Detroit's defense swarmed over the Miami Heat and Tayshaun Prince scored a career playoff-high 29 points to lift Detroit to a 91-78 win in Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals on Wednesday.
The Heat did not score in the final three-and-a-half minutes while Detroit pulled away with the last nine points of the game. Miami also hurt itself by going 6-of-20 from the free throw line.
"We just came out aggressive like we talked about and played Pistons basketball," Chauncey Billups said. "There's pressure on them now, now that they are home."
Miami, leading the series 3-2, hosts the two-time defending conference champions today in Game 6 with a chance to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.
Dwyane Wade scored a series-low 23 points -- eight below his previous series average -- and Shaquille O'Neal had 19 points for the Heat. Billups had 17 points and 10 assists, Richard Hamilton had 16 points and a career playoff-high 10 rebounds, and reserve Antonio McDyess provided a boost with 10 of his 12 points coming after halftime for Detroit.
Miami, which trailed by as much as 11 in the first half, made it 51-all early in the third quarter.
Detroit's defense created a little cushion in what was a tightly contest game for much of the night.
Prince had a steal and a dunk, then on the ensuing possession Ben Wallace made the crowd erupt.
Just when O'Neal was about to throw down another one of his backboard-shaking dunks, the 2.01m Wallace leaped and stunted O'Neal's slam -- forcing a jump ball, and putting the 2.16m O'Neal on his back.
About a minute later, Wallace's three-point play -- yes, he made the free throw -- gave the Pistons a 60-53 lead.
"Everybody brought energy," Prince said. "When we move, we're a better basketball team."
Detroit had a 73-65 lead after three quarters, and Prince had already tied his career playoff-high with 24 points. The Pistons stayed in control during the final quarter.
Despite the loss, history says the Heat will reach the NBA Finals for the first time. Teams leading conference or division finals 3-1, like Miami was against Detroit, have advanced 40 of 43 times and 16 straight. But the Pistons have been a trend-breaking team with their comebacks while becoming the first team since the Chicago Bulls of the early 1990s to reach the conference finals in four straight years.
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