By Paul Levine Jun 1, 2006, 12:58 GMT
Los Angeles - With their backs against the wall, the Detroit Pistons turned up their defence to shut down Miami Heat hot-shot Dwyane Wade and stay alive.
The Detroit Pistons' Rasheed Wallace (L) reaches for the ball as the Miami Heat's' Dwyane Wade (R) looks on during the third quarter of game five of the Eastern Conference Finals in which the Pistons won 91-78 at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Michigan on Wednesday, 31 May 2006. EPA/ROB WIDDIS
Tayshaun Prince scored a playoff career-high 29 points, including a key three-pointer down the stretch, as the Pistons pulled away to beat the visiting Heat, 91-78, Wednesday night in game five of the Eastern Conference finals.
Dsepite the win, Detroit still trails 3-2 and faces another win- or-go-home game situation Friday night in Miami, when best-of-seven game showdown resumes.
'It was a situation where we were facing elimination,' said Prince, who hit 11-of-17 field goals. 'We were just going out and leaving it all on the line. So that's what we have to do in Miami.'
Detroit's Chauncey Billups had 17 points and 10 assists, Richard Hamilton collected 16 points and a career playoff-high 10 rebounds, while backup forward Antonio McDyess chipped in with 10 of his timely 12 points in the second half.
The Pistons could have been sent packing for the summer. Instead, the two-time defending Eastern Conference champions showed their resilience, and improved to 11-2 in elimination games.
'They understand what's at hand and you can't be afraid to lose,' Pistons coach Flip Saunders said of his battle-tested club. 'If you're looking at it where you're afraid to fail, then usually you play timid. And this team has not done that in these type situations.'
Detroit led 47-43 at halftime and carried a 73-65 advantage into the fourth quarter. With Miami's potent one-two punch of Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal combining to score all 13 of their team's points, the Heat pulled to within 79-76, with 4:56 remaining.
That's when the Pistons clamped down, especially on Wade, who had victimized them with 10 or more points in the fourth quarter of the previous four contests.
'They took their defence up to another level,' Miami coach Pat Riley offered. 'It was very intense. They were denying and trapping Dwyane. But I thought the biggest play of the game was when Shaquille made the block and Tayshaun hit the three.'
O'Neal came out to reject Hamilton's jumper, but Prince grabbed the loose ball and buried a wide-open three-pointer from the left side, extending the lead to 82-76. After O'Neal made a spinning layup at the other end, the Pistons closed on a 9-0 run - all free throws - to wrap up the win.
Wade scored just 23 points - eight below his series average - and O'Neal had 19 for Miami, which shot 44 per cent from the field but only six-of-20 free throws.
'We knew they would come out pressuring and playing with a lot of energy,' Wade said. 'We took the first couple of punches and we still were there. Give them credit. They played hard. They played like a desperate team.'
Despite the loss, the Heat remains confident they can close out the series at home and advance to their first NBA Finals in franchise history.
'We're in a position that we need to be in,' Wade said. 'We're going back home with one game to win. That's all we have to do.'
Wade says the Heat don't feel any additional pressure to win on Friday night, although a loss would send the series back to Detroit for a decisive winner take-all game seven on Sunday.
'Ain't no pressure on us at all,' he said. 'We got a golden opportunity to win on our home floor. It's just another game. They're the defending Eastern Conference champions.'
The Pistons differ, however, especially after rallying from the exact 3-2 hole to beat the broken-hearted Heat in last year's conference finals.
'There's pressure on them now,' Billups said 'They don't want to come back to the Palace for a game seven with this crowd and how we play at home. So, it's going to be pressure for them to win on Friday.'
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