Pistons Slam Door on 76ers

The defending NBA champions were at their best when it mattered most.

Richard Hamilton scored 10 of his 23 points in the final quarter as the Detroit Pistons followed three lackluster quarters with a dominant fourth and eliminated the Philadelphia 76ers, 88-78, Tuesday night in Game 5 of their best-of-seven first-round Eastern Conference series.

“We just didn’t want to let this game slip away,” Hamilton said. “The fourth quarter we always say is our quarter.”

Detroit trailed for much of the game but went ahead, 62-61, when Tayshaun Prince made the first basket of the fourth quarter. An 8-0 run gave the Pistons an 80-69 lead with 4:48 left.

“They seem to flip a switch and turn it up on offense and defense,” 76er Coach Jim O’Brien said. “Championship teams can do that.”

The Pistons will play next against Indiana or Boston.

Allen Iverson scored 34 points, playing the last 10:56 after hurting his right ankle. Iverson landed awkwardly after missing a shot and had to be helped off the court. He had his right ankle taped and was quickly back in the game.

“I admire what he did,” said Piston Coach Larry Brown, who coached Iverson for six seasons in Philadelphia before leaving for Detroit two years ago. “It was very courageous.”

Philadelphia’s Chris Webber scored 11, and Samuel Dalembert had eight points in the first quarter but didn’t score again until late in the game, finishing with 11 points.

The 76ers started three playoff neophytes; Detroit returned all five starters from last season.

“Experience is tough to beat,” Webber said. “So many times on the court, I looked on the right or left, to mentally tell somebody something. They’ve played together before and can make adjustments without coaching.

“Without experience, sometimes it’s like you’re a chicken running around with your head cut off.”

Chauncey Billups scored 23 points for the Pistons and Prince had 14, playing 45 minutes on a sprained right ankle. Ben Wallace added 11 points, 13 rebounds and a blocked shot, giving him a franchise-record 147 career playoff blocks.