LOS ANGELES, 21 January 2004 — Down the stretch, Chauncey Billups was unstoppable and the red-hot Detroit Pistons stayed unbeatable in 2004.
Billups scored 13 of his 18 points in the final 317, sparking the red-hot Pistons past the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs 85-77 on Monday for their franchise record-tying 13th straight victory.
“If I get a look late in the game, I just feel like I’m going to make it,” said Billups, who netted the final 10 points in a decisive 12-0 closing run that erased a four-point deficit. “I don’t know what it is in me? When I miss I’m surprised.”
Mehmet Okur scored 15 points, reserve Chucky Atkins had 14, while Ben Wallace grabbed 16 rebounds for host Detroit, which hasn’t lost since bowing to New Jersey on Dec. 26.
The Pistons equaled the Spurs’ longest winning streak of the season and matched their best run of successes set during the 1989-90 season en route to their second NBA championship.
Detroit will go for its record-breaking 14th straight win yesterday night against former coach Rick Carlisle and his Eastern Conference-leading Indiana Pacers.
“We tied the streak and now we want to break it,” Atkins said. “It’s going to be a dogfight.”
Tim Duncan had 17 points and 10 rebounds for San Antonio, which has dropped four of its last five games. “It was a great game,” Spurs’ coach Gregg Popovich said. “The only difference was that Chauncey Billups came up with some heroics at the end.”
Elsewhere
Pacers 100, Hawks 97
Reggie Miller hit the go-ahead 3-pointer and two free throws in the final minute, carrying the visiting Pacers to their 11th win in the last 12 games.
Jermaine O’Neal led Indiana with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Shareef Abdur-Rahim’s game-high 32 points paced Atlanta.
Knicks 90, Raptors 79
Stephon Marbury scored 24 of his 28 points in the second half and handed out 14 assists as the Knicks improved to 3-0 under new coach Lenny Wilkens.
Jalen Rose scored 22 points while Donyell Marshall added 21 points and 15 rebounds for visiting Toronto. Raptors star guard Vince Carter missed his second consecutive game with a strained right quadriceps.
Kings 125, Clippers 100
Peja Stojakovic scored 31 points and the Kings improved the NBA’s best record 29-9 by crushing the host Clippers for their ninth win in the last 10 games. Elton Brand had 24 points in the Clippers’ third straight loss.
Suns 88, Lakers 85
Joe Johnson scored 10 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter, and Jake Voskuhl made two key follow shots in the final 124 to cap season-highs of 18 points and 12 rebounds, as the visiting Suns edged the injury-decimated Lakers for their season-high fourth-straight victory.
Voskuhl’s putback gave the Suns an 88-85 edge with 47 seconds to play. The Lakers had chances to force overtime in the final seconds but Derek Fisher missed two long 3-point attempts as time expired.
Kareem Rush had a team-high 18 points for Los Angeles, which continues to miss injured stars Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant and Karl Malone.
Magic 106, Bucks 99
Tracy McGrady scored 34 points, including a clinching dunk with 19.8 seconds left, and the Magic held off the visiting Bucks after nearly blowing a 19-point fourth-quarter cushion.
SuperSonics 90, 76ers 81
Ray Allen scored 28 points, including two late baskets, helping the visiting SuperSonics stop a four-game slide. Glenn Robinson scored 27 points in Philadelphia’s third straight loss.
Wizards 93, Bulls 83
Larry Hughes scored 25 points and the host Wizards won consecutive games for the first time since mid-November.
Timberwolves 97, Hornets 90
Sam Cassell scored seven of his 22 points in the final 2 1/2 minutes, leading the Timberwolves to their ninth straight home win. Minnesota’s Kevin Garnett had 29 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists.
Baron Davis had 25 points to pace New Orleans.
Grizzlies 88, Rockets 83
James Posey scored 13 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, rallying the host Grizzlies to their fifth consecutive victory. Pau Gasol led Memphis with 24 points and 11 rebounds. Steve Francis had 23 points for Houston, which had its four-game winning streak stopped.
Warriors 101, Jazz 85
Reserve Calbert Cheaney scored 20 points while Erick Dampier had 18 points and a career-high 24 rebounds as the host Warriors stopped the undermanned Jazz. Raja Bell tallied a career-high 25 points for Utah, which played without injured starters Andrei Kirilenko, Greg Ostertag, M. Ruffin.
