Prince helps Pistons win fifth straight
(Agencies)
Updated: 2005-04-09 10:17

Tayshaun Prince scored 26 points, Chauncey Billups added 23 and the Detroit Pistons won their fifth straight game, beating the Orlando Magic 114-102 on Friday night.

Before the game, the Magic announced that Grant Hill will miss the rest of the season because of a sore left shin. Hill had experienced pain off and on since being kicked almost six weeks ago, but a CT scan showed no damage to the ankle that kept him on the bench for almost all of the previous four seasons.

Detroit Pistons' Tayshaun Prince scores as teammate Antonio McDyess, left, watches late in the fourth quarter against the Orlando Magic in Orlando, Fla., Friday, April 8, 2005. Detroit won 114-102. [AP]

The Pistons ensured themselves of a better record than the eventual Atlantic Division winner. Detroit will take the second seed in the Eastern Conference if it can hang on to win its third Central Division title in four years. The Pistons' magic number is three.

Rasheed Wallace scored 22 points and Richard Hamilton had 13 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. Hamilton also had eight of Detroit's 31 assists, which was two short of the team's season high.

Detroit shot 55 percent, including 7-for-10 on 3-pointers.

Orlando has lost four of five, and is 3 1/2 games behind Cleveland in the race for the eighth and last postseason berth in the conference. The Cavaliers, who lost to Philadelphia 103-98, visit Orlando on Monday.

DeShawn Stevenson scored 15 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter for the Magic. He made four 3-pointers, after hitting just eight all season.

Steve Francis had 23 points and nine assists, and Dwight Howard added 21 points and 13 rebounds.

Detroit pulled away late in the third quarter. Billups' three 3-pointers highlighted a 25-8 surge to put the Pistons up by 17 entering the final period.

Orlando, which trailed by as many as 21 points, cut the deficit to 10 on Jameer Nelson's 3-pointer with 4:28 left. But the Pistons put the game out of reach with consecutive fast-break baskets for a 14-point lead.

It appeared the Pistons would run away early, scoring 13 unanswered points for a 25-12 lead. But Orlando slowly battled back, tying the game at 40 with 4:30 remaining in the first half.

Detroit held a 51-45 lead at the break.

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