Pistons’ Start Still Flawless

Richard Hamilton had 11 points in the final 7 1/2 minutes, and Chauncey Billups made a clinching three-point basket with 16 seconds left to keep the Detroit Pistons unbeaten with a 111-104 victory over the Suns on Thursday night at Phoenix.

Billups had 27 points and 11 assists for the Pistons, the league’s lone undefeated team. At 5-0, they are off to their best start since they won their first eight en route to the NBA title in 1988-89.

The Suns led by eight to start the fourth quarter but were outscored, 12-2, over the last four minutes.

Leandro Barbosa scored 21 to lead seven Suns in double figures but didn’t play the final 6:05.

Miami 88, Houston 84 -- Dwyane Wade scored 25 points, and Jason Williams had eight of his 13 in a final quarter in which the Heat used a 20-6 run to overcome an eight-point deficit at Miami.

Wade also had eight rebounds and seven assists for Miami, which got 13 points and nine rebounds from Alonzo Mourning.

Yao Ming had 24 points and 14 rebounds for Houston but scored only two points in the final 20:04 as the Rockets, playing without Tracy McGrady (back injury), fell to 1-3 with their next four games on the road.

Meanwhile, Heat center Shaquille O’Neal had the hard cast removed from his sprained right ankle, but there’s still no firm date for his return. O’Neal sprained the ankle Nov. 3 against Indiana and the Heat said then that he would be sidelined for two to four weeks.