NBA Playoffs : Bullets Beat Pistons, Stay Alive

Jeff Malone scored 8 of his 35 points in overtime Monday night to lift Washington to a 114-106 victory over the Detroit Pistons and keep the Bullets alive in the opening round of the National Basketball Assn. playoffs.

The Pistons, who got 29 points from Isiah Thomas, hold a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. Game 4 is Wednesday night in Landover.

With the score tied, 104-104, Malone hit a 15-foot jumper with 2:08 left in overtime. After a Detroit miss, a basket by John Williams made it 108-104.

Thomas’ basket cut the Washington lead to 108-106, but Malone and Darrell Walker hit consecutive field goals to ice the victory.

Moses Malone scored 23 points for the Bullets, who finally beat the Pistons in postseason play after losing three straight last season and two in a row last week.

Detroit used a 12-1 run at the beginning of the fourth quarter to turn an 80-75 deficit into an 87-81 lead, but eventually let Washington get back into the game. Although the Bullets were held without a basket for the opening 6:17 of the final quarter, Jeff Malone’s 15-foot jumper gave Washington a 93-92 lead with 1:59 left.

After two free throws by Thomas gave Detroit a 98-96 advantage with 34 seconds left in regulation, Bullet forward Bernard King sent the game into overtime on a basket with 19 seconds left.