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NBA Game Summary - Philadelphia at Detroit

Final Score: Philadelphia 88 - Detroit 105

Auburn Hills, MI (Sports Network) - Richard Hamilton led five Pistons in double figures with 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, and Detroit emphatically evened its best-of-seven Eastern Conference quarterfinal series with a 105-88 win over the Philadelphia 76ers at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Antonio McDyess, Rasheed Wallace and Tayshaun Prince scored 16 apiece, with McDyess tearing down a game-high 12 rebounds, and the Pistons bounced back from a lackluster performance in Game 1. Philadelphia, a heavy underdog as the East's seventh seed, stole the homecourt advantage from Detroit Sunday with a surprising 90-86 victory. Wednesday the Pistons made certain such a thing wouldn't happen again, outrebounding the Sixers by a wide margin and locking down on the defensive end en route to an easy victory and a 1-1 series count.

"I thought we were definitely more attentive to helping each other out," Pistons head coach Flip Saunders said. "(We) moved a lot better, didn't stand around and watch each other. (We were) much more aggressive both offensively and defensively and looked like we had better legs than we had our last game."

Lou Williams led Philadelphia with 17 points off the bench, while Andre Miller scored 14 to go with three assists. Reggie Evans followed up a strong Game 1 performance with 13 points and 11 boards, but Sixers leading scorer Andre Iguodala was nearly invisible, totaling just four points and one rebound on 1- of-9 shooting and getting held scoreless during the first half.

"They just did a good job of getting us out of our offense tonight and they stepped up defensively," Iguodala said of the Pistons. "They were trying to get the ball out of my hands by doubling on the pick-and-rolls and they had a great game plan as far as taking the ball out of my hands."

With the series now tied, play will shift back to Philly, where the Sixers will host the Pistons at the Wachovia Center in Game 3 Friday.

Prince scored four straight late in the first half to push a 12-point lead to 16 and complete a 10-0 Pistons run, and Detroit eventually took a 53-36 cushion to the break. Point guard Chauncey Billups knocked down his first field goal -- a three -- a little less than two minutes into the second half for a 56-37 Pistons advantage, and the margin was stretched to as many as 28 during a third period Detroit dominated.

Prince and McDyess, in particular, owned the offensive glass during the third, as the Pistons gradually built on their lead. Rodney Stuckey made it a 75-48 game with four minutes remaining on a driving hoop, Hamilton hit a pair of free throws for a 77-49 cushion, and Detroit led 84-62 by quarter's end.

Philly, running with mostly reserves, continued to play hard, but the fourth quarter was purely academic. Detroit sat its starters for nearly the entire quarter, giving younger players like Stuckey, Jason Maxiell, Arron Afflalo and Amir Johnson valuable postseason experience with extended time.

The Sixers got within as few as 15 during the final 12 minutes, but the outcome was never in doubt. Billups finished with nine points, six assists and four rebounds despite not playing at all in the fourth, while Stuckey totaled 12 and Johnson had eight.

Thaddeus Young and Rodney Carney scored 11 apiece for Philadelphia, which got just three points, seven boards and no blocked shots from its center, an ineffective Samuel Dalembert. Willie Green, who had a playoff- career-high 17 points in Game 1, scored just six on 2-of-8 shooting Wednesday.

"I think the biggest difference was taking away their transition points," McDyess said. "They love to get out in transition and score. I think we did a great job of getting back and Tayshaun did a heck of a job on Iguodala, just not letting him have his way on the court. He always starts their offense and gets them going. Collectively we really were talking out on the floor. I think that was the biggest difference."

Detroit got out to a 15-8 lead early, suffocating the Sixers into a 4-of-17 shooting start. Miller grabbed a loose rebound and put it back to bring Philly back within four, 18-14, with about two minutes remaining, but Wallace scored five straight to key Detroit on its way to a 25-18 lead heading to the second.

Jarvis Hayes knocked down a three just ahead of the eight-minute mark of the second, pushing the Pistons margin to 35-27. For a good stretch of the stanza, Philadelphia went with a group featuring Williams and rookies Jason Smith and Young, and the young guys remained within striking distance. But a Young missed three at one end turned into a long jumper by McDyess at the other, giving Detroit a 43-33 lead with 4:21 left.


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