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DETROIT: Richard Hamilton scored 31 points and the
Detroit Pistons advanced to the National Basketball Association
semifinals for the sixth year in a row by defeating Orlando 91-86
Tuesday.
The Pistons captured the
best-of-seven Eastern Conference second-round series four games to
one and will next play either the Boston Celtics or Cleveland
Cavaliers for a berth in next month’s NBA Finals.
“It’s an awesome feeling for
us to get the opportunity to play in the Eastern Conference finals
for six straight years, but it’s one of those things that we feel
as though we’re supposed to,” Hamilton said.
“That’s our confidence. We
feel as though we have to make it there and we have to try to get
back to the Finals.”
During the latest run of trips to
the NBA’s final four, the Pistons won a title in 2004 and lost the
2005 final to San Antonio in seven games but lost in the East final
in 2003 and the past two years.
Detroit improved to 15-3 in
potential series-clinching games and became the first team to reach
six conference finals in a row since the Los Angeles Lakers did it
in the West from 1984 through 1989.
The Celtics, the NBA
regular-season champions, lead Cleveland 2-1 in their series and are
the only NBA team that would have a playoff home-court edge on the
Pistons, who were ousted by the Cavaliers last year in the
semifinals.
Antonio McDyess, who had 11
rebounds, scored 11 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter,
including three consecutive free throws that gave the Pistons their
biggest lead at 82-72.
Hedo Turkoglu, who led Orlando
with 18 points, hit a jumper and assisted on a Rashard Lewis
3-pointer to cut Detroit’s lead in half with 3:08 remaining and
the margin was the same, 89-85, after Tayshaun Prince hit a free
throw with 79 seconds remaining.
Turkoglu answered with
back-to-back baskets to pull Orlando within a point but the Turkish
standout knocked a rebound out of bounds with 20.9 seconds remaining
and Orlando began fouling to stop the clock.
Hamilton, who was perfect on 16
free throws, hit six in the final 19.6 seconds to keep the Magic at
bay while Prince blocked a Turkoglu dunk attempt and Orlando lost
the ball out of bounds on the next possession, the 21st and last
Magic turnover of the game. Those giveaways set up 34 Pistons
points.
“It was a disappointing way to
go out,” Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. “Nothing is going to
feel good if you lose but, if you come in and you play great and
they play great and you just can’t get it done, that’s one
thing.
“But 21 turnovers and 57
percent at the free-throw line, it’s just very disappointing to
come into an elimination game and play that poorly and make that
many mistakes.”
The Pistons played without point
guard Chauncey Billups, who is suffering from a strained right
hamstring suffered in a Game 3 road loss last week. Billups also
missed Detroit’s 90-89 victory at Orlando in Game 4 Saturday.
Dwight Howard had 14 points and
17 rebounds for Orlando, which failed to back up Jameer Nelson’s
guarantee of a victory. Nelson also had 14 points.
--AFP
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