Tue, Jun 01, 2004 page19

• Detroit Pistons fire on all cylinders

  HEATING UP A sparkling performance by Richard Hamilton, who scored a career playoff high 33 points, put the Pistons within one victory of the NBA finals

  • AP
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  The masked man dubbed "Mini-Me" by Reggie Miller put the Detroit Pistons within one victory of the NBA Finals.

  Richard Hamilton scored a career playoff high 33 points, 12 of them coming in succession when the Pistons took the lead for good in a 83-65 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night for a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.

  

  Detroit Pistons guard Richard Hamilton, 32, guard Chauncey Billups, 1, forward Rasheed Wallace, 30, and Elden Cambell whoop it up on the bench in the final seconds of their 83-65 win over the Indiana Pacers.

  PHOTO: REUTERS

  In another game dominated by defense, Hamilton did almost all his damage before the third quarter was over. From there, Rasheed Wallace carried Detroit's offense until Hamilton's 3-pointer ended all doubt with 1:45 remaining.

  The series now returns to Detroit for Game 6 tonight, the Pistons having a chance to make it to the championship round for the first time since 1990.

  "We're excited," Hamilton said. "There's no greater place to win it than at home."

  Wallace scored 22 points and was the only Pistons player besides Hamilton to reach double figures.

  Detroit held the injury-riddled Pacers to 33 percent shooting and won on Indiana's homecourt for the second time in the series, much to the delight of a vocal contingent of Pistons fans who made the five-hour drive to Conseco Fieldhouse.

  Several of them surrounded the tunnel as the Pistons walked out and chanted "Beat LA!"

  Indiana got only 11 points from Jermaine O'Neal, who sprained his left knee in Game 5 and had to have it drained on Sunday afternoon. Jamaal Tinsley, playing with an injured left leg, also struggled throughout.

  O'Neal's two missed free throws and errant jumper as the clock ticked inside three minutes were followed by Hamilton's 3-pointer for a 79-63 lead that sent Indiana's fans heading for the exits.

  Hamilton, who wears a plastic face mask to protect a nose that was broken twice this season, shot 12-for-22 from the field and 8-for-8 from the line to thoroughly outplay Miller, his opponent at shooting guard who remarked with the "Mini-Me" quote earlier in the series how Hamilton reminds him of himself

  Detroit never trailed in a first half that was typical of this series, with strong defense by both teams keeping the score down. Indiana was held to just four points in the final 6 minutes of the first quarter, which ended with Detroit ahead 25-17.

  Indiana eventually tied it at 33-all before the Hamilton-Miller matchup began taking center stage.

  Miller missed a corner jumper that would have put the Pacers ahead, then was called for an odd offensive foul for kicking his leg out to the side while attempting another jumper.

  Hamilton scored at the other end, and Miller was livid when he was called for a touch foul that led to a three-point play. Next, Miller stepped on the sideline for a turnover, and referee Steve Javie hit him with a technical foul for arguing as a timeout was called.

  Hamilton scored Detroit's final eight points of the half as the Pistons led 41-36, then opened the third quarter with Detroit's first two buckets. Javie called a technical foul on O'Neal with 7:26 left in the third quarter, and Billups made the ensuing free throw for a 50-42 edge.

  A three-point play by Hamilton gave Detroit its first double-digit lead, 53-42, and Rasheed Wallace's 3-pointer -- the first field goal in more than 12 minutes by any Detroit player except Hamilton -- upped the lead to 15.
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