after a brief undefeated streak.

"It all fell apart,'' Bobcats coach Sam Vincent said.

The Bobcats played without point guard Raymond Felton after he hurt his left knee a night earlier against Phoenix. Without the speedy Felton leading Charlotte's up-tempo offense, the Bobcats flopped from the start.

Charlotte's 2-0 start was the first time the fourth-year team had ever been two games above .500 at any point. But the Bobcats were blown out by 32 points against the Suns on Tuesday night and then narrowly avoided a record-low point total, needing one last jumper against the Sixers to surpass the 62 scored against Houston on Dec. 8, 2006.

"We just have to forget about it,'' guard Derek Anderson said. "We've got to figure out a way to do things right.''

Matt Carroll scored 16 points, Emeka Okafor had 11 points and 11 rebounds, but the Bobcats had 29 turnovers.

While Charlotte has the same record (2-2) as the Sixers, the attitude was much more upbeat in the home locker room. Picked to finish near the bottom of the Eastern Conference, the Sixers have been competitive in all four games and want to be over .500 by the end of their four-game homestand which ends Sunday.

Philadelphia coach Maurice Cheeks has stressed the importance of making the most of a favorable schedule that has the Sixers playing 14 of their first 23 games at home.

"It helps when you have a chance to have a game like that,'' Cheeks said.

The Sixers blew open the game in the second quarter and built a 20-point lead in front of about 6,000 fans. Not that the nearly empty arena mattered much to Philly.

"When I'm playing, I'm just focused on the court,'' forward Rodney Carney said. "It could be 20,000 people or 5,000. I'm just concerned about winning.''

Felton wouldn't have made much difference in the final score but the Bobcats were lost without him. Jeff McInnis, who subbed for Felton, and Jason Richardson were a combined 3-for-21 from the floor with 10 turnovers.

"We know Felton has a big impact on our team,'' Vincent said. "We sorely missed him and his calming effect on us. He gets people in the right spots.''

The Sixers led by nine at the end of the first quarter, a score that could have been much worse had their nine turnovers not taken some of the bloom off 9-for-15 shooting. Carney nailed a 3 during a 19-9 run in the second and Lou Williams' bucket brought out an extended "Looooou!'' from the home crowd.

Philly made nine more turnovers in the second, but the Bobcats missed all five three-point attempts in the quarter and went 7-for-22.

"Going into the second half, Coach gave us a big speech about how we have to finish the game off,'' Carney said. "We can't let them come back because they're capable of doing that. I'd say around the fourth quarter, 2 minutes to go, we knew it was done.''

Oh, it was over way earlier than that. The Sixers rolled to a 25-point lead in the third and Kyle Korver hit a 3 during a 6-0 run to open the fourth.

"You always think a team has a run left in them,'' Green said. "Fortunately for us, they didn't.''

Notes: Felton, who averaged 19 points in the first three games, was helped into the locker room against Phoenix without putting any pressure on his left leg. "It scared me at first,'' Felton said. "I had some stiffness and swelling but the swelling has gone down.'' ... Sixers first-round pick Thaddeus Young made his NBA debut with 1:42 left in the second quarter. ... One Bobcats basket made a pair of fans cheer. Carroll, who went to high school in the Philadelphia suburbs, hit a 19-footer and his parents cheered and clapped from their seats six rows off the floor. At least some fans were interested.

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 7 (AP) -- Charlotte point guard Raymond Felton missed the Bobcats' game Wednesday night against Philadelphia because of a left knee injury.

Felton said he was day to day and hoped to play Friday night against Indiana.

"If it was up to me, I'd play now,'' he said.

Jeff McInnis started against Philly.

Felton was hurt against Phoenix on Tuesday night when he drove into the lane and made a spin move on Suns guard Steve Nash, who fell down in front of him. Felton tripped over him and landed awkwardly on his left leg.

A foul was called on Nash, and Felton attempted both free throws. But after missing the second, he crumpled to the floor and stayed there during the Suns' possession.

Felton, who averaged 19 points in the first three games, was attended to for several minutes before getting to his feet. He was then helped into the locker room without putting any pressure on his left leg.

"It scared me at first,'' Felton said. "I had some stiffness and swelling but the swelling has gone down.''

November 04 07
The Wilmington News Journal reports on Maurice Cheeks’ status in Philadelphia:

The contract is an issue because 76ers coach Maurice Cheeks is in the final season of his three-year deal, and there isn’t much expected from the Sixers this season. There is no word of an extension, no promises of anything.

My Quick Take: Larry Brown is lurking in the shadows. He has to be. After all, the stage is set for the opportunistic Brown to leave his consultant role with the 76ers and return as Philadelphia’s coach.

Mo Cheeks, the team’s current coach, has no contract for next season. Ownership has no plans to offer an extension, so Cheeks is serving out his final year as a lame-duck sideline boss.

This is a shame. The 76ers aren’t a lost cause. Far from it, in fact. Samuel Dalembert is a solid center, who can anchor a defense with his rebounding and shot-blocking. Andre Miller is a nice, past-first table-setter. And Andre Iguodala, if he signs an extension, will continue impressing with his stat-stuffing game.

They’ve got other pieces: Kyle Korver, Rodney Carney, and Louis Williams. None of this is lost on Brown, who wants to change his legacy after failing in New York.

For now, Cheeks will continue being the good soldier; he has always taken bullets for others. Julius Erving, Moses Malone, and Andrew Toney were credited with leading the 1982-83 Sixers to the NBA Title. And Cheeks’ anthem-singing, good guy approach didn’t matter in Portland; the team fired him for the Jail Blazers’ off-court antics.

Things won’t be different this time around with the 76ers. Cheeks and the team will part ways. And the man who hired Cheeks, GM Billy King, may be out of work, too. Expect Brown to recognize the opportunity, step-out of the shadows, and position himself back on Philadelphia’s sideline.

Will Brown replace Cheeks? Get at us in the comment box below with your thoughts.

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PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 3 (AP) -- Jason Kidd had a triple-double with 16 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists, and Richard Jefferson scored 22 points to lead the New Jersey Nets to a 93-88 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night.

Vince Carter added 18 points for the Nets.

Andre Iguodala led the Sixers with 16 points, and Kyle Korver had 11 points and 11 rebounds.

Kidd thwarted a late Sixers rally with a 3-pointer from the left side to give the Nets an 86-80 lead. Kidd was dependable as he's always been for New Jersey, posting his 88th career triple-double and 50th with the Nets.

The Nets needed that kind of effort after they lost 106-69 on Friday night at home against Toronto.

Bostjan Nachbar, though, delivered for the Nets off the bench in the fourth, hitting a pair of 3s that kept them from letting the game slip away. Nachbar, who sank his only 3s of the game in the quarter was on the floor to open the fourth when coach Lawrence Frank decided to mix up the rotation.

The Nets opened the fourth with Carter and four reserves while Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks, looking for a way to get the Sixers going, started the period will five reserves on the floor.

Korver sank his first 3 to pull the Sixers within five. Rodney Carney picked Carter clean and turned the steal into a fastbreak dunk.

Nachbar, though, answered each of those baskets with 3-pointers to put New Jersey up 75-67.

Korver and Lou Williams have been the only reliable offensive options for the Sixers off the bench. Williams converted a steal into a dunk and then scored on a driving layup that made it 77-73. Samuel Dalembert, who scored 13 points, sank two free throws and it was only a two-point deficit.

Iguodala's 3 sliced the lead to 83-79, but the Sixers never got closer than three points over the final 4 minutes.

Dalembert missed 4 of 8 free throws in the waning minutes that squelched all hope of a rally for the Sixers, who opened a four-game homestand after playing the first two on the road.

The Nets rebounded from a woeful first half to shoot 41 percent from the floor. Not bad, considering the Nets missed 15 of 21 shots in the first quarter.

Notes: Philadelphia's starters came down through the stands during pregame introductions. ... Iguodala thanked the fans for their support in a pregame speech and told them he hoped for an exciting season. ... The Sixers play 14 of their first 23 games at home after starting last season with 22 of their 33 on the road.

Philadelphia 96, Chicago 85

CHICAGO, Nov. 2 (AP) -- Andre Iguodala was exhausted, but not worn down. He had enough left at the end to shoot down the Chicago Bulls on a night when he was guarding Luol Deng and Ben Gordon.

Iguodala scored 11 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, Andre Miller added 25, and the Philadelphia 76ers hung on to beat the Bulls 96-85 on Friday night.

"I was exhausted trying to switch off on both guys, and I was still trying to find a way to create on the offensive end,'' Iguodala said.

It was a disappointing home opener for the Bulls, who played like a team that could use some star power, even if general manager John Paxson put to rest the Kobe Bryant trade rumors the previous day. Some fans made it clear they wouldn't mind seeing the Lakers' superstar in a Chicago uniform, chanting "Kobe! Kobe!'' in the closing seconds.

"I'm not thinking about that,'' Chicago's Andres Nocioni said. "The people want to win. They can do whatever they want.''

The Sixers appeared to be in control after a tip-in by Iguodala and breakaway dunk by Willie Green gave them a 71-61 lead heading into the fourth. Fans let the Bulls hear it, and the boos only got louder after layups by Iguodala and Rodney Carney made it 75-63.

Chicago wasn't finished.

A 3-pointer by Deng made it 81-75 midway through the quarter, and Nocioni pulled the Bulls within two with another 3-pointer with 5:15 remaining. With fans chanting "Let's go Bulls!'' Nocioni missed a 3 that would have given Chicago a one-point lead, and the 76ers regrouped from there.

"I'm shooting terrible right now,'' said Nocioni, who was 6-for-15 overall and 2-for-8 on 3-pointers. "When I make 3s, it opens (things) for the big guys. ... We have time to recover, but we need to do it the right way.''

Chicago could not recover after Samuel Dalembert dunked, and Miller converted a three-point play on a fast break with 3:55 remaining to make it 87-80.

"They made their run and we came through that luckily,'' Miller said. "We rebounded the ball well, and some guys made some tough shots at the end.''

It wasn't a pretty win for the Sixers, who made just one of 11 3-pointers and were 35-for-83 overall, but a 55-36 rebounding enabled them to outscore the Bulls 25-5 on the break. Dalembert had 11 rebounds to go with 14 points, and Iguodala grabbed 10 while contributing six assists, three blocks and three steals.

"This is a confidence booster, something we can take home and build for tomorrow,'' Miller said.

Gordon led Chicago with 25 points. Second-year pro Tyrus Thomas had one of his best games, finishing with 21 points and a career-high 12 rebounds while blocking three shots. But it was a rough night for Deng and Kirk Hinrich.

Deng was 4-of-12 with 10 points and four rebounds, and Hinrich scored eight while shooting 3-for-12.

The Bulls find themselves in a familiar spot at 0-2. They're off to a slow start, just as they were in each of the previous three seasons before making the playoffs.

Whatever improvement they make is going to have to come from within, at least for now.

On Thursday, Paxson said the Bulls were never on the verge of a deal for Bryant and that talks were over for now.

He did not say they're over for good.

Paxson addressed the rumors because he was concerned they were becoming a distraction, and Deng even said the Kobe questions were getting annoying. Discussions could resume before the February trade deadline or maybe in the summer, but they're on the back burner for now.

But there are more immediate issues.

"We're not playing the Chicago Bulls' way,'' Nocioni said. "I don't know why. We practice really, really well. I think it's probably with the mind. We need to focus and try to play the way we play every year.''

Notes: The Bulls hit just 7 of 24 3-pointers and were 33-for-86 from the field. ... Bulls F Joakim Noah, the ninth pick in the draft, missed his second game with a sprained right ankle. ... Dalembert got credit for two more blocks in Wednesday's season opener at Toronto following a league review, giving him six for that game.