Tayshaun Prince scored 28 points as the Detroit Pistons pushed their way past the New York Knicks 101-97 on Friday, reducing their magic number for securing a postseason berth to one.
The Pistons won for the 16th time in their last 20 National Basketball Association games and also recovered from Wednesday's 90-78 loss in Boston.
They were able to triumph despite the ejection of Richard Hamilton in the first half and the absence of Rasheed Wallace (sprained left ankle).
PHOTO: AFP
"If somebody is out of the lineup, I've got to be more aggressive and make plays on the offensive end," Prince said. "But I thought the bench did a great job of moving around and setting screens. So, it gave me the ability to make plays when the paint wasn't clogged up. That was definitely huge."
They also won less than two months after enduring a miserable 89-65 loss to the Knicks. Detroit barely avoided setting a team record for fewest points in that game.
The win also moved Detroit closer to a seventh-straight playoff spot.
Prince scored 12 points in the third quarter as Detroit took a 76-70 advantage.
That still was not enough as Detroit held a 90-87 edge with just over five minutes remaining.
After Jamal Crawford cut the Knicks' deficit to two, Prince nailed the biggest shot of the game -- a running floater over Eddy Curry -- to make it 99-95 with 9.9 ticks left and seal the game.
"Tayshaun's one of the most underated players in the league," Crawford said. "He's known for his defense but he can give you some offence as well, and he did a great job tonight. He took over the game, and I thought he was the difference."
76ers 117, SuperSonics 83
Samuel Dalembert had 22 points and 13 rebounds to lead the Philadelphia 76ers to their eighth straight home victory, 117-83 over the Seattle SuperSonics on Friday night.
Andre Iguodala and Thaddeus Young added 18 points apiece for Philadelphia, which has won three straight overall and 11 of its last 14 games to move into seventh place in the Eastern Conference.
Warriors 134, Heat 99
At Miami, Stephen Jackson scored 22 points, Al Harrington added 17, Baron Davis had 15 points and 10 assists and Golden State eased past severely short-handed Miami.
Bobcats 108, Hawks 93
At Charlotte, North Carolina, Raymond Felton had 23 points and 11 assists, while Matt Carroll scored 21 points as the Bobcats continued their surprising turnaround.
Emeka Okafor contributed 16 points and 15 rebounds in another balanced effort for the fourth-year Bobcats, who matched a team record with their fourth consecutive victory.
In other games it was:
* Celtics 116, Bulls 93
* Hornets 107, Nets 96
* Trail Blazers 103, Bucks 101
* Jazz 126, Suns 118
* Wizards 110, Raptors 106, OT
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