Pistons rally from 19 down to take 3-0 lead on Bulls
Tayshaun Prince and Chauncey Billups stepped up at just the right time and the Detroit Pistons are on the verge of another series sweep.
Tayshaun Prince and Chauncey Billups stepped up at just the right time and the Detroit Pistons are on the verge of another series sweep.
Prince scored 23 points and Billups added 21, and the visiting Pistons rallied from a 19-point deficit to beat the Chicago Bulls, 81-74, last night in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Pistons, who swept Orlando in the first round, will try to wrap up this one Sunday at the United Center.
No NBA team has won a best-of-seven series after dropping the first three games, and only three major professional teams have done that - the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, 1975 New York Islanders and 2004 Boston Red Sox.
After blowing out the Bulls in the first two games at The Palace of Auburn Hills, the Pistons trailed 44-28 at halftime. They were down 49-30 early in the third and 55-38 midway through the quarter.
Noteworthy
* Steve Nash was a unanimous selection to the All-NBA team and was joined by Phoenix teammate Amare Stoudemire on a squad made up entirely of Western Conference players. Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki, San Antonio's Tim Duncan and the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant rounded out the first team.
Cleveland's LeBron James, the top vote-getter for last year's All-NBA team, dropped to the second team this season. Denver's Allen Iverson did not make any of the three teams.
* The Suns' Amare Stoudemire says San Antonio is a "dirty team" and the Spurs' Bruce Bowen tried to hurt him in the second game of their playoff series. Game 3 is tomorrow. A Spurs spokesman declined comment.
* Shaquille O'Neal said that the Heat told him he won't be traded and he will finish his career with the team, the Miami Herald reported. Meanwhile, coach Pat Riley said Dwyane Wade (left knee, left shoulder) will have surgery on one or both injuries next week, and might need 6 months to recover.
* Boston coach Doc Rivers, whose contract was to run through 2007-08, received an extension, the team announced. It would not disclose the financial terms or the length of the extension. *