Pistons Control the Nets Again

Billups, Hamilton Put Detroit Up 2-0: Pistons 95, Nets 80

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., May 7 -- It took two years and 14 straight playoff wins within the Eastern Conference for the New Jersey Nets to establish what was thought to be an unshakable postseason bravado against the Eastern teams.

It took the Detroit Pistons all of two games to sap the swagger from the Nets and send them back to New Jersey down 0-2 in these conference semifinals.

The Pistons took a more resilient approach Friday night in Game 2's 95-80 victory than they did in their defensive-minded 78-56 shackling in Game 1. But they reached their goal just the same and now stand two victories from earning a second straight trip to the conference finals.

Chauncey Billups scored 28 points and had 13 assists, and Richard Hamilton added 28 points to lead Detroit.

"We held serve like our players talked about," Detroit Coach Larry Brown said. "Now we've got to go up there and steal a game. I don't expect anything but their best game."

The Pistons expected more from New Jersey on Friday after the Nets' atrocious Game 1 performance -- when they tied a playoff record for fewest field goals in a game (19) and shot 27.1 percent from the field.

The Nets obliged, scoring a respectable 46 points in the first half and shooting 47.6 percent to take a 12-point halftime lead. The Pistons, meantime, struggled mightily in the first two periods, shooting 36.8 percent. They committed eight turnovers and were outrebounded by the smaller Nets 27-20 after holding a 48-29 advantage in Game 1.

Leading 50-38 with 9 minutes 52 seconds left in the third quarter, the Nets suddenly wilted. The Pistons blitzed New Jersey with a 19-2 run over the next 7:29 to take a 57-52 lead.

In that span, New Jersey failed to hit a field goal and committed five turnovers.

The Nets pulled to 61-57 at the end of three quarters, but the Pistons still had another run in them.

A pair of three-pointers by Rasheed Wallace, a three-pointer by Billups and two field goals by Hamilton were the backbone of a 15-4 run that gave the Pistons their biggest lead of the game at 81-66 with 5:57 remaining.

The Nets answered with a 7-0 run to move within eight points with less than four minutes left, but that was as close as they would get.

"We didn't run anything different than the first half," Billups said. "I think it was just more energy both offensively and defensively."

Kenyon Martin and Richard Jefferson each scored 19 for New Jersey, which heads home searching for answers and in an unfamiliar state of desperation entering Game 3.

"They came out with a great sense of urgency in a position where they had to defend their home court," Nets Coach Lawrence Frank said. "Unfortunately, we couldn't respond tonight."