Chauncey Billups scored a season-high 33 points and led a 10-0 surge early in the fourth quarter as the Detroit Pistons beat the Los Angeles Lakers 111-88 on Wednesday night.
``I still don't think we'll get the respect we deserve and that's fine with me,'' Billups said.
``I hope they don't talk about us. But one thing I do know is, we have respect from our peers. They know how good we are and that's all that really matters. It doesn't matter what people write or say. The other teams know what's going on.''
PHOTO: AP
But Billups refused to get too excited about beating the defending NBA champion.
``They're a great team, but they don't have the best record in the league,'' Billups said. ``It's a great win, don't take nothing away from it, but I don't think you can make a huge deal out of it.''
The Pistons snapped a nine-game home losing streak against the Lakers -- their longest against any team -- with their first victory over their old rival at The Palace since Dec. 20, 1991.
``We gave our people something to hold their head up about,'' said Detroit's Ben Wallace, who had 21 rebounds and 10 points. ``And it gave us a reason to have a little swagger.''
Detroit rookie reserve Mehmet Okur scored a career-high 22 points, reserve Corliss Williamson added 17 points and Richard Hamilton had 14.
The Eastern Conference-leading Pistons have won three straight after losing a season-high seven consecutive games. They're one-and-a-half games ahead of New Jersey in the conference and three games ahead of Indiana in the Central Division.
Detroit plays 12 of its final 19 regular-season games at home.
``It's all in our hands right now,'' Billups said.
Billups, signed as a free agent from Minnesota last summer, said he felt ``unstoppable'' at times and he looked like it one game after scoring 31 in a win over Golden State.
The powerful point guard -- who scored six points in just over two minutes during the decisive run -- began the fourth-quarter burst by splitting two defenders and making a crafty scoop shot from outside the right side of the lane.
``Too much Billups tonight,'' Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. ``He made me want to throw up.''
Shaquille O'Neal, who scored a season-low 13 points in a 17-point loss at Chicago on Tuesday, had 24 points and 13 rebounds. Bryant scored 21 on 9-of-23 shooting.
Robert Horry scored 13 for the Lakers, who have lost two straight after winning nine of their previous 10.
``This hurts us, but we aren't about to give up,'' O'Neal said.
The Lakers survived a scare when Bryant landed awkwardly and came up limping after making a shot midway through the first quarter. He did not leave the game.
``My (right) knee is fine,'' Bryant said.
After Detroit's big run gave it a 86-71 lead midway through the fourth quarter, the Lakers didn't get closer than 10.
``There was a great atmosphere in here,'' Pistons president and former star Joe Dumars said.
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