PHILADELPHIA, 3 May 2005 — Chauncey Billups scored 10 straight points in the final three minutes of regulation as the Detroit Pistons edged the Philadelphia 76ers 97-92 in overtime in a National Basketball Association playoff on Sunday.
Billups scored 25 points in total while Rasheed Wallace had 17, including two three-pointers in the overtime period, as the reigning NBA champions took a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference opening round series in Philadelphia.
Game Five in the series is in Auburn Hills today. The Sixers led by nine points with just over six minutes remaining but the Pistons clawed back to force the overtime session, during which they out-scored Philadelphia 14-9.
Richard Hamilton added 20 points for the Pistons, whose five starters hit double figures.
Tayshaun Prince scored 17 points and Ben Wallace added 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Pistons, who lost game three of the series 115-104.
Allen Iverson had another strong game for the Sixers, scoring 36 points on 14-for-24 shooting, and adding eight assists.
Chris Webber scored 23 points and had eight rebounds for Philadelphia, while Samuel Dalembert hauled down 15 rebounds and had nine points.
In East Rutherford, Dwyane Wade scored 34 points as the Miami Heat completed a first-round playoff sweep with a 110-97 win over the New Jersey Nets. Eddie Jones added 21 points for the Heat, who took the Eastern Conference opening round series 4-0.
The top-seeded Heat have home court advantage for the rest of the East playoffs and can now enjoy at least a week off before the second round.
Miami’s Shaquille O’Neal, recovering from a bruised thigh, was held scoreless in the first half, missing all five shots he took before scoring 17 points in the second half to help Miami pull away. Udonis Haslem pulled down 11 rebounds for the Heat, who have beaten the Nets seven straight times overall.
Jason Kidd led New Jersey with 25 points and Vince Carter added 23 points and 10 rebounds but shot just six-for-22.
The Nets lost in the second round last year after two consecutive Eastern Conference titles.
In Memphis, Joe Johnson scored 25 points as the Phoenix Suns advanced to the second round of the Western Conference playoffs for the first time since 2000 with a 123-115 win over the Grizzlies.
Phoenix swept the best-of-seven series 4-0, the first best-of-seven-game series sweep in franchise history. The Suns will play either Dallas or Houston in the second round. Steve Nash added 24 points and nine assists for the Suns, who shot 60.3 percent and made 49 trips to the foul line.
Shawn Marion had 23 points and 11 rebounds for the Suns, while Jim Jackson scored 19 points. Amare Stoudemire chipped in with 18 points, despite having five fouls, and Quentin Richardson had 14.
Pau Gasol had a playoff career-high 28 points to lead the Grizzlies, with Jason Williams scoring 20. Dahntay Jones added 14 points for Memphis. Memphis has never won a playoff game and has now lost an NBA record eight consecutive post-season contests.
In Sacramento, Ray Allen scored 45 points as the Seattle SuperSonics saw off the Kings 115-102. Rashard Lewis had 19 points and Jerome James scored 17 points for the Sonics, who moved into a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference series. Game Five is back in Seattle today. Vladimir Radmanovic added eight points for the SuperSonics, who dominated the final quarter to move within a game of advancing to the second round. Peja Stojakovic led the Kings with 27 points, but Sacramento could not stop the hot-shooting Allen in the second half.
Kenny Thomas had 15 points and 14 rebounds for Sacramento.
