Hamilton, Billups, Wallace Nearly Beat 76ers Alone

The Motor City's Big Three outscored Philadelphia's entire team when it mattered. Chauncey Billups scored 21 points, Richard Hamilton had 20 and Rasheed Wallace added 19 to lift the Pistons to a 98-81 victory over the 76ers on Tuesday night and a 3-2 lead in the first-round series.

Detroit leads in the series for the first time after being the first team to win consecutive games. 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. The third-seeded Orlando Magic, who eliminated Toronto on Monday night, await the winner in the Eastern Conference semifinals. (More NBA stories.)